First order for Dems - investigate Iraqi corruption

[Cafe Americano]

Corruption within the Iraqi government is costing the country billions of dollars, the US official monitoring reconstruction in Iraq has said.

Stuart Bowen told the BBC that Iraq was facing a second insurgency of corruption and mismanagement.

He said Iraqi government corruption could amount to $4bn (£2.1bn) a year, over 10% of the national income, with some money going to the insurgency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6131290.stm

In Iraq, allegations range from petty bribery to large-scale embezzlement, expropriation, profiteering and nepotism. The TI report says it could become "the biggest corruption scandal in history."

A report on the disbursement of Iraqi oil revenues to ministries by the Coalition Provisional Authority, which governed Iraq until last July found a $340 million contract awarded by the electricity ministry without a public tender.

A January report by special inspector Stuart Bowen found that $8.8 billion dollars had been disbursed from Iraqi oil revenue by US administrators to Iraqi ministries without proper accounting.

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/9720

If the corruption in the Iraqi government and among US companies/government isn't investigated right away, it's going to look bad for Dems. Very bad.

As for where the money is going, start with the usual suspects: Europe. Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Lichenstein are the only ones that can move big and not so legal money in a hurry.