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zoobyshoe
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Investigators looking into corruption involving reconstruction in Iraq say they have opened more than 50 new cases in six months by scrutinizing large cash transactions — involving banks, land deals, loan payments, casinos and even plastic surgery — made by some of the Americans involved in the nearly $150 billion program.
Some of the cases involve people who are suspected of having mailed tens of thousands of dollars to themselves from Iraq, or of having stuffed the money into duffel bags and suitcases when leaving the country, the federal investigators said. In other cases, millions of dollars were moved through wire transfers. Suspects then used cash to buy BMWs, Humvees and expensive jewelry, or to pay off enormous casino debts.
Some suspects also tried to conceal foreign bank accounts in Ghana, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Britain, the investigators said, while in other cases, cash was simply found stacked in home safes...
Jack21222 said:And this is surprising because...?
turbo-1 said:I had industrial experience much earlier with Halliburton and KBR. They would send untrained workers onto mill-sites to flush our black liquor evaporators, Kraft digesters, etc, and those workers had no idea what they were getting into. They came up north and earned good wages (comparitively) for doing work that no rational workers would agree to do. They would put themselves in danger of grievous harm for high wages and then retreat, so that their employers could not be implicated in health-suits, that are usually required to be tied to long-term exposures.
zoobyshoe said:It hands Islamic fundamentalist insurgents confirmation that they've been right all along, that we're the "Great Satan", and should be pushed from the Middle East.
You may well be right. It might look like S.O.P. to them.Borek said:To some extent you are right, but I think it is more complicated than that. From what I understand bribery is a part of Middle East culture and they are used to both giving and receiving gifts. Refusing to give or receive baksheesh can be considered impolite. Anyone trying to make bussiness in Iraq has to take it to some extent into account.
I am not saying US Army officials were innocent victims, just public opinion there about their actions can be culturally skewed.
If you eat your dog in western culture you risk infamation if not arrest, in China you will be just asked if it was tasty.
But I can be wrong.
Borek said:To some extent you are right, but I think it is more complicated than that. From what I understand bribery is a part of Middle East culture and they are used to both giving and receiving gifts. Refusing to give or receive baksheesh can be considered impolite. Anyone trying to make bussiness in Iraq has to take it to some extent into account.
I am not saying US Army officials were innocent victims, just public opinion there about their actions can be culturally skewed.
If you eat your dog in western culture you risk infamation if not arrest, in China you will be just asked if it was tasty.
But I can be wrong.
Despite the vast sums expended on rebuilding by the US since 2003, there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline except those at work building a new US embassy and others rusting beside a half-built giant mosque that Saddam was constructing when he was overthrown.
One of the few visible signs of government work on Baghdad's infrastructure is a tireless attention to planting palm trees and flowers in the centre strip between main roads. Those are then dug up and replanted a few months later.
Exactly, the documentary http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6621486727392146155&ei=XaOeS5nIFpiaqALV7MT6DA&q=iraq+for+sale&hl=en&view=3#" which sum up the situation well.mgb_phys said:This isn't fraud - it's simple theft.
There were also lots of cases of fraud and on a much larger scale...
I've yet to see a reasonable argument for it ever having been anything but.zoobyshoe said:Is the conflict over there just a big scam to funnel taxpayer dollars to the corrupt?
Considering what we're been doing in Iraq along with http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml", this seems more a problem with our own culture than anything one could rightly blame on the East.Borek said:From what I understand bribery is a part of Middle East culture and they are used to both giving and receiving gifts. . Refusing to give or receive baksheesh can be considered impolite.
The extent of U.S. fraud in Iraq is difficult to determine due to the lack of transparency and oversight in government contracts and spending. However, reports estimate that billions of dollars were lost to fraud, waste, and abuse during the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
U.S. fraud in Iraq occurred through various means, including overbilling, fictitious contracts, and kickbacks. Many of these fraudulent activities were enabled by weak oversight and lack of accountability in the contracting process.
There is no single entity or individual responsible for U.S. fraud in Iraq. It is a complex issue involving multiple government agencies, private contractors, and individuals. However, investigations have revealed that some high-level officials and companies were involved in fraudulent activities.
The consequences of U.S. fraud in Iraq are far-reaching and damaging. It not only resulted in the loss of billions of taxpayer dollars but also undermined the efforts to rebuild and stabilize the country. It also eroded the trust and credibility of the U.S. government and its contractors.
There have been efforts to address U.S. fraud in Iraq, including investigations, prosecutions, and reforms in the contracting process. However, there is still a lack of transparency and accountability, making it difficult to fully prevent fraud in the future. It is important for the government to continue to strengthen oversight and enforcement measures to prevent and detect fraud in Iraq and other areas of government spending.