They plundered Iraq for fun and profit

[kpete]

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Froma Harrop / Syndicated columnist

They plundered Iraq for fun and profit


Mike Battles — former Republican candidate for Congress in Rhode Island and Fox News war-on-terror analyst — figured he could make a quick fortune off the rebuilding of Iraq. So he and pal Scott Custer set up a contracting firm with the catchy name of Custer Battles. The company proceeded to steal a cool $50 million from American taxpayers, according to two of its former employees. In March, Custer Battles became the first U.S. contractor to be found liable for fraud in Iraq.

Ex-employees now accuse two former Pentagon officials of plotting with Custer Battles to set up shell companies that, among other things, sold arms on the Iraqi black market — weapons that could have been used against American troops. These startling charges come in a sealed federal lawsuit obtained by the Associated Press (AP).

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With $21 billion now budgeted for Iraq reconstruction, you'd think the leaders in Washington would tighten up the oversight. Think again.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, has proposed creating a special committee to review government contracts in Iraq. Last month, it went down in flames with only one Senate Republican voting for it, Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee.

It all sort of leaves you speechless.


more at:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003151758_froma26.html

[hobbit709]

1. "Custer Battles"

Do they appreciate the irony there?

[geardaddy]

3. Let's hope they suffer the same

thing that happened to Custer at Little Big Horn.

[havocmom]

2. Plundered the US Treasury too

and used Support The Troops as a blackmail scheme to force Congress to let them do it.