US accused of 'mismanagement' of Iraq police contract

[maddezmom]

Source: The Guardian

The US state department's gross mismanagement of a multibillion-dollar contract for training Iraqi police has left US funds vulnerable to waste and fraud, a watchdog said today.


In a scathing report, Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, strongly criticised both the state department and DynCorp International, the firm that won the $2.5bn (£1.5bn) contract in 2004 – the largest awarded by the state department.


The state department's bureau of international narcotics and law enforcement, which administers the six-year-old training contract, has failed to adequately increase oversight personnel of the contract despite warnings since 2005 from auditors and Congress, Bowen said in an audit to be released today.


"Poor contract management which plagued the early years of the contract" have largely continued because the bureau's initiatives to improve performance have "fallen short", Bowen said. "As a result, over $2.5bn in US funds are vulnerable to waste and fraud."


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/25/us-criticised-iraq-police-contract

[dipsydoodle]

1. Well there's a surprise

NOT.

[customerserviceguy]

2. I'm certain that once we leave

that place is going to turn into a massive clusterfuck. Since it doesn't matter if we leave now, or ten years from now (or if we had left five years ago) it would happen, let's just get out and let it happen, let them all sort it out their own way.

[EFerrari]

5. If we leave, how are these contractors going to make a living?

Or should I say, make a killing.

[TexasObserver]

3. Recommend

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Oh, Hillaryyy..you got some 'splaining to do.

[Solly Mack]

6. k/r