Corruption fears and discord over funds for victims of Hussein's regime contribute to debate budget

[maddezmom]

~snip~

Nearly $2 billion of the budget is allocated to agencies beyond the oversight of the central government at a time when potential international donors have balked at tossing more money into what has been viewed as a black hole.

The potential for abuse is high. Most ministries get multimillion-dollar discretionary funds known as "social benefits" with few spending safeguards, Iraqi officials say.

Item of contention

The $41-billion budget, a copy of which was obtained by the Los Angeles Times, also includes money to assist the families of those killed and imprisoned under the regime of the late Saddam Hussein. The Shiite Muslim-sponsored provision has proved so offensive to Sunni Arab lawmakers that they have threatened to loudly condemn the entire spending plan unless benefits are also provided to prisoners who were abused by American troops at the Abu Ghraib prison and to those killed in U.S. military operations since the toppling of Hussein's Sunni-dominated government in 2003.

"If they do not change this particular law, we will not vote for the budget," said Alaa Saddoun, a Sunni lawmaker in the sect's main parliamentary bloc.

Iraq's budget is loaded with potentially divisive expenditures, some with sectarian overtones, as well as vaguely worded spending items that have raised the eyebrows of Iraqi lawmakers.

more:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqmoney19jan19,1,7095489.story?coll=la-headlines-world

[lligrd]

1. Yikes, Who's Gonna Pay The Reparations For Bush's Victims

I hope Cheney and Halliburton. (I can dream, can't I)

[maddezmom]

2. US tax dollars and we're already paying for it

I think that is one of the reasons for the supression of numbers in the official deaths for Iraq.