The 190,000 U.S. weapons that were lost in Iraq?
By D. Cupples | In August, we learned that the Pentagon had lost track of 190,000 weapons given to Iraqi security forces in 2004-05. General David Petraeus, who oversaw the arming of Iraqi security forces, chalked it up to a clerical error. That explanation did not sooth Americans who were frightened by the fact that more weapons are missing in Iraq than the number of soldiers we have there.
I'm reminded of this issue by a New York Times article titled "Nonstop Theft and Bribery Stagger Iraq," which states:
"Jobless men pay $500 bribes to join the police. Families build houses illegally on government land, carwashes steal water from public pipes, and nearly everything the government buys or sells can now be found on the black market.
"Painkillers for cancer (from the Ministry of Health) cost $80 for a few capsules; electricity meters (from the Ministry of Electricity) go for $200 each, and even third-grade textbooks (stolen from the Ministry of Education) must be bought at bookstores for three times what schools once charged....
"Some American officials estimate that as much as a third of what they spend on Iraqi contracts and grants ends up unaccounted for or stolen, with a portion going to Shiite or Sunni militias. In addition, Iraq’s top anticorruption official estimated this fall — before resigning and fleeing the country after 31 of his agency’s employees were killed over a three-year period — that $18 billion in Iraqi government money had been lost to various stealing schemes since 2004." (NY Times)
How many of the 190,000 lost weapons ended up in "enemy hands"? How could the loss have been allowed to happen?
In August, General Petreaus explained that it was more important to get the weapons to the Iraqis "than it was to keep meticulous records...."
The implication: serial numbers are for sissies -- and so is setting up weapons-accounting procedures before invading a country where one plans to hand out weapons.
Was it an either-or situation? The Bush Administration had campaigned for the war for months before we invaded Iraq. Wasn't that enough time for staff to set up a user-friendly, weapons-accounting system?
Administration officials knew that our nation would eventually arm the Iraqis. Did they simply fail to realize that unaccounted-for weapons might end up being used against our own soldiers?
Is the massive loss of weapons a normal occurrence during war? I don't know, but the U.S. reportedly had no accounting problems when arming Bosnia in the '90s (Washington Post).
In August, the New York Times reported that federal agencies were investigating numerous criminal cases including fraud and kickback schemes involving billions of dollars of weapons and supplies sent to Iraqi and American forces. A former top aide to General Petraeus was among the investigation targets:
"Part of the criminal investigation is focused on Lt. Col. Levonda Joey Selph, who reported directly to General Petraeus and worked closely with him in setting up the logistics operation for what were then the fledgling Iraqi security forces. That operation moved everything from AK-47s, armored vehicles and plastic explosives to boots and Army uniforms." (NY Times)
Reports don't specify why Selph was under investigation, so it may not be related to the 190,000 missing weapons. I'd like to know how the missing-weapons issue is being resolved.
Related BN-Politics Posts
* White House Whines About Congressional Oversight: Valid Complaint?
* Justice Official Turned Blind Eye to Contractor Fraud?
* Defense Secretary Says Military Can't Protect U.S. Worldwide Interests
Noriega probably hid them somewhere in Panama.
Posted by: On a Limb with Claudia | December 03, 2007 at 06:53 PM
Too funny.
Posted by: D. Cupples | December 04, 2007 at 02:50 PM