CBS: Corrupt arms deals cost Iraq $800M (1 Viewer)

[KidRocks]

Well, well!

And the Republicans thought the UN's "oil for food" was scandolus. Now we know who is possibly funding the insurgents and terrorists world-wide. Now we possibly have an answer to one of my old posts asking, "where do they (insurgents) get all that firepower?

From the article...

documents that show the theft of $2.2 billion dollars from the time of Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003 until now.

2.2 billion possibly stolen by Iraqi's right under President Bush's nose.

Ha! So much for Saddams American-backed replacements!









http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_cor...TKQIICs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

NEW YORK - Iraq's former finance minister alleged in a U.S. television report aired Sunday that up to $800 million meant to equip the Iraqi army had been stolen from the government by former officials through fraudulent arms deals.

The former minister Ali Allawi told CBS' "60 Minutes" that $1.2 billion had been allocated from the Iraqi treasury to the defense ministry to buy new weapons. About $400 million was spent on outdated equipment, while the rest of the money was simply stolen, he said.

Allawi said the arms fraud is "one of the biggest thefts in history" and that corrupt former Iraqi officials are now "running around the world hiding and scurrying around."

He did not name the officials who allegedly stole the money during the CBS report. But Iraqi investigators are probing several weapons and equipment deals engineered by former procurement officer Ziad Cattan and other officials including former Defense Minister Hazim Shaalan...

 

[Morrow]

Well, well!

And the Republicans thought the UN's "oil for food" was scandolus. Now we know who is possibly funding the insurgents and terrorists world-wide. Now we possibly have an answer to one of my old posts asking, "where do they (insurgents) get all that firepower?

From the article...

2.2 billion possibly stolen by Iraqi's right under President Bush's nose.

Ha! So much for Saddams American-backed replacements!

I doubt such remarks will do little other than make bush supporters ignore the article.

 

[jujuman13]

Well, whatever else did you expect?

These Iraqi's are not simply a bunch of thieving Arabs.
In fact they are not Arabs, but they are Muslim, and the prime intention of any Muslim is to steal that which is not theirs and to embezzle their government as often as possible.

This is not to say that the US Troops did not make it especially difficult for this to happen.

You saw on Television the rampant and unchecked looting that was going on from all previous administrative buildings while the US troops were in the process of attempting to stabilize Bagdad during the initial invasion.

I am surprised that only this relatively small amount was missplaced / stolen.

 

[aps]

Oh I love it when my tax dollars are well spent. *sarcasm*

 

[Volker]

These Iraqi's are not simply a bunch of thieving Arabs.
In fact they are not Arabs, but they are Muslim, and the prime intention of any Muslim is to steal that which is not theirs and to embezzle their government as often as possible.

Actually, from Francis Drake to Cecil Rhodes it was the British Empire which was built by thiefs.

While Muslims had caravan tracks and ships for trading, the Britons chose a different approach.