BBC: Iraq reports corruption epidemic

[maddezmom]

There is massive corruption in most Iraqi government ministries as a legacy of Saddam Hussein's era, the Iraqi anti-corruption commission has said.

~snip~

The Commission on Public Integrity has proposed increasing salaries for public employees to help tackle the problem.

Its spokesman said the problem of corruption had been made worse by the power vacuum over the past two years.

The Commission began work just under a year ago, trying to root out corruption.

It has already issued warrants against 44 Iraqi government employees, including two former ministers.

more:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4627923.stm

[merwin]

1. Pay them more so they won't be as corrupt? Huh?

[mom cat]

2. Well, that's solution works really good here!

:sarcasm:

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. No, that can be a serious solution to corruption at some levels

If an official doesn't get much money, then he will justify to himself that he deserves bribes as part of his job, so that he gets more money than the office cleaner; and the police will feel the same way. Also, the public may not fight against the bribes, if they know that officals get a small salary.

If everyone knows that officials and policemen get a good wage, there's more pressure on them to not take bribes on top of that. It doesn't stop the truly greedy, but may stop a lot of everyday bribery. Importantly, if the police become honest, and have some power, they can then go after to powerful corrupt people.

[mom cat]

4. What do you have against voles?

As to your point, I would like to believe that it makes a difference, having been a public official (of very low rank) at one time. However, when I look at the megawealth of members of Congress and this administration that was accumulated during their period of "public service", the theory seems to fall apart in practice.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Blame John Cleese (for the voles, not the corruption)

http://www.dailyllama.com/bibliog/books/books.JC.html#golden

I think Congress and the administration come under "the truly greedy".

[Cocoa]

5. they're going to have to stop blaming Saddam

Saddam is in jail.

They're also blaming Saddam for the current electricity problems, which isn't going to cut it with the people for very long.

Then again, Bush won't ever stop blaming Clinton for everything...

[VegasWolf]

14. It's the fault of Cleenis. nt

[OKthatsIT]

17. THIS IS A SETUP...hiding US CORRUPTION and Theft.

let's stop this stupidity.

[OKthatsIT]

18. halliburton iraq deals described as contract abuse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. Army procurement official said on Monday Halliburton's deals in
Iraq were the worst example of contract abuse she had seen as
Pentagon auditors flagged over $1 billion of potential overcharges by the Texas-based firm.

Bunny Greenhouse, the Army Corps of Engineers' top contracting official-turned whistle-blower, said in testimony at a hearing by Democrats on Capitol Hill that "every aspect" of Halliburton's oil contract in Iraq had been under the control of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=1&u=/nm/20050627/pl_nm/iraq_halliburton_dc

[barb162]

19. well, Saddam really let the infrastructure in that country go to

hell; plenty of evidence on that and he sure built a lot of palaces and ministry buildings. I think corruption was in that country way before Saddam. A lot of countries are that way...the only way things ever get done is you have to grease the way

[mbperrin]

6. It's not an epidemic! More like a garden, and it was planted by

our very own Viceroy Bremer, the * cousin who could and did! Aided in no small part by our very own NYT "snitch", Chalabi, and a cast of thousands, including the dedicated employess of KBR and too many others to mention!

Come on, don't be bashful, stand up and take a bow! (You already took the money!)

[Straight Shooter]

8. Someone remind me again how much U.S. $ went "missing" in Iraq.

Remind me how much the contractors are being paid, how much Halliburton is charging, or KBR, or Blackwater, or Negroponte and his invisible but lethal squads of goons.

I agree with above poster about blaming Saddam. Maybe Saddam is to blame because he learned from those who helped his rise to power, eh?

[maddezmom]

9. IRCC... 8 billlion at one point

:shrug: could have the numbers mixed up

[Supersedeas]

10. the sound of crickets from the U.S. corporate media

[Roland99]

11. What? Corruption in the chaos? The HELL you say!

BTW, Hersh has reported that the Iraqi government is crawling with insurgents who've infiltrated it. $20 a lot of that missing $8.8 billion is funding the insurgency.

The U.S. is inadvertently funding terror strikes against its own forces.

[mom cat]

12. It wouldn't be the first time that we have funded multiple opponents

in that region. Kind of old hat by now wouldn't you say?

[CAG]

13. Interesting... the repubs use this excuse to defund UN, Africa, federal

agencies, but don't hear them wanting to defund the Iraq contracts. Oh, yeah, thats because their corporate buddies are the ones getting the profits. Silly me...

[VegasWolf]

15. Hell, even Halliburton has no idea where the money is. nt

[justinsb]

16. Iraq reports corruption epidemic

Iraq reports corruption epidemic

By Jon Leyne BBC correspondent in Baghdad

There is massive corruption in most Iraqi government ministries as a legacy of Saddam Hussein's era, the Iraqi anti-corruption commission has said.

Arrest warrants on fraud charges have been issued for two former ministers in the Iraqi interim government.

One ex-minister denied the charges and the second could not be contacted.

The Commission on Public Integrity has proposed increasing salaries for public employees to help tackle the problem.

Its spokesman said the problem of corruption had been made worse by the power vacuum over the past two years.

The Commission began work just under a year ago, trying to root out corruption.

It has already issued warrants against 44 Iraqi government employees, including two former ministers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4627923.stm