How ghost soldiers are bleeding the Iraqi army of guns and money

[maddezmom]

Widespread corruption has robbed the Iraqi Armed Forces of arms, money and troops, a Times investigation has discovered.

Army numbers are swelled with “ghost soldiers” who appear on rosters but do not exist. A brigade commander was removed this month for selling weapons and fuel on the black market and officials in the Ministry of Defence support terrorism, according to one lieutenant-colonel.

“Corruption is like termites. They eat from within and affect the morale of the soldiers,” Lieutenant-General Nasier al-Abadi, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces, who pledged to eradicate corruption, told The Times.

The picture throws into stark relief the appeal for more weapons from the Iraqi Prime Minister. Nouri al-Maliki used an interview with The Times on Wednesday to chide the US for failing to give his forces enough weapons. The view from the ground suggests that there are no guarantees that such equipment would reach frontline troops, and underlines US concerns that they could end up in the hands of insurgents and militias.

more:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2554802,00.html

[wakeme2008]

1. but but but yesterday they said "Give us more Guns and you can leave"

:grr:

[rodeodance]

3. you can leave sooner-------but what does sooner mean? 6 months? a

year? 2 years???????????????

[Sherman A1]

2. There was a similar op-ed in the NYTimes

on 1/14 called Losing Iraq One Truck At A Time. It's a good read and tells the tale of why the "surge" or whatever you want to call it, simply will not work...

[Daveparts]

4. Lords Of War

In his recent film “Lords of War” Nicholas Cage portrays the rise and life of an international arms dealer. Cage is dealing to tyrant’s despot’s third world dictators and the competition for the business is fierce. Cage must watch over his shoulder for the intrigue of his competitors and the caprice of psychopathic leaders. Little did I realize while watching this film that it was more documentary than melodrama.

When Paul Bremmer disbanded the Iraqi army they took their guns and went home. So to build a new army we must supply new guns, right? Not exactly, they are our allies so we will get them M16’s like all our allies right? No, not exactly, well then will give the AK47’s so our friends can’t use our ammunition. Lets call Russia and order 200,000 shiny new AK47’s right? Not exactly, this is army on the cheap never mind what the budget says second or third hand will be fine. Enter Bosnia, remember peacekeeping?As part of the peace treaty the warring sides would be disarmed and the weapons destroyed and that’s what happened right? Well, not exactly, the troops were disarmed but the weapons weren’t destroyed they were sold! To…? I won’t say it you already know! Why buy new when you can buy Hot!

"It's difficult to persuade people to destroy weapons when they're all holding back and waiting for Uncle Sam to arrive with a fistful of dollars," said Adrian Wilkinson, a former British officer overseeing a UN disarmament programme in former Yugoslavia. But it gets better! You can’t lay down with dogs and not get fleas.
The arms were flown out of a US airbase in Bosnia by a Moldavian Airline very similar to the ones Cage used in the film. The weapons were headed for Baghdad but there is no record they ever arrived Gone, vanished! Well it’s a good thing we pay by invoice well,
Not exactly, check? Credit Card? You see when you deal with people in the black market you have to pay in cash.

A complex web of private firms, arms brokers and freight firms, was behind the transfer of the guns, as well as millions of rounds of ammunition, to Iraq at "bargain basement prices", according to Hugh Griffiths, Amnesty's investigator. The Moldavian air firm, which flew the cargo out of a US air base at Tuzla, north-east Bosnia, was flying without a license. The firm, Aerocom, named in a 2003 UN investigation of the diamonds-for-guns trade in Liberia and Sierra Leone, is now defunct, but its assets and aircraft are registered with another Moldavian firm, Jet Line International.

Some of the firms used in the Pentagon sponsored deals were also engaged in illegal arms shipments from Serbia and Bosnia to Liberia and to Saddam Hussein four years ago. Ok, In actuality they were standing in the woods at midnight holding the bag open waiting for the snipes to come running our way it happens to everyone. But our service people are billed for every piece of equipment they lose or fail to turn in even if they lose it while flying through the air after hitting a road side bomb. Who will pay for these weapons?

Privates, Sergeants? No, we will just put it on our bill file it under stupid. I hope the snipe come along soon I’m getting cold out here in the woods!

At the end of the movie Cage is arrested by US authorities, they tell him they are going to put him away for life if he doesn’t confess. Cage laughs and says I’ll be out of here in a couple of hours and I might even get an apology you see I work for your Boss.

[Daveparts]

5. Lords of War

In his recent film “Lords of War” Nicholas Cage portrays the rise and life of an international arms dealer. Cage is dealing to tyrant’s despot’s third world dictators the competition for the business is fierce. Cage must watch over his shoulder for the intrigue of his competitors and the caprice of psychopathic leaders. Little did I realize while watching this film that it was more documentary than melodrama.

When Paul Bremmer disbanded the Iraqi army they took their guns and went home. So to build a new army we must supply new guns, right? Not exactly, they are our allies so we will get them M16’s like all our allies right? No, not exactly, well then will give the AK47’s so our friends can’t use our ammunition. Lets call Russia and order 200,000 shiny new AK47’s right? Not exactly, this is army on the cheap never mind what the budget says second or third hand will be fine. Enter Bosnia, remember peacekeeping?As part of the peace treaty the warring sides would be disarmed and the weapons destroyed and that’s what happened right? Well, not exactly, the troops were disarmed but the weapons weren’t destroyed they were sold! To….? I won’t say it you already know! Why buy new when you can buy Hot!

"It's difficult to persuade people to destroy weapons when they're all holding back and waiting for Uncle Sam to arrive with a fistful of dollars," said Adrian Wilkinson, a former British officer overseeing a UN disarmament programme in former Yugoslavia. But it gets better! You can’t lay down with dogs and not get fleas.
The arms were flown out of a US airbase in Bosnia by a Moldavian Airline very similar to the ones Cage used in the film. The weapons were headed for Baghdad but there is no record they ever arrived Gone, vanished! Well it’s a good thing we pay by invoice well,
Not exactly, check? Credit Card? You see when you deal with people in the black market you have to pay in cash.

A complex web of private firms, arms brokers and freight firms, was behind the transfer of the guns, as well as millions of rounds of ammunition, to Iraq at "bargain basement prices", according to Hugh Griffiths, Amnesty's investigator. The Moldavian air firm, which flew the cargo out of a US air base at Tuzla, north-east Bosnia, was flying without a license. The firm, Aerocom, named in a 2003 UN investigation of the diamonds-for-guns trade in Liberia and Sierra Leone, is now defunct, but its assets and aircraft are registered with another Moldavian firm, Jet Line International.
Some of the firms used in the Pentagon sponsored deals were also engaged in illegal arms shipments from Serbia and Bosnia to Liberia and to Saddam Hussein four years ago.

Ok,In actuality were standing in the woods at midnight holding the bag open waiting for the snipe to come running our way it happens to everyone. But our service people are billed for every piece of equipment they lose or fail to turn in even if they lose it while flying through the air after hitting a road side bomb. Who will pay for these weapons?Privates, Sergeants? No, we will just put it on our bill file it under stupid. I hope the snipe come along soon I’m getting cold out here in the woods!

At the end of the movie Cage is arrested by US authorities, they tell him they are going to put him away for life if he doesn’t confess. Cage laughs and says I’ll be out of here in a couple of hours and I might even get an apology you see I work for your Boss.

[bemildred]

6. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt