NationStates Jolt Archive

Shocking horror! Apparently the UN is not the only body capable of corruption!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4515397.stm

'$100m gap' in US Iraq spending
Stagnant water and litter on the streets of Baghdad
US handling of reconstruction has been heavily criticised
US civilian authorities in Iraq have been unable to account properly for nearly $100m (£53m) earmarked for rebuilding, US financial auditors say.

Two audits found signs of potential fraud regarding the money, which includes oil revenue and assets seized from Saddam Hussein's government.

A third questioned the use of almost $18bn in US taxpayers' money for reconstruction projects in Iraq.

The audits found "no assurance that fraud, waste and abuse did not occur".


The US risks fostering a culture of corruption in Iraq
Senator Russ Feingold
Distribution of the funds was first the responsibility of the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority, and later of an organisation managed by the US embassy in Iraq.

It was subjected to examination by the US Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction (Sigir).

The BBC's Ian Pannell in Washington says this is the first time US government officials have been investigated in this way.

A spokesman for the Iraq Project and Contracting Office, which handles most of the US-funded contracts in Iraq, said the office had taken "many corrective actions".

'Washing accounts'

According to the Sigir, of nearly $120m in cash paid out in south-central Iraq more than $7m is unaccounted for and payments worth $89m do not have the proper paperwork.

It refers to significant problems, accusing managers of "simply washing accounts" to try to make the books balance.

Examples of failures include:

* More than 600 transfers of more than $23m using the wrong form

* A contractor being paid twice for the same job

* Ten payments of more than $300,000 submitted for cancelled contracts

* Two payment officers leaving Iraq with balances of more than $700,000 without clearance.

One US senator criticised the "sloppy" management of the funds.

"Billions of dollars, the success of the stabilisation mission, and US credibility are at stake, and these reports inspire very little confidence in the competence and transparency of US efforts to date," said Democrat Russ Feingold.

"The US risks fostering a culture of corruption in Iraq."

Embarrassment

An audit spokesman insisted they were not assuming the money had been lost, just that it was unaccounted for.

Even so, our correspondent says, this will be an embarrassment in Washington where the administration's handling of Iraq's reconstruction has already been heavily criticised.

The new revelations come amid an upsurge in violence on the ground in Iraq, where at least 80 people were killed in a series of attacks on Wednesday and Thursday.

Correspondents say insurgents have been emboldened by delays in the formation of a new government.

Several posts are still vacant as negotiations continue over the inclusion of Sunni Arabs in the cabinet.

Shocking horror! Apparently the UN is not the only body capable of corruption!
Dont be ridiculous, of course it is.

honestly, the cheek of some people these days :rolleyes:

Much smaller amount of money than the UN though, and quite a bit of that amount probably is legit. Such was not the UN's case, and we have yet to hear of any children sex rings involving the US miltary forces.

Besides which, getting the UN to do an open audit is like pulling teeth, whereas it is SOP for US military forces.

Maybe if the UN hadn't cut and run leaving the US and other coalition forces to shoulder the burden of rebuilding Iraq alone this problem wouldn't have arisen.

See, I can blame the UN for anything! :p

Much smaller amount of money than the UN though, and quite a bit of that amount probably is legit. Such was not the UN's case, and we have yet to hear of any children sex rings involving the US miltary forces.
Oh, I guess that makes it all right then.

Of course it doesn't, but then no one ever said that the UN was the only place that was corrupt. The biggest difference is that unlike the UN bit, this is all low-level corruption.

You will not get anything done in the Arab world without bakshish...bribes. It's different, it's not like Europe or North America. Their culture is based on greasing palms under the table and backroom deals. Bribery is a fact of life in that area.

If we pay Farmer Ali some extra money under the table not to sell pot to Coalition forces so he gives over the names of some local troublemakers. Or pay extra money under the radar to Iraqi contractor Kermut so trash pickup is on time and not involving insurgent activities.

Your cultural superiority complex against the business practices of the Arab world is a reason they are still in the middle ages as far as commerce goes. I don't like the fact you've got to bribe someone in Arab culture to get anything done but that's the fact of it.

There was probably some guys who spent money on whores and ale too. They should be prosecuted, jailed and forced to pay restitution for wasting American tax dollars and complicating the situation in Iraq.

I'd rather stand behind a Coalition soldier than stand in front of the pedophiles running child sex rings in Africa under UN protection.

lol I think the most dangerous place to stand would be in front of a US soldier cos that would mean yr back was to them and thats the only time a US soldier would shoot you.

Unless you weren't armed then they would shoot you in the front to see the fear in yr eyes.

Doesnt surprise me to learn about US corruption. Americanos actually applaud that behaviour, not that they'll ever learn about it due to the extremely biased and gagged media in America.

lol I think the most dangerous place to stand would be in front of a US soldier cos that would mean yr back was to them and thats the only time a US soldier would shoot you.

Unless you weren't armed then they would shoot you in the front to see the fear in yr eyes.

Doesnt surprise me to learn about US corruption. Americanos actually applaud that behaviour, not that they'll ever learn about it due to the extremely biased and gagged media in America.
Nice bit of libel there. Care to back any of those ridiculous and offensive assertions with facts? Until then I'll just assume you're as dumb and prejudiced as your post indicates.

lol no facts, just stupidity and prejudice, its the only thing that keeps me going. Well, that and food and water

But anyway, I thought it was fact that the American government leans heavily on the media to only print stories complimentary to its causes? It happens everywhere not just in American-land

lol I think the most dangerous place to stand would be in front of a US soldier cos that would mean yr back was to them and thats the only time a US soldier would shoot you.

Unless you weren't armed then they would shoot you in the front to see the fear in yr eyes.

Doesnt surprise me to learn about US corruption. Americanos actually applaud that behaviour, not that they'll ever learn about it due to the extremely biased and gagged media in America.

The UN abandoned the Iraqi people. 14 Resolutions condemning Saddam habitual violations of the ceasefire with no action.

The UN Secretary General prostituted them out and Koffi Annan and his associates made millions from the "Oil for Food Program". Two UN investigators have resigned in disgust over the iron wall of protection the UN has built around itself regarding the illegal activies and bribes received from Saddam's government.

CNN admitted to covering up human rights abuses, torture and Iraqi killing fields to secure a bureau in Baghdad.

The UN charged in after the Fall of Saddam's regime and demanded equal treatment and consideration for contracts rebuilding Iraq. One bombing and the UN ran. They again showed their lack of a backbone and determination to dodge their responsibility.

As far as your comments about American military personnel or any other coalition forces (British, Australian, Italian, Macedonian, Spanish were there too, Norway, Poland and others). Their women are better men than you.

corruption exists on all sides of this issue. however I am no apologist for US corruption like a few we've seen on this thread. I think anyone implicated for fraud in cases such as these should get severe punishment.

Let's see, a self-audit turned up some financial misdeeds in the way the U.S. handled its own funds. No cover up, the guilty will probably pay.

But, it took the U.S. to point out that the U.N. had mishandled money it had been given by the rest of the world. What was the reaction at the U.N.? Coverups, excuses, denial...

No, there's no difference between the two incidents.

All I have to say is that as a British citizen I am glad we went into Iraq with the US. It was about time too! The UN were all talk with resolution after resolution after resolution. And where did it get them exactly? Saddam isn't and wasn't the kind of man (if you could call him that) to listen to idle threats!

I for one would much rather be with the US than the UN, as whilst they are by no means perfect (hey, none of us are- well maybe just us Brits... ;) ) at least they do what is right and needs to be done. We Brits were with you from the beginning and we are with you now. Even though Mr Blair ended up not telling the truth, it doesn't matter. He was in material breach of UN resolutions (many human rights ones) and deserved to be dealt with.

Though, to be honest I don't trust the BBC as much as I used to, they seem to be corrupting and putting across biased viewpoints. Why give them our money through licencing?

All I have to say is that as a British citizen I am glad we went into Iraq with the US. It was about time too! The UN were all talk with resolution after resolution after resolution. And where did it get them exactly? Saddam isn't and wasn't the kind of man (if you could call him that) to listen to idle threats!

I for one would much rather be with the US than the UN, as whilst they are by no means perfect (hey, none of us are- well maybe just us Brits... ;) ) at least they do what is right and needs to be done.
And what exactly needed to be done in Iraq? There were no WMD nor was there any kind of threat posed by Saddam. If you mean the human rights abuses, yeah they were pretty horrible but there are at least half a dozen places that are much worse than Iraq right now and we haven't touched them, besides that wasn't even used as a pre-war justification.

And what exactly needed to be done in Iraq? There were no WMD nor was there any kind of threat posed by Saddam. If you mean the human rights abuses, yeah they were pretty horrible but there are at least half a dozen places that are much worse than Iraq right now and we haven't touched them, besides that wasn't even used as a pre-war justification.
At the very least, the US/British/Polish/Spanish...effort in Iraq convinced the fundamentalists that we mean to fight terrorism and terrorists where they live. And seeding democracy in the middle of that morass isn't a bad thing, either. I think the developments in Lebanon are signs that policy is fruitful.

Of course, we could have just done nothing and waited out the next attack...

At the very least, the US/British/Polish/Spanish...effort in Iraq convinced the fundamentalists that we mean to fight terrorism and terrorists where they live. And seeding democracy in the middle of that morass isn't a bad thing, either. I think the developments in Lebanon are signs that policy is fruitful.

Of course, we could have just done nothing and waited out the next attack...
You do realize that there weren't any terrorists in Iraq until we attacked them right? Iraq had ZERO to do with any terror attacks on America or Britain. I fully supported the war in Afghanistan because they had alot to do with the attacks. And you can't simply attribute Lebanon to Iraq, though at the same time you can't detract from it.

Nice bit of libel there. Care to back any of those ridiculous and offensive assertions with facts? Until then I'll just assume you're as dumb and prejudiced as your post indicates.
He's got a point, the democrat stronghold of Chicago is pretty fucking corrupt.

He's got a point, the democrat stronghold of Chicago is pretty fucking corrupt.
He said that Americans applaud corruption. We don't. All nations have some corruption in their governments. America, like all great nations, makes an effort to fight corruption. Whether that corruption comes in the form of "pay to play" behavior in city governments or election rigging in Florida we try to clean it up.