U.S. Lacks Records for Iraq Spending

[Barrett808]

U.S. Lacks Records for Iraq Spending
By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - U.S. civilian authorities in Baghdad failed to keep good track of nearly $1 billion in Iraqi money spent for reconstruction projects and can't produce records to show whether they got some services and products they paid for, anew audit concludes.

The former Coalition Provisional Authority paid nearly $200,000 for 15 police trucks without confirming they were delivered, and auditors have not located them, the report from the CPA's Inspector General said. Officials also didn't have records to justify the $24.7 million pricetag for replacing Iraqi currency which used to carry Saddam Hussein's portrait, the report said.

The report, released in Iraq late Wednesday, is the first formal audit of contracting procedures under the CPA, which oversaw billions in reconstruction spending that critics say was doled out without proper controls. The agency's defenders say it did the best it could given the pressure of operating in a war zone and trying to get reconstruction going quickly.

The one-star general overseeing reconstruction contracts in Iraq said in response to the audit that the lack of documentation didn't prove the money was wasted.

"We believe the contracts awarded with Iraqi funds were for the sole benefit of the Iraqi people, without exception," Army Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Seay wrote to the inspector general.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040729/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_audit&cid=540&ncid=1480

[k in IA]

1. No records of the destruction of WMD's, either. Is Baghdad the Bermuda

Triangle of record keeping?

[htuttle]

2. "the lack of documentation didn't prove the money was wasted"

Oh, that's precious.

I'll have to try that line on our company's auditors next year!

[Hobarticus]

3. 'Blank check' for war, indeed...

Shades of Reagan and the Contras.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. You could see this coming a mile away.

[mom cat]

5. The Pentagon can't account for a trillion, whats another billion?

[Karenina]

7. That's 2.3 TRILLION at last report

:shrug:

[mom cat]

13. Ooops. I learned math in Texas!

[UpInArms]

6. well, now I guess I should use that lovely excuse next time

the IRS audits me.

This is another abomination brought to you by the BFEE.

[cliss]

8. Well, according to my reckoning....

..there are some records. They are: bank statements that belong to L. Paul Bremer, Ahmed Chalabi, various Iraqi thugs, and a variety of other "bribees".

Thanks, Pentagon, for your careful use of my tax dollars.

[Beetwasher]

9. Breaking News! Water Is Wet!

Of COURSE there's no records, no records of anything. No records of how the money in Iraq is spent, no records of votes in FL., no records of Bush's guard service, and on and on and on....

[justjones]

10. My friend's uncle is working for a contractor in Iraq....

as an Arabic translator. He says the amount of waste going on over there by his employer is unbelievable (which, btw, is one of those infamous war profiteering companies that I would rather not name for fear of, well, who knows with this current administration, but I will say the company is currently under investigation...).

From his descriptions, I've come to believe that even if the truth comes out mainstream American cannot possibly handle the fact that our government is allowing our hard earned tax dollars to be wasted to the extent that it is....let alone by a so-called Republican administration. They'd rather believe what's safe, which is that the Democrats, as always, are demonizing the corporations, who are largely trying to do the right thing in Iraq while at the same time make an honest profit.

The truth of the matter is that we average Americans are getting screwed, no, fucked....shit, we are being raped right out in the open and all the while the criminals are pretending they aren't raping us and even convincing some of us to give them consent to do it.

[Disturbed]

11. Bush and his Junta/ Congress

They are both miserable failures!

The Pres., VP and Rumsfailed should have been impeached, found guilty and sent to prison for at least 20 yrs. each.

Most of our Reps. in Congress should be impeached because they have failed to honor The Constitution of the USA.

[gasperc]

12. check their bank accounts,

I'm sure they are nice and fat

[Eurobabe]

14. my thought exactly! a little stash

here and there for W when he is retired in November.

[tom_paine]

15. Yeah, and the Mafia failed to keep records of their finances, too!

Same thing.

For the SAME REASONS!

[struggle4progress]

16. kick

:kick: