Federal auditors track wasteful spending in Iraq

[Mandate My Ass]

Federal auditors track wasteful spending in Iraq

By SETH BORENSTEIN

Knight Ridder Newspapers


WASHINGTON - Uncle Sam's "cost detectives" are following the billions of taxpayers' dollars the Bush administration is spending to rebuild Iraq, and that makes some people nervous.

Federal auditors are on the trail of wasteful spending and padded bills. They work in the offices of the politically connected defense contractors they're investigating. What they've dug up so far is big news. Who they are remains mostly a secret.

They've found that Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm, has charged $67.3 million for soldiers' meals that were never served, billed Uncle Sam $2.64 per gallon for gas in oil-rich Iraq and had cost estimates that were inflated by $700 million at one point. They faulted contractor Science Applications International Corp. for billing the government for flying a Hummer and a pickup into Iraq on a chartered jet.

And the Defense Contract Audit Agency is just getting started.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/8287193.htm?ERIGHTS=-5767622935051067605philly

[Dover]

1. Trillions of dollars are in Pentagon hidey-holes, going to secret

operations and some just stowed away for a rainy day project. And who paid for the elaborate underground hidey-hole that Cheney installed and inhabits in his VP home and others? If auditors REALLY intended to dig around the Pentagon spending blackhole, they'd simply disappear into it...never to be heard from again.

[icymist]

2. My God! This is as bad as, if not worst, than Vietnam!

Our government can't provide it's own soldiers with basic body armor, (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x447789 ), our president jokes about how we got into this war in the first place, (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=445014 ), and now hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for this war is just going away?

That's it! I'm going to watch my new Three Stooges DVD....it'll make more sense!

[MasonJar]

3. According to a post this morning, the Pentagone-over-board is

about to start charging the soldiers in hospitals for their food again. When is America going to hear about all this. This administration claim Kerrey voted against funds for the military; this bunch cannot even feed the troops or give thme proper gear (and that's with in excess of $1 billion a week.)

[icymist]

4. Disgusting!

How the Hell am I supposed to 'feel good about supporting our troops' when the money I pay into taxes goes into 'secret' pockets?!
This is a, if you'll excuse me, a F**King outrage!

[Mari333]

5. Lovely. and we send packages of food every chance we get to Michael

because he says he is hungry.
Lovely.
WAKE UP AMERICA!