Congress knowingly throws billions at graft, incompetence and a growing mercenary army

[L. Coyote]

OR, In which direction does the $$$$$ drain turn in Iraq? To the Right, always to the Right (yeah, right-wingers).

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Congress knowingly throws billions at graft, incompetence and a growing mercenary army
May 24, 2007 at 17:34:45
by Kathlyn Stone
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_kathlyn__070524_congress_knowingly_t.htm


When the president and his complicit Congress say America must support the troops, what they really mean is we must give the appearance of supporting the troops, and in fact write a blank check for military contractors and a growing private military that, like the president, suffers no accountability.

In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 legislators included a provision directing the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on audit findings regarding contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They never promised to act on it.

The GAO issued its findings to Congress in September 2006. The GAO tracked 349 audit reports prepared by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (which is overseen by the DoD's comptroller). The audits were done on proposals from 99 companies between February 2003 and February 2006. The GAO identified $3.5 billion in “questioned and unsupported costs” on Iraq contracts. .......... We're not talking about spare change, but billions of dollars.

........The number of private military contractors are estimated at 126,000, but no one knows the exact number. So far the U.S. Army has compiled a database of 50,000. (KBR/Halliburton alone has 50,000 employees in Iraq.) According to the new commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Adm. William Fallon, “I have no idea how many are actually there.” .........

[L. Coyote]

1. kick on its merits

[L. Coyote]

2. ditt cuz its a good read