GAO questions report on Iraq (WH 'benchmark' Report)

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



GAO questions report on Iraq

GAO Says Figures in Administration's September 'Benchmark' Report Were Unreliable

PAULINE JELINEK
AP News

Jan 15, 2008 15:39 EST

The Bush administration, in its last so-called Iraq "benchmark" report, used questionable financial data to assert that the Baghdad government was making progress in managing its budget, a new study says.

The study released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office focused specifically on whether Iraqis were spending their capital budget, that is money for infrastructure needed to boost the country's lagging economic growth and improve poor public services.

The administration reported in its September Iraqi benchmark assessment that Iraq's central government ministries had spent 24 percent of their 2007 capital projects budget as of July 15, 2007. "This report is not consistent with Iraq's official expenditure reports," which show that the central ministries had spent only 4.4 percent of their investment budget as of August, the GAO said. It said capital projects are 90 percent of Iraq's investment budget.
..............

The new GAO report said the administration number in the September assessment greatly exaggerated capital project spending partly because it had included money from 2006 as well as money that the Iraqis had committed themselves to spending but had not yet spent......

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/GAO_questions_report_on_Iraq_01152008.html

[UpInArms]

1. color me not surprised

:eyes:

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Commander AWOL Bush & republicon cronies lying. Again." - GAO

"The republicon chickenhawk cronies are lying to America's troops and citizens. As usual."

- GAO

[Lasher]

3. How about the part where you're not a war casualty if you get shot in the back of the head?

I wouldn't mind seeing that objectively analyzed.

[benld74]

4. BUT thats the same accounting method Enron used!!!!!

[gratuitous]

5. Hey!

What's the point of issuing a rosy report if you can't cherry-pick/fabricate your facts? It's like it has to be all reality-based and everything. What's up with that? Oh well, I'm sure it won't matter in the least to the ongoing narrative in the popular media that the surge is working. Can't let little niggling things like facts get in the way of telling a heart-warming tale.

[tanyev]

6. I can't remember, are we for or against benchmarks these days?

[jamesinca]

7. lets privatize the GAO

Those liberals over there need to have an appointed administrator that clears everything coming from the privatized group. Does KBR /Halliburton, Betchel or Carlysle(sp) do this kind of work?:sarcasm: