Ex-Iraqi Officials Sought in $1B Theft

[NVMojo]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -

Iraq has issued arrest warrants against the defense minister and 27 other officials from the U.S.-backed government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi over the alleged disappearance or misappropriation of $1 billion in military procurement funds, officials said Monday.

Those accused include four other ministers from Allawi's government, which was replaced by an elected Cabinet led by Shiite parties in April, said Ali al-Lami of Iraq's Integrity Commission. Many of the officials are believed to have left Iraq, including Hazem Shaalan, the former defense minister who moved to Jordan shortly after the new government was installed.

For months, Iraqi investigators have been looking into allegations that millions of dollars were spent on overpriced deals for shoddy weapons and military hardware, apparently to launder cash, at a time when Iraq was battling a bloody insurgency that still persists.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-me/2005/oct/10/101005443.html

[leftchick]

1. what about medal winner Paul Bremer??

didn't 8 Billion go missing on his watch? :shrug:

[NVMojo]

2. they should go after him too, it's says near the bottom of the article

that they wouldn't name four of them ...

[rodeodance]

13. so will the new press over there start digging for the names?

[Lasher]

3. Is this part of the $9B (?) of US dollars that we 'lost'?

There was around $9B that we sent to Iraq, and then we lost track of it. Is this part of that sum? Dubya has never expressed any real enthusiasm for going after these funds.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. no that went into black ops never to be seen again.

The invasion created a huge opportunity for stealth funding of all sorts of vile shit. The blowback from that 'window of opportunity' will last decades.

[Sydnie]

14. as well as all the money they spent "spinning" the candidates

before last years purple finger surprise!

[stillcool]

4. millions of dollars spent on over-priced...

deals for shoddy weapons and military hardware...apparently to launder cash?.....That sounds sooo familiar. Iran/Contra anyone? Sell overpriced weapons to Iran, and give the skim off the top to the contras redux.

[yellowcanine]

5. I am sure this will generate more RW outrage than the U.N. oil for food

"scandal" being as it was U.S. taxpayer money that was stolen.
:sarcasm:

[NVMojo]

6. but really, wasn't it congress who stole our money, I mean, authorized

our tax dollars for this??

[stillcool]

7. do you mean those...

blank checks? The known knowns, and the known unknowns, and the unknown unknowns of the price of war.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Wow, that's a lot of money.

I'm just curious, has anything gone right in this cluster f*ck?

[cantstandbush]

10. They learned well the US system of "freedom and democracy."

Shouldn't they be given the Medal of Freedom?

[LynnTheDem]

11. All I can say is...

ROTFLMAO.

[demobrit]

12. Iraq orders 'corruption' arrests

Iraq has issued arrest warrants for 27 senior officials from the US-backed interim government over suspected embezzlement of more than $1bn.

The money was allegedly taken from the defence minister coffers to fund corrupt military procurement deals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4329686.stm