The third US audit in an effort to track down $6.6 billion in “missing” Iraqi reconstruction funds has once again failed to account for its whereabouts. It is the first one, however, to concede that much of the money was likely stolen.
The audit, by Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction, blamed the Pentagon for not keeping track of the funds, reporting that the US simply loaded transport planes with $100 bills and did little to keep track of it when the planes landed. Stuart Bowen, the auditor, said it may be the “largest theft of funds in national history.”
The Pentagon fired back, insisting that all of the money remained under Iraqi government control the entire time. The money was not, officials remind, US taxpayer dollars, but rather money from the UN Oil for Food program that the US was charged with delivering in the wake of the 2003 invasion.
Iraqi officials have suggested that since the US lost the money, whoever stole it, they will seek restitution from the US. Having lost the money through sheer carelessness, Rep. Henry Waxman (D – CA) warns, the Iraqi government may have a strong case.
how do you explain truckloads of money missing
I know your comment was rhetorical but…
By "you" :
– if you mean the USG officials for disbursement, they don't – they ignore the question or suggest you talk to the pentagon or state dept. But make no mistake, they'll find some Major with no political protector and destroy his career.
– if you mean the pentagon, as stated in the article they point the finger at the Iraqis.
– if you mean the MSM (the press) those that mention it at all will repeat, verbatim, whatever USG toady they're wedded to tells them to say.
– if you mean the Iraqis, they don't know anything (that they'll admit to)
– if you mean me, hell, that's easy – those responsible saw opportunity (or made it) and made sure there was no way to follow the money. What they didn't give to the Iraqi puppets is safely stashed in Swiss accounts.
I know your comment was rhetorical but…
By "you" :
– if you mean the USG officials responsible for disbursement, they don't – they ignore the question or suggest you talk to the pentagon or state dept. But make no mistake, they'll find some Major with no political protector and destroy his career.
– if you mean the pentagon, as stated in the article they point the finger at the Iraqis.
– if you mean the MSM (the press) those that mention it at all will repeat, verbatim, whatever USG toady they're wedded to tells them to say.
– if you mean the Iraqis, they don't know anything (that they'll admit to)
– if you mean me, hell, that's easy – those responsible saw opportunity (or made it) and made sure there was no way to follow the money. What they didn't give to the Iraqi puppets is safely stashed in Swiss accounts.
If you put the mafia in charge of shipping it, then its not only explainable but expect-able. Not saying that guys with Italian accents and cheap suits were involved. Just that our entire foreign policy looks like its being managed by today's equivalent of organized crime. They negotiate like the mob. The enforce like the mob. Most of this 'mission' was to steal wealth and resources from Iraq. So, why should we be surprised when we find that they were stealing from us as well?
Our founding fathers tried very hard to warn us against threats to liberty and public well being like a large standing army. And also against bankers and large corporations having power in the government. Can't say they didn't try to tell us. We just stopped teaching it to our children somewhere along the way.
This is why Dubya/Cheney quashed any real attempt to audit the IPA (Coalition Provisional Authority – under L. Paul Bremer – another of Dubya's "good job" buddies). They probably know where the money went – and regardless of where the money originally supposedly came from- the US taxpayer is going to pony up at the check out counter – again.
That is why I argue that the war on terror will continue to steal money by officials a golden oppertunity for them.
They have destroyed whole Irak and afghanistan,s infra structure got nothing except illegal killings of civilians.
This is made in america?
In truth you could say, or should say, that it was all stolen – well over a $trillion by now.
Amazing! In $1 bills, to transport 6.6 U.S. billion, 330 fully loaded Hercules C-140 would be needed! If $20 bills, the needed number of C-140 max loads is 17! With $100 bills (largest in circulation), 3.3 C-140 loads would suffice! How can such amounts of cash be “stolen”? And this is still peanuts, compared to the Wall Street bailout rip-off: 900 US billion ($100 bills) would require 450 maxloaded C-140’s! (Shipped by sea, 172 fully packed 40-foot containters! (See tinyurl.com/Money-Volumes (Excel))
How can such amounts be stolen?
A: With a truck
I reported this in the American Conservative magazine back in 2005 in a feature article called "Money for Nothing." And the mainstream media is only catching on to it now? No wonder we're in trouble.
This is no problem. The federal reserve purchased high speed foreign printing presses. The Federal reserve just has to print a few more federal reserve notes to cover the notes probably taken by mistake as the usual Israel foreign aide. The chosen saw several planes full of $100 bill and the just figured congress was in session and sending the usual tribute to the owners of American.
How can you possibly lose 6.6 billion dollars without the complicity of the U.S. and Iraqi governments?
WHO was in charge of this From the highest ranking officer to the NCO? Or were civilians in charge of it (Bremmer)?
From the CNN link, "Though it was never U.S. taxpayer money…" Funny. I though all dollars were taxpayer money.
In our government, its the elected officials that should be held responsible. In other words, Bush in these days, Obama now.
These elected officials generally have the power to replace any one below them. So, the actions of the people below them are their responsibility. If there's problems, its the elected officials we should hold responsible.
Bremmer might have held the office in Iraq. But, he was not top of the command chain. He had a boss. I think the org chart line led to Rumsfeld, but it may have been Condi Rice. Regardless, someone like Rumsfeld or Rice wasn't the top of the command chain either, as both were in offices that 'serve at the pleasure of the President', and they use authority to them that's been delegated to them by the President.
We elect one person to run the Executive branch. From the point of view of the citizens, this person is responsible for everything done by the military or other government officials. If we fail to hold this person accountable, then we let control slip away from us into the faces of nameless bureaucrats and generals who we don't appoint and over whom we have no direct control We must hold the President responsible for all that happens on his/her watch.
Thats not a suprise look at the over 2 trillion dollars missing from the Pentagon and then think of how stole this money.They try to make it look like the Iraqies may have taken it like America would let that happen there main consern in life is to get richer well the poor suffer.But know one that was involved would ever say how took it.Everthing they do seems right out of the devils playbook.There is not a thing America could do that would surprize me.I'm Canadian and wonder if they will invade us and steal everthing here.I don't like nucular weapons but Canada need some incase America gets some bright idea.We are much braver than Americans but are population is ten times smaller.But right now we give them what they want so guess were safe for now.
Trace – consider that money to either Israel or the first payment to China for the costs of Iraq war. Otherwise there is no way for US government to steal that money…, or…?
President always talk abvout leaving all options on the table.Russia,China,Pakistan,Iran,Syria, Afganistan, Iraq,North Korea and all others that disagree with America invading sovern nations illegaly and breaking the Geniva convention well killing millions should tell them to leave and invade anyone else exept in real selfdefence than we all and Im sure others would say with you leave all opptions on the table.I';m Canadian ands love my country but we need to coninue to only do peace keeping missions ands stay out of Americas illegal wars.The Canadian public though brave dissagree with the wars taking place now.America is a friend to Canada but we should never take the side of the agresser.And it seems top be America everytime includind with Japan but we only hear about the attack and not why they attacked.All of the earths countrys now 9/11 and many others were inside jobs.Many many people do to and for those that don't learn the truth the sooner the better.
if you look at billions and trillions of dollars lost stoleden miss used bail out s they could have given each and every american ,100,000s of thousand each and fixed credit housing jobs all at once!