Iraqi Defense Officials have Embezzled $1.27 Billion of YOUR Money!

Site Notices

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Iraqi Defense Officials have Embezzled $1.27 Billion of YOUR Money!

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:21:49 PM EDT

But, but... I thought they were on board with the plan to secure their borders & help us win the War on "Terror"???

I guess picking the pocket of their liberators seemed like a much better idea.

You're welcome.

www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/front2453634.0680555557.html

BAGHDAD — Iraq has depleted its defense procurement budget due to widespread corruption, torpedoing plans to end the military's dependence on the United States.

An official Iraqi audit said $1.27 billion allocated by the Defense Ministry for military procurement in 2005 was embezzled by officials and suppliers. In a report completed in May, the Board of Supreme Audit blamed the theft on U.S.-appointed senior Defense Ministry officials, including a former defense minister.
Right move: Home Loans With Options
The board examined 89 government contracts signed from June 2004 through February 2005, Middle East Newsline reported.

"Huge amounts of money have disappeared," Iraqi Finance Minister Ali Allawi said. "In return we got nothing but scraps of metal. It is possibly one of the largest thefts in history."

"There have been many violations of the bidding process that have led to huge losses of public funds," Hadi Al Amiri, chairman of parliament's Integrity Committee, said. "Many bids were improperly conducted and awarded by ministers without any input from committees established to assess the bids."

Citing the audit, Al Amiri told parliament on Sept. 18 that incompetent officials were given responsibility for supervising defense projects and procuring weapons and other equipment. He said that despite the audit little has changed in the procurement process.

"Our funds are under the control of ignorant people," Al Amiri said.

The Defense Ministry used foreign intermediaries, including U.S. representatives, to conclude fictitious deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the audit said. Parliamentarians who received the report said the defense contracts were drafted by the suppliers themselves without any government supervision.

. Officials and parliamentarians said nine Defense Ministry officials were dismissed since the audit was submitted in May. In addition, an arrest warrant was issued for Defense Ministry procurement director Ziad Cattan.

The audit said the Defense Ministry spent hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds on obsolete platforms and equipment from such countries as Egypt, Pakistan and Poland. They said one of the worst examples of graft was the $230 million spent in Poland on Soviet-origin M-8 and Mi-17 helicopters manufactured in the mid-1970s and later deemed as incapable of combat missions.

Officials said Defense Minister Saadoun Dulaimi has refused to accept the delivery of the aging platforms from Poland. They added that the loss of the ministry's $1.3 billion procurement budget would harm efforts to build an indigenous Iraqi military and security capability in 2006.

"If we really spent that money in the right way, maybe it would have given us more capabilities to face terrorists," Dulaimi said.

About $500 million of the embezzled funds were spent through three front companies that received kickbacks, the report said. The audit said Cattan, who also holds Polish nationality, agreed to pay for most of the arms purchases in cash.

The audit said most of the embezzlement took place during the tenure of then-Defense Minister Hazim Shaalan. Shaalan has since moved to Jordan and denied the charges. But officials said Shaalan would soon be served with an arrest warrant.

The board also cited the procurement of combat armored vehicles that could not stop bullets fired from AK-47 assault rifles. Other vehicles purchased from Egypt were said to have leaked oil.

The report also accused Defense Ministry officials of accepting cheap copies of weapons rather than the modern equipment ordered. They included the switching of U.S.-origin MP5 machine guns for copies made in Egypt.

"If you compare the amount that was allegedly stolen of about $1 billion compared with the budget of the ministry of defense, it is nearly 100 percent of the ministry's [procurement] budget that has gone [missing]," Allawi said told the London-based Independent on Monday.

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:28:51 PM EDT

[#1]

Actually I heard these were Iraqi oil funds, but I guess we're going to end up paying for it one way or another.

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:45:14 PM EDT

[#2]

So what's the big surprise here, that the Iraqi people are a bunch of dishonest, thieving shitheads who will spend any number of American troops to fight their war of "independence" for them, or that we're naive enough to be surprised at any Turd-Worlder's sense of corruption?

I just LOVE it when we idiotically apply our own ridiculous standards to a bunch of third-world scumbag lowlifes, expecting them to have our sense of morality and responsibility.

We can't even get our urbanites not to steal plasma TVs when "Da Man" isn't watching them for 24 hours!

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:49:51 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
So what's the big surprise here, that the Iraqi people are a bunch of dishonest, theiving shitheads who will spend any number of American troops to fight their war of "independence" for them, or that we're naive enough to be surprised at any Turd-Worlder's sense of corruption?

Exactly.

G

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:21:27 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Quoted:
So what's the big surprise here, that the Iraqi people are a bunch of dishonest, theiving shitheads who will spend any number of American troops to fight their war of "independence" for them, or that we're naive enough to be surprised at any Turd-Worlder's sense of corruption?

Exactly.

G

What exactly are you guys trying to imply... that Western ideals & goals are incompatible with the prevailing belief system of that region?

That's mean spirited & racist! Take it back!!!

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:34:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:39:26 PM EDT

[#6]

My brother is an accountant for KBR just north of Bagdad, at Camp Warhorse, he came home for
ten days last month and told me how your money is being spent, like $56,000 for to rent a 1950 era tractor from the locals,
I ask him why not just have KBR send over a new tractor or a Bobcat ? he told me by some government agreement they can't.
Can someone explain to me how that works ?

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:42:02 PM EDT

[#7]

Say it ain't so!!!

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:47:26 PM EDT

[#8]

Before we get our panties in a bunch, consider perhaps that that money that went to Poland and Egypt were actually payoffs of some sort. It is possible.

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:47:44 PM EDT

[#9]

I am hereby revoking your right to complain without offering a better alternative.

Posted: 9/20/2005 11:11:11 PM EDT

[#10]

Posted: 9/20/2005 11:18:20 PM EDT

[#11]

Well, it's just like I always say.....Islamic Jihadist Towel Dudes are teh Satan.

Christian white Americans have never done anything so reprehensible as embezzling or thievery. Nope, never. Not once.

I guess we should call the whole war on terror thing off. Pack up, go home, hope for the best.

If that's what NY says is best, golly darn it, that's what we should do.

Posted: 9/20/2005 11:25:58 PM EDT

[#12]

F it. What the f's the difference? You think 200 billion here (NO and soon Galveston, and there IRQ) is gonna keep us down?

We are made of money and they are just getting started. George started it and Hillary can't win unless she says she'll continue it. Write the check and quite yer bitchin.

Posted: 9/20/2005 11:46:20 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
My brother is an accountant for KBR just north of Bagdad, at Camp Warhorse, he came home for
ten days last month and told me how your money is being spent, like $56,000 for to rent a 1950 era tractor from the locals,
I ask him why not just have KBR send over a new tractor or a Bobcat ? he told me by some government agreement they can't.
Can someone explain to me how that works ?

My dad sent a lot of AF officers to Iraq to work as contracting officers buying stuff from the Iraqi people. This was EVERYTHING examples are toilet paper, labor, anything. They ride around in an uparmored suburban with millions of dollars in cash. It is DoD policy (or AF?) to buy from the locals when possible to help their economies. Perhaps buying from the locals fucked us (ie. the Iraqis know that we must buy from them and if we need a tractor, they have the only one around, they know we will pay through the @$$$$$$$ for it.) Personally I think the whole thing is bullshit, we should support your companies after spending so much on the war and security there...

Posted: 9/21/2005 12:03:36 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Well, it's just like I always say.....Islamic Jihadist Towel Dudes are teh Satan.

Christian white Americans have never done anything so reprehensible as embezzling or thievery. Nope, never. Not once.

I guess we should call the whole war on terror thing off. Pack up, go home, hope for the best.

If that's what NY says is best, golly darn it, that's what we should do.

Excuse me... do I know you???

Posted: 9/21/2005 11:56:38 AM EDT

[#15]

That is a very low rate of fraud and graft for a Third World and especially Arab country. About half of all Saudi government spending is wasted on fraud and graft. Just imagine what a problem the ROP would be if they weren't a bunch of greedy thieves?

GunLvr

Posted: 9/21/2005 9:39:20 PM EDT

[#16]

Happens in every third world country and is to be expected.

Posted: 9/21/2005 9:41:57 PM EDT

[#17]

oh, please, our own people steal our hard earned money...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Iraqi Defense Officials have Embezzled $1.27 Billion of YOUR Money!

General » General Discussion

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us