$1B In Military Equipment Missing In Iraq
Bush at his best!
CBS-Tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, crates of machine guns and rocket propelled grenades are just a sampling of more than $1 billion in unaccounted for military equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces, according to a new report issued today by the Pentagon Inspector General and obtained exclusively by the CBS News investigative unit. Auditors for the Inspector General reviewed equipment contracts totaling $643 million but could only find an audit trail for $83 million.
The report details a massive failure in government procurement revealing little accountability for the billions of dollars spent purchasing military hardware for the Iraqi security forces. For example, according to the report, the military could not account for 12,712 out of 13,508 weapons, including pistols, assault rifles, rocket propelled grenade launchers and machine guns.
The report comes on the same day that Army procurement officials will face tough questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding their procurement policies. One official, Claude Bolton, assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology has already announced his resignation on the heels of sharp criticism of army contracting. Bolton’s resignation is effective Jan. 2, 2008. The Army has significantly expanded its fraud investigations in recent months.
I worked with a guy who was retired from the Navy. He worked in the warehouse and was always throwing away stuff I would have tried to fix. So when I said something he says: “That’s just a bloop maker”. I said “What?”
He says “Yea, when you roll something off the side of the carrier that’s the sound it makes. (bloop)”
We had just set up an Iraqi police station, they were doing fine for about two or three months too. Until we had to give them RPGs to add to their armory. The following sequence was predicted by even my least ranking soldier: insurgents or Mahdi militia knocked over the police station and stole the RPG launchers and ammo.
‘Wow,’ you say, ‘how many guys did it take to knock over a police station?’ you ask. Well, by all accounts, there were about six or seven guys with rifles – the police officers ran away. I’m sure they were well reimbursed later on.
So, anyway, that’s about 10-15 RPGs that won’t be accounted for.
Aubrey
I talk to a person to remain nameless who was working for the Government via procurement in Iraq. He told me the issue was the Government set up inconsistent policies. Also that the people at the top from D.C. were incompetent and over their head. on basic accounting procedures and that was the main problem. He said some areas did a great job but other areas were scary at best!
I find it interesting that we (the U.S.) are now providing RPG’s. Where are they made? What’s the supply stream look like? Many more questions.
As for Mr. Konop, if you’re such an authority on accounting practices, why haven’t you volunteered to help straighten things out? I, personally, think you are just a big blowhard; complainer, whiner and BS’r who couldn’t actually do or even understand all the things you constantly bitch about. Why don’t you go back and crawl under the covers so mommy can tuck you in?
TBC :>|
This is unacceptable and MUST be corrected. The taxpayer has a the right to know where this stuff ended up, and whether it may be in the hands of those who’ll use it against out own soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. COMPLETELY unacceptable.
WHOA! Cherokee! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet! Just wait until he gets rolling…..
Oh! One other thing…..using his typical “Konopian Logic,” he titles this post “Bush at his best.” Sheesh……please explain how this is Bush’s fault.
You are the most partisan person who claims to be non-partisan in the history of man.
Please find other things to “blame” on Bush. For some odd reason, I don’t think he did the accounting on this John.
As if this is the first time a government bureaucracy mishandled procurement…LOL!
It will take a major, years long effort to straighten out purchasing procedures by the government on every level from city, county, state to fed. They all are inherently flawed, if not totally FUBAR.
Welcome to the site TBC…if this gets your blood boiling, just wait ’til John the Constitutionalist obfuscates every issue….hope you have lots of hair for the pullin’!
Sgt. Mac and Bart
We are 10 trillion in the red because leadershp in both Parties like you do not care about waste! And all I hear from you guys is SPIN!
Tough spot to be in. The Iraqis need equipment but the likelyhood of them being corrupt and either using the equipment for ill or selling it for profit is high. Arabs are corrupt by nature, I think. Remember the Indiana Jones where he’s in the Egyptian market looking for the girl in the basket?..so true. Swindlers, cheats, and thiefs. 7 out of 10 times the stereo type will fit.
Cherokee,
Don’t worry about the missing RPGs. When the idiots fire them, the forget to pull the pin. No kidding. We got “thunked” by RPGs a few times but they never exploded!
Bill, I’m sure there’s a joke about not pulling the pin on rocket propelled grenades.
“please explain how this is Bush’s fault.”
Well, there is this position called “The President of the United States” (AKA Commander in Chief).
So the prez gets to make lots of decisions you see. One decision he made was to invade a country called Iraq. You see?
Now part of the invasion plan was to “rebuild” Iraq. Now, let’s not quibble about the definition of “rebuild”. Let’s suffice to say that we were supposed to make things better over there (there are a number of different metrics used to define “better”).
Part of that “rebuild” effort includes accounting for supplies and materials provided by the U.S. taxpayer to help “rebuild”.
The accounting wasn’t handled very well at all.
See how we’ve come full circle to answer your question? The prez ordered an invasion. The invasion included a “rebuild” plan. The “rebuild” plan includes some basic accounting of taxpayer dollars. This accounting wasn’t done well.
If you’d like I could draw all of this out in a nice coloring book so that it is easier for you to understand. I’m pretty good at these things, I’ve got a four year-old daughter. You see?
captain
LOL
You’re right John…America is in the red so let’s drop all defense in order to reverse the trend.
Let’s just stick with welfare, SCHIP, socialized healthcare, all those things you find useful…they don’t have any impact on the deficit….BRILLIANT!!!!
Bart
No prok project it to big for you!
Aubrey
If an armed society is a stable society (which I agree with) then how do we arm the Iraqis while we’re there getting shot at?
I would like to see formal education highly encouraged in Baghdad. Generally, the Iraqi people are ignorant to the umpth degree. I believe that education is the key building block to civilized society. When the Iraqis care more about having a successful buisiness (for example) than who has the shiniest AK-47…then things will take a permanent turn for the better.
How to implement that kind of education? I don’t know. Stability, obviously, has to come first. Pressure on the tribal leaders might be the answer. The tribal leaders have a great deal of authority and giving them responsibility, making them take ownership of the country and giving them no reason to be corrupt is the key.
My buddy once said that if we put a Starbucks and a Mcdonalds on every other street corner that the hostilities would end in a matter of days. I think he was right. A strong injection of market economy and the prosperity that follows would do wonders. When the kid who makes his living looting buildings and selling scrap can get a real job that actually pays a salary…then he’ll have more reason to want peace. Make them take ownership.
Private Menace (No wait…I’ll abbreviate that to P.M. as in pre-menst..oh never mind)
That’s hysterical. Please provide the picture you spoke of. I’m sure it will be even more amusing. Maybe you could even paint a picture of the GAO and other government agencies so all of us will be enlightened. You’re a fool.
By the way PM, perhaps one day you’ll muster up the courage to post under a REAL name.
John…..Keep laughing! Your ignorance of the subject is really what’s funny!
Bart – Doesn’t it get tiresome bantering with mindless socialists?
“My buddy once said that if we put a Starbucks and a Mcdonalds on every other street corner that the hostilities would end in a matter of days.”
Brilliant.
Let’s turn the rest of the world into careless consumers of worthless crap. Just like us. Great foreign policy!
What makes you think the world’s limited resources can support this “McDonaldization” of developing nations? I’m very curious to hear your answer.
It’s called ‘an economy.’
“It’s called ‘an economy.’”
No argument there Aubrey. And a turd is called a turd.
SgtLOL, the only socialist here is you. You’ll never admit to it because that would blow your cover. False flag?
You and your Christian Socialist movement are the reason that our country is currently sucking mud. Congratulations, that was probably your mission.
Mac…yes. But it is a study in political psyche to see these folks claim conservatism while advocating the exact opposite.
Bart and Mac
NEOCONMEN!