Buck Naked Politics: BBC: Around $23 Billion Lost in Iraq Due to Contractor Fraud & Mismanagement

by Damozel | My colleague D. Cupples has been all over this issue from the get-go, but it's good to see that the mainstream press --- the mainstream British press, anyway --- is on the case.

A BBC investigation estimates that around $23bn may have been lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.

For the first time, the extent to which some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding has been researched by the BBC's Panorama using US and Iraqi government sources. (BBC news)

Good for them. This is information the American public is entitled to have. Sadly, '[a] US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations. The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.' (BBC news) ('While George Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted,' the article adds.)

At any rate, the BBC article confirms what anyone who has been paying attention will already know or have inferred:

To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq.

The president's Democrat opponents are keeping up the pressure over war profiteering in Iraq.

Henry Waxman who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said: "The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is just so outrageous, its egregious.

"It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history."

In the run-up to the invasion one of the most senior officials in charge of procurement in the Pentagon objected to a contract potentially worth seven billion that was given to Halliburton, a Texan company, which used to be run by Dick Cheney before he became vice-president.

Unusually only Halliburton got to bid - and won. (BBC news)

Larisa Alexandrovna at the Huff Post goes so far as to argue that the Bush administration's involvement in war profiteering would be further evidence of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' such as are required to support impeachment.

Let's look at the Constitutional definition of treason for a moment:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
You tell me if robbing the US treasury and abusing the power of the federal government to cover up such crimes from the public is not an act of war against the United States of America?

I don't know about that, but I do think it ought to qualify under the general heading 'high crimes and misdemeanors.' Call me innocent and naive, but I don't think that the president of the United States or his administration ought to be able to divert huge amounts of tax dollars to his cronies, campaign contributors, relatives, and friends, and I do think that if his policies have that effect, he and his handlers, enablers, and minions should be presumed to have intended the outcome. Whose money is it, anyway?

And I certainly concur that the Bush administration's many, many successful attempts to cover its tracks and to conceal its wrongdoing: it's a 'massive abuse of power.'

Memeorandum has more here.

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