From a Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial, 2/19/07:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/304035_audited.html
Our Money: War dollars wasted
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Who knew Iraq had so much in common with the Bermuda Triangle.
Things just keep disappearing there.
Like $36 million in armor and communications gear.
Like $12 billion in shrink-wrapped cash.
Like $10 billion in aid.
Like any notion of accountability.
Three top federal investigators warned a House committee that of their
review of $57 billion spent on Iraq contracts, about $10 billion was
squandered on overpriced, questionable or just straight-up
undocumented expenditures, with $2.7 billion of that to Halliburton.
In its report, the Government Accountability Office outlined the
Department of Defense's "poorly defined or changing requirements, the
use of poor business arrangements, the absence of senior leadership
and guidance, and an insufficient number of trained contracting ...
personnel to manage, assess and oversee contractor performance."
"There is no accountability. Organizations charged with overseeing
contracts are not held accountable. Contractors are not held
accountable. The individuals held responsible are not being held
accountable," said David Walker, comptroller general of the U.S.
The potential for future financial losses looms large at a time when
President Bush wants more money ($100 billion) and more troops, which
might make asking for answers on spending in Iraq seem like partisan
issue.
It is not.
We're all being robbed here and there is nothing unreasonable with
demanding responsible spending.
_____________________________________________________
"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public
office."
Aesop
Harry
.
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