Audit Finds U.S. Hid Cost of Iraq Projects

Audit Finds U.S. Hid Cost of Iraq Projects

The State Department agency in charge of $1.4 billion in reconstruction money in Iraq used an accounting shell game to hide ballooning cost overruns on its projects there and knowingly withheld information on schedule delays from Congress, a federal audit released late Friday has found.

The agency hid construction overruns by listing them as overhead or administrative costs, according to the audit, written by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, an independent office that reports to Congress, the Pentagon and the State Department.

Called the United States Agency for International Development, or A.I.D., the agency administers foreign aid projects around the world. It has been working in Iraq on reconstruction since shortly after the 2003 invasion.

The report by the inspector general’s office does not give a full accounting of all projects financed by the agency’s $1.4 billion budget, but cites several examples.

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The lies are everywhere..... :shk:

[edit on 30-7-2006 by loam]

Thanks Loam!

All paid for by the U.S. taxpayers.

I wonder what govt. Contractor profited from this debacle. 3 guesses...........

I suppose now we can get ready for the comments: "the Democrats did it too"

[edit on 30-7-2006 by whaaa]

why not whaaaa.

After all this is a govt. issue not just a partisan one.

I have little love left for either party. Besides its not like any of the politricksters.. dem or rep...blew the lid on this.

Apparently they are ALL crooks

Originally posted by TONE23
Apparently they are ALL crooks

Indeed they are....

...and the populous blissfully stands by unmoved by it all.... :shk:

$1.4 billion is a high amount of money, but because America's population is 300 million, the cost per citizen is low.

[edit on 30-7-2006 by JimmyCarterIsNotSmarter]

And the fact that the money is being misspent (and they are lying about it) doesn't phase you?

Originally posted by JimmyCarterIsNotSmarter
$1.4 billion is a high amount of money, but because America's population is 300 million, the cost per citizen is low.

[edit on 30-7-2006 by JimmyCarterIsNotSmarter]

seriously jimmy, what difference does this make? The fact that our tax dollars are being more or less stolen is the issue here.

It doesnt matter if its 14cents.... or 1.4 billion theft is theft and someone has to be held accountable for this(yeah like that'll ever happen)

Great find loam, as usual, but also very sad. It never seems to end. It's one thing after another while most of us sit at home watching reality tv dazed, with a wal mart lollipop hanging from our mouths. People need to start caring, because the gov't (and I'm talking both "sides" here) are becoming worse and worse with honesty. Who would have thought that the day would come when political debates had a high consistency of "well the other party does it too!"?

Also Tone, I couldn't have said it better, both sides are now participants in being so crooked that it leaves less and less to be surprising.

JimmyCarterNotSmarter: Jimmy Carter would at least probably tell you that stealing is stealing, and you can't "less steal" or "great steal" you just steal. That is like being "a little pregnant."

seriously .... who the Fudge is going to be held accountable for this and all the other crap...

I know

Nobody... as usual.

We need a revolution and fast before it is too late... its just a damn shame that I abhore violence. Cause I would start it myself(of course Id be labelled a terrorist too and/or a lone NUT) So what then can we do.... besides put our head between our legs and kiss our sorry freedoms goodbye. oh yeah and our tax dollars too.



*edit-Self censoring

[edit on 30-7-2006 by TONE23]