Military spending defies efforts to track it

[unhappycamper]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/11/22/209353/military-spending-defies-efforts.html



Military spending defies efforts to track it
By James Rosen
McClatchy Washington Bureau
November 22, 2013

WASHINGTON — Multiple presidents, Pentagon chiefs and members of Congress have tried to figure out what happens to the boatloads of money that go to the Defense Department, the largest federal agency.

~snip~

The problems have only worsened. Pentagon spending exploded during the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which yielded fresh reports of billions gone astray to contractors ostensibly rebuilding the two countries amid continuing violence.

As U.S. involvement in the wars wind down, the last defense secretary, Leon Panetta, and the current one, Chuck Hagel, have waged yet another offensive to get on top of the money.

The problem extends to Capitol Hill. With defense contractors providing tens of thousands of jobs in every state and virtually every House district across the country, lawmakers have failed to identify spending cuts as required by their own budget bills.

[valerief]

1. They can't *steal* money AND account for it. That's not how it's done. nt