State Dept. Seeks Firing of Peter Van Buren, Whistleblower who Exposed Wasteful Iraq Projects

democracynow.org - The U.S. State Department has taken steps to fire Peter Van Buren, a longtime employee who publicly criticized the Pentagon's so-called "reconstruction efforts" in Iraq. In 2009 and 2010, he headed two Provincial Reconstruction Teams in rural Iraq. After returning from Iraq, he wrote a book, "We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People." Van Buren has also exposed State Department waste and mismanagement on his blog, WeMeantWell.com. For at least six months he has been under investigation for possible wrongdoings. After his 23-year career with the State Department, he now faces being fired after filing whistleblower reprisal complaint with the Office of Special Counsel.