$1 billion missing, Iraqi officials flee the country

[quaoar]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2071132005

Iraq has issued arrest warrants against the defence minister and 27 other officials from the US-backed government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi over the alleged disappearance or misappropriation of 1 billion dollars in military procurement funds, officials said.

Those accused include four other ministers from Allawi's government, which was replaced by an elected Cabinet led by Shiite parties in April, Ali al-Lami of Iraq's Integrity Commission said.

Many of the officials are believed to have left Iraq, including Hazem Shaalan, the former defence minister who moved to Jordan shortly after the new government was installed.

For months, Iraqi investigators have been looking into allegations that millions of dollars were spent on overpriced deals for shoddy weapons and military hardware, apparently to launder cash, at a time when Iraq was battling a bloody insurgency that still persists.

[hatrack]

1. They didn't flee - they "Freedom Marched" out of Iraq

Things are going so well over there, and we never hear the good news! :puke:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. Uh oh. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. No problem. The Bushies will send over another boatload of cash

After all, what are friends for?

[Toots]

8. Why not when most of it ends right back in their pockets....

The roots all connect.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. that is a low standard. Why is Haliburton still there? They stole at least

as much, probably boatloads more.

[EST]

6. Halliburton

is the favored son. Going up against them is a sure path to oblivion. What I would like to know is how much of the missing eight billion went to the manufacturing of the fake "split" between Chalabi and the U S crooks.
That was so patently obvious that we knew it was a rush job and much of that money, no doubt, was also frittered away to the ever present corruption kings.

I have serious suspicions that this crap will continue until there are armed uprisings here in this country, with necktie parties for the most visible.

[afdip]

5. golly gee, i don't know where they learned to steal like this . . .

it's probably just a genetic thing, doncha' think?? :sarcasm:

[EST]

7. Are you suggesting crook/dumber crook miscegenation?

[second edition]

9. Another scandal brought to us by the Bush administration. n/t