posted on October 15, 2004 09:20:19 AM new
Looks like someone is profiting from that messy war and skimming lots of funds. No wonder the Iraqi people are angry. The money for the reconstruction is disappearing.
WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi officials doled out hundreds of millions of dollars in oil proceeds and other moneys for Iraqi projects earlier this year, but there was little effort to monitor or justify the expenditures, according to an audit released Thursday.
Files that could explain many of the payments are missing or nonexistent, and contracting rules were ignored, according to auditors working for an agency created by the United Nations.
"The Bush Administration cannot account for how billions of dollars of Iraqi oil proceeds were spent," Waxman said. "The mismanagement, lack of transparency, and potential corruption will seriously undermine our efforts in Iraq. A thorough congressional investigation is urgently needed."
Auditors questioned why checks were made payable to a U.S. official — a senior adviser to the Iraqi ministry of health — rather than to suppliers.
Other questions were raised about funds provided by the U.S.-run governing authority to Kurdish officials in northern Iraq. In one instance, auditors were given a deposit slip that showed the transfer of $1.4 billion to a Kurdish bank. Auditors said they were denied access to accounting records and were unable to verify how — or if — the money was spent.
posted on October 15, 2004 10:22:45 AM new
Nothing new there kiara. Given a chance looting will take place. No accountably and everyone turns a blind eye. This will be like Enron and no one will be charged.
posted on October 15, 2004 10:52:43 AM new
Bush passed the Sarbanes & Oxley law to prevent Enron and World Com disasters. The Bush administration should be held accountable just like the CEO of any other company.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
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Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declares: "the area… that coalition forces control… happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
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