What's another $100M? "U.S. Can't Account for $100M Spent in Iraq"

Today: May 04, 2005 at 19:01:36 PDT

U.S. Can't Account for $100M Spent in Iraq
By MATT KELLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

U.S. Can't Account for $100M Spent in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) -

U.S. civilian authorities in Iraq cannot properly account for nearly $100 million that was supposed to have been spent on reconstruction projects in south-central Iraq, government investigators said Wednesday.

There are indications of fraud in the use of the $96.6 million, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. A separate investigation of possible wrongdoing continues.

More than $7 million of the total is unaccounted for, the report said. An additional $89.4 million in payments do not have the required supporting documents.

The report accused civilian contract managers of "simply washing accounts" to try to make the books balance. Staffing shortages and the quick turnover of those responsible for the cash contributed to the problems, the report said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=729490

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-exec/2005/may/04/050409801.html

Steal $100 million, get a medal from the Preznit.

Where did the Buck stop? Correct! The Oval Office in the White House.
Now it is run through a washing machine and stops in Cheney's back pocket.

Didn't Kucinich make an effort to get to the root of this several months ago? As I recall, it was in the billions, though. I wrote to my reps to tell them to support him. What happened to that?

Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds
Pentagon, Bremer dispute inspector general's report
Monday, January 31, 2005

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly $9 billion of money spent on Iraqi reconstruction is unaccounted for because of inefficiencies and bad management, according to a watchdog report published Sunday.

An inspector general's report said the U.S.-led administration that ran Iraq until June 2004 is unable to account for the funds.

"Severe inefficiencies and poor management" by the Coalition Provisional Authority has left auditors with no guarantee the money was properly used," the report said.

"The CPA did not establish or implement sufficient managerial, financial and contractual controls to ensure that funds were used in a transparent manner," said Stuart W. Bowen Jr., director of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.


http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.audit/

"The U.S. risks fostering a culture of corruption in Iraq," said Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis."

...... LOL

In the blood and death that is Iraq ..... 3 points of humor

2.5 million $ in a backpack w/ no receipt to pay some Iraqi
contractor.

for the first 3 to 4 months oil was pumped but the meter
was not turned on .... I wonder who got the money?

Wolfowitz on Iraq; It should cost 1 to 2 billion $s tops.