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In spending $60 billion to rebuild Iraq, the US has wasted more than $9 billion in taxpayer funds, only to find that Iraq is just as wrecked and unstable as before.
Bowen interviewed numerous American and Iraqi officials, many of whom criticized the US for taking on too many large projects without consulting Iraqis. When American troops withdrew, many of these projects were largely abandoned and Iraq continues to look as broken as before.
Additionally, Americans “wore out [their] welcome” by planning to “do it all and do it our way” – all while wasting taxpayer dollars, Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns told the inspector general.
The US has spent more than $60 billion in reconstruction grants, which comes out to about $15 million for each day of the conflict. A $2.4 billion fund set up by Congress to rebuild Iraq’s water and electricity systems and to provide food, healthcare and governance was largely wasted. President George W. Bush asked for $20 billion more just a few months after the March 2003 invasion to accomplish these goals.
Abandoned projects include a 3,6000-bed prison that cost $40 million but was never finished or used and a $108 million wastewater treatment center that still remains unfinished. The US also spent millions repairing infrastructure they blew up, including a $75 million pipeline and a $29 million bridge in north-central Iraq. Contractors were also found to have overcharged the US government for supplies, with one contractor charging the Pentagon $900 for a $7 control switch.
The failures in Iraq have raised concern over the future of Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal of US troops. The US government has spent $90 billion on reconstruction projects in Afghanistan over the course of 12 years, which US officials are afraid could go to waste if oversight isn’t coordinated better.
Oh: Did any of your sources mention whether Halliburton and KBR are doing OK? I worry about them so. And, after all, that's the important thing; never mind about the Iraqis or the American taxpayers....
To all the posters here, what do you think would be the best methods we could use to root out all of the money wasting rats? War is a for profit campaign, how do we put an end to it all?
Why aren't people listening, why don't people care? I'm tired of economic struggle, aren't others?
Originally posted by seeker1963
reply to post by eXia7
To all the posters here, what do you think would be the best methods we could use to root out all of the money wasting rats? War is a for profit campaign, how do we put an end to it all?
Why aren't people listening, why don't people care? I'm tired of economic struggle, aren't others?
Agreed!
My simplistic and IMO realistic answer, is term limits on politicians and felony convictions for any lobbyist organization OR politican who scratch each others backs.?