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daussaulit
Forgetful
Registered: 08/06/02
Posts: 2,894
Loc: Earth
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$9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq
#3707006 - 01/31/05 10:08 AM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Audit: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq
Quote:
WASHINGTON - The U.S. occupation authority in Iraq (news - web sites) was unable to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to government ministries, which lacked financial controls, security, communications and adequate staff, an inspector general has found.
The U.S. officials relied on Iraqi audit agencies to account for the funds but those offices were not even functioning when the funds were transferred between October 2003 and June 2004, according to an audit by a special U.S. inspector general.
The findings were released Sunday by Stuart Bowen Jr., special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. Bowen issued several reports on the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the U.S. occupation government that ruled Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004.
The official who led the CPA, L. Paul Bremer III, submitted a blistering, written reply to the findings, saying the report had "many misconceptions and inaccuracies," and lacked professional judgment.
Bremer complained the report "assumes that Western-style budgeting and accounting procedures could be immediately and fully implemented in the midst of a war."
The inspector general said the occupying agency disbursed $8.8 billion to Iraqi ministries "without assurance the moneys were properly accounted for."
U.S. officials, the report said, "did not establish or implement sufficient managerial, financial and contractural controls." There was no way to verify that the money was used for its intended purposes of financing humanitarian needs, economic reconstruction, repair of facilities, disarmament and civil administration.
Pentagon (news - web sites) spokesman Bryan Whitman said Sunday the authority was hamstrung by "extraordinary conditions" under which it worked throughout its mission.
"We simply disagree with the audit's conclusion that the CPA provided less than adequate controls," Whitman said.
Turning over the money "was in keeping with the CPA's responsibility to transfer these funds and administrative responsibilities to the Iraqi ministries as an essential part of restoring Iraqi governance."
The inspector general cited an International Monetary Fund (news - web sites) assessment in October, 2003 on the poor state of Iraqi government offices. The assessment found ministries suffered from staff shortages, poor security, disruptions in communications, damage and looting of government buildings, and lack of financial policies.
Some of the transferred funds may have paid "ghost" employees, the inspector general found.
CPA staff learned that 8,206 guards were on the payroll at one ministry, but only 602 could be accounted for, the report said. At another ministry, U.S. officials found 1,417 guards on the payroll but could only confirm 642.
When staff members of the U.S. occupation government recommended that payrolls be verified before salary payments, CPA financial officials "stated the CPA would rather overpay salaries than risk not paying employees and inciting violence," the inspector general said.
Bremer attacked many of the specific findings. Among his rebuttal points:
_With more than a million Iraqi families depending on government salaries, there would have been an increased security threat if civil servants had not been paid until modern pay records were developed.
_U.S. policy was to build up the Iraqi force guarding government facilities, and it was better to accept an imperfect payroll system than "to stop paying armed young men" providing security.
_The report was suggesting the CPA "should have placed hundreds of CPA auditors" in Iraqi ministries, contrary to United States and United Nations (news - web sites) policy of giving Iraqi ministers responsibility for their budgets.
_The CPA established a program review board, an independent judiciary and inspector generals in each agency to fight corruption.
The inspector general's report rejected Bremer's criticism. It concluded that despite the war, "We believe the CPA management of Iraq's national budget process and oversight of Iraqi funds was burdened by severe inefficiencies and poor management."
And bush wants another $80 billion?!?
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MeatSpace
Waxer of unicorn butthole
Registered: 12/10/04
Posts: 10,832
Loc: Deep inside your ass
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3707011 - 01/31/05 10:11 AM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Bush is shady, I think he's plotting to take over the world!
-------------------- / l \__ ... Hi, I'm Crankey, and I approve this message.
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J4S0N
human
Registered: 07/29/04
Posts: 284
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3707022 - 01/31/05 10:14 AM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Surprise, surprise. Look into how much money is missing from the pentagon (its in the trillions). A criminal cabal is in control, so much money missing while the economy continues to decline.
-------------------- "The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." ~ William Colby, Former Director, CIA
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole
Registered: 02/11/04
Posts: 81,741
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3708044 - 01/31/05 03:10 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Somebody says this, somebody says that. If there is fruit we will see it eventually. This does not constitute fruit yet.
"Economy continues to decline?" When, in your inestimable opinion, did this "decline" begin? And how has this decline manifested itself? Because I just can't find it.
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daussaulit
Forgetful
Registered: 08/06/02
Posts: 2,894
Loc: Earth
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: zappaisgod]
#3708148 - 01/31/05 03:29 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Sort of like Bush's fruitless search for WMD's?
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3708179 - 01/31/05 03:34 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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How so?
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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3709376 - 01/31/05 06:35 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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I took it.
-------------------- "I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson http://phluck.is-after.us
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: Phluck]
#3709448 - 01/31/05 06:45 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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And I have them
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Grav
Registered: 02/06/02
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: zappaisgod]
#3709480 - 01/31/05 06:50 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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It's okay, I'm sure the money arrived to the intended recipents.
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Catalysis
EtherealEngineer
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: daussaulit]
#3709521 - 01/31/05 06:54 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Just wait until they find out how much money went unaccounted for in the "tsunami relief aid". As if these people needed billions to rebuild their mud huts.
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: Grav]
#3709533 - 01/31/05 06:55 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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And no doubt lining the pockets of somebody at Haliburton....
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Learyfan
It's the psychedelic movement!
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: zappaisgod]
#3710238 - 01/31/05 08:51 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
zappaisgod said: And I have them
Phluck took the 9 billion, not the WMDs.
-------------------- -------------------------------- Mp3 of the month: Sons Of Adam - Feathered Fish
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Adamist
ℚṲℰϟ✞ЇѺℵ ℛ∃Åʟḯ†У
Registered: 11/23/01
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: Catalysis]
#3710383 - 01/31/05 09:19 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Just wait until they find out how much money went unaccounted for in the "tsunami relief aid". As if these people needed billions to rebuild their mud huts.
Was the relief aid in the "billions"? What's so bad about wanting to help out people less fortunate than yourself? Is that un-American now? Or just not trendy?
-------------------- { { { ṧ◎ηḯ¢ αʟ¢ℌ℮мƴ } } }
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wietstocker
product ofevolution
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: Adamist]
#3712257 - 02/01/05 08:08 AM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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The poor state of the economy is evident when you look at the dwindling value of the US dollar.
-------------------- Echoes
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole
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Re: $9 Billion Unaccounted for in Iraq [Re: Learyfan]
#3714991 - 02/01/05 06:26 PM (19 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Learyfan said:
Quote:
zappaisgod said: And I have them
Phluck took the 9 billion, not the WMDs.
He got the money, I got the stuff. I thought that was clear
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