Kicking Ass: The Democratic Party's Blog

Pentagon Can't Account for $19 Billion Spent on Iraqi Forces

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on June 27, 2007 at 04:16 PM

According to a new bipartisan report, the Pentagon has spent $19 billion on training and equipping Iraqi security forces--and can't account for how it was spent.

The Pentagon "cannot report in detail how many of the 346,500 Iraqi military and police personnel that the coalition trained are operational today," according to the 250-page report. Details of the document were provided to The Washington Post by congressional staff members.

"We have no idea what our $19 billion has gotten us," said Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), chairman of the Armed Services subcommittee on oversight and investigations, noting that the United States investment represents $55,000 per Iraqi recruit.

According to the report, the Pentagon "cannot account for whether coalition-issued weapons have been stolen or turned against U.S. forces." The report also found "strong evidence" that some Iraqi forces who were trained and equipped by the U.S. military are now involved in sectarian violence.

Comments (13) «

"According to the report, the Pentagon "cannot account for whether coalition-issued weapons have been stolen or turned against U.S. forces." The report also found "strong evidence" that some Iraqi forces who were trained and equipped by the U.S. military are now involved in sectarian violence."

And the Karl Rove driven, 2008 Republican campaigns for Congress and the White House will trumpet:

"By passing the 2008 Iraq War Spending Bill, the Democratic Congress sought to aid the Insurgents, Terrorists, and Al Qaeda by supplying them weapons that they use to kill Americans and to escalate sectarian violence."

And the Democrats will no doubt, no doubt, lean back on their heels and take the sucker punching like they did when John Kerry got Swift Boated. Just wait and see if they don't. The Republicans will put the shoe on the other foot to slug the Democrats because that's what all of this was ever about, that and stealing all the oil they can from Iraq.

Its never been about protecting the American people, its never been about fighting terrorism, its never been about making the world safer. Its the Republicans showing the Democrats they can and will carry on a useless, needless, unjust, criminal war for one reason and one reason only.

Because they can!

1
CrowMinuteman1 on June 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM

CrowMinuteman1 on June 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM

Nice post!! I mean that truly. With your writing ability and your access to blogs, family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, I submit to you the responsibility of ensuring that these republicans can't do this any more. It's going to be a tough road ahead, but I know, through reading your post, that you have the vinegar in your veins to defeat their cause. Thank you.

In conclusion, I think you ahead of time for your participation with the good fight of winning our country back.

2
davidual on June 27, 2007 at 01:11 PM


Posted by CrowMinuteman1 on June 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM

"Rovian Campaign for 08"
Democrats Micromanage Commanders on the ground

Edited from the bipartisan report...

The report includes 60 findings and 40 recommendations, many of which call for(The Democratic) Congress to pass legislation this year mandating that the Pentagon track and provide to lawmakers a wide range of measures intended to better gauge the effectiveness of Iraqi security forces.

Since May, for example,(The Democratic) Congress has gained access to the U.S. military's progress reports on Iraqi units, known as "transition readiness assessments." But the investigation found that the assessments (by the Democratic Congress) still focus on the number of forces trained and equipped rather than on how well they conduct operations.

3
gnois on June 27, 2007 at 02:29 PM

Micromange Commanders on the Ground?

Posted by gnois on June 27, 2007 at 02:29 PM

gnois,

Rove will have to do a lot better than that. How could anyone micromanage a three-ring circus?

Its never been about protecting the American people, its never been about fighting terrorism, its never been about making the world safer. Its the Republicans showing the Democrats they can and will carry on a useless, needless, unjust, criminal war for one reason and one reason only.


Because they can!

Posted by CrowMinuteman1 on June 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM

Good post.

The only change I would suggest is replacing "the Republicans showing the Democrats" with "the Republicans showing the Amerian people".

They sure showed us that they could do whatever they wanted with no regard for the Constitution or common sense...

Outsourcing, Bush vs Gore, 9/11, WMDs, securities fraud, Schiavo, Enron, underemployment, Katrina, Abu Graibe, the National Debt, no flu vaccine, Foley, social security "reform", domestic spying, stopping medical research, K Street lobbying, outting a CIA agent, ignoring the health care crisis, selling our ports to foreign governments, $4 a gallon gasoline and milk, Walter Reed, destroying the middle class and Amerian Dream, Walter Reed, Bin Lauden still free, the Medicare perscription drug "doughnut hole", hiring illegal labor, suspension of habeus corpus, the fifth year of the Iraqi occupation, the Vice Presidential branch of government...

...just because they "thought" they could.

There is always an equal but opposite response to any incompetent action. There will be ramifications. The longer they are put off, the bigger they will be.

4
SandyH on June 27, 2007 at 04:02 PM

Is this missing $19 million in addition to the $18 million in reconstruction funds that disapeared, too? Add this to the list in my post above.....wasting money we borrowed from the Communist Chinese

Which begs other questions like...why are we borrowing money from our sworn enemies? And why are we redistributing our economic assets in a country that will nationalize them?

It defies logic and common sense.

And it's probably illegal if not plain corrupt and treasonous. Who hired these doorknobs? Why aren't they being impeached?

5
SandyH on June 27, 2007 at 04:12 PM

Posted by SandyH on June 27, 2007 at 04:12 PM

$19 billion, not million!

6
Stephanie on June 27, 2007 at 04:28 PM

Yeah, and what about the monies handed to the no-bid contractors with no oversight? I haven't even seen a total for their war profiteering, yet!
In the mean time, we're deeper and deeper in debt with a country that has never said that it's stopped being our enemy.
Couldn't that be considered treason?

7
Butte on June 28, 2007 at 09:04 AM

They might try checking the assets of Haliburtin (Cheney's Company) as well as the bank accounts of our other 'leaders' - wanna-be-dictators? who believe that they are above the law of our congress, our constituition or the American people.

8
bigedd on June 28, 2007 at 02:35 PM

They might try checking the assets of Haliburtin (Cheney's Company) as well as the bank accounts of our other 'leaders' - wanna-be-dictators? who believe that they are above the law of our congress, our constituition or the American people.

9
bigedd on June 28, 2007 at 02:37 PM

There is corruption every where you turn, under Bush's watch. What Bush didn't know about stealing money, Chaney taught him and how to cover it up like a Mafia Boss. What in this world are we gonna do? It will get worse as his Administration get closer to the end. The Republicans have to join us to stop it. The people are looking to see how strong the Democrats are. The people hate what is going on with the Republicans.

10
freeforall on June 28, 2007 at 05:31 PM

I didn't think that Dubya needed any lessons in shady dealings. Look at the Texas savings and loans scandals.

11
Butte on June 28, 2007 at 06:02 PM

Wow that troop build up sure is working.

12
ledsquirrel on June 30, 2007 at 01:30 PM

Wow that troop build up sure is working.

13
ledsquirrel on June 30, 2007 at 01:31 PM


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