15 BILLION US DOLLARS in Iraq spending unaccounted for

[Khun_Kong]

Actually, one of the reasons for so much paperwork not being done was to try and speedup the re-building as much as possible. In most cases, payments were made in order to get work started quickly, with the idea that the paper would follow. Unfortunately, the local contractors employed in Iraq were just incapable of doing the paperwork to the level expected for US government subcontractors.

There is no doubt that some percentage was siphoned off and was not used appropriately. Virtually all of this was by local contractors who took advantage of a situation where the Americans wanted to get a much done as fast as possible without worrying about what is would cost.

Anyone that has worked for the US government on a reimbursable basis knows that they get really ridiculous in their documentation requirements. Combine the extremes of the government requirements with complete lack of such experience of the local contractors, you have a financial disaster in the making.

Everyone forgets the huge amount work that was actually done in the first few months prior to the start of the insurgency. That is actually one of the reasons the insurgency started, the fanatics suddenly realized that Iraq was well on its way to a great recovery and that would be last thing they would want.

 

 

Well, one only has to look at the results to see that it was money well-spent. Before we arrived to save them, these poor people had virtually no electricity or running water. We have given them an infrastructure to be proud of.

 

And hell, who do you know that could complete the paperwork in umder a year? 3 years? 5 years??

 

There is NOTHING about this fucked up debacle that makes any sense at all. But what the hell- we were stupid enough to put GWB in office a second time- maybe we can compound the intelligence of that decision by installing John "could be another 100 years" McCain.

 

[khun_khon_neua]

...There is NOTHING about this fucked up debacle that makes any sense at all. ...

 

[teddy]

Actually, one of the reasons for so much paperwork not being done was to try and speedup the re-building as much as possible. In most cases, payments were made in order to get work started quickly, with the idea that the paper would follow. Unfortunately, the local contractors employed in Iraq were just incapable of doing the paperwork to the level expected for US government subcontractors.

There is no doubt that some percentage was siphoned off and was not used appropriately. Virtually all of this was by local contractors who took advantage of a situation where the Americans wanted to get a much done as fast as possible without worrying about what is would cost.

Anyone that has worked for the US government on a reimbursable basis knows that they get really ridiculous in their documentation requirements. Combine the extremes of the government requirements with complete lack of such experience of the local contractors, you have a financial disaster in the making.

Everyone forgets the huge amount work that was actually done in the first few months prior to the start of the insurgency. That is actually one of the reasons the insurgency started, the fanatics suddenly realized that Iraq was well on its way to a great recovery and that would be last thing they would want.

 

 

 

 

 

[rogueyam]

Well, one only has to look at the results to see that it was money well-spent. Before we arrived to save them, these poor people had virtually no electricity or running water. We have given them an infrastructure to be proud of.

 

And hell, who do you know that could complete the paperwork in umder a year? 3 years? 5 years??

 

It is easy to offer empty, snide criticism. It is much harder to help a foreign and hostile nation recreate itself after decades of abject tyranny and war.

[Bangkoktraveler]

I don't think it is a snide remark. I think the USA publice demands accountability especially in a war we should never have started let alone continue to fight. This is not a war for "Freedom and DEmocracy", but a war in which the USA gains more and more control over its citizens and the government becomes less accountable for its actions.

[khun_khon_neua]

I thought you might like that.

[khun_khon_neua]

I don't think it is a snide remark. I think the USA publice demands accountability especially in a war we should never have started let alone continue to fight. This is not a war for "Freedom and DEmocracy", but a war in which the USA gains more and more control over its citizens and the government becomes less accountable for its actions.

 

This is money spent trying to rebuild the country, not fighting the insurgency. I agree there needs to be accountability, but it needs to done in the context of the situation. This is mostly about trying to throw money at a problem hoping that will fix it, unfortunately, the opposite of what was trying to be accomplished happened, and we are where we are today. Letâ??s solve that and then proceed with the witch hunt for the people that got us into this mess.