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BBC uncovers lost Iraq billions

news.bbc.co.uk — A BBC investigation estimates that around $23bn ( £11.75bn) may have been lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.

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  • npk9, on 06/10/2008, -5/+112This really pisses me off like no other!! I mean where do you begin with charging people? How far does it go in the government?? This isn't just Bush/Cheney & Company - it includes them but it goes much further then this!!!

    Why should I pay taxes when it goes back into a private company and not for the well being of the country?!
    • Shiftgood, on 06/11/2008, -3/+29Because you're a republican... or at least your government is.

      (sorry republicans, this administration has tarnished your name pretty bad, i know you're not all bad...but some are really really *****...Its time to do some house cleaning)
      • dandonia, on 06/11/2008, -2/+9Republicans = the false profit
        • coyote1284, on 06/11/2008, -2/+8I'll read that as if you really meant profit, instead of prophet, and consider it rather witty.
        • CoMpUtErITGuY, on 06/11/2008, -10/+4Obama = the false profit
        • kurttrail, on 06/11/2008, -8/+4Obama = One intelligent dude, that doesn't need Viagra to get it up.
        • seraph582, on 06/11/2008, -4/+2no he isn't - look at his stance on Capital Gains tax. He would know a sound fiscal policy if it kicked him squarely in the sack and slapped his mom's titties around.
        • humperdeath, on 06/11/2008, -1/+3I think everybody secretly wishes they were republican, but few can afford to actually BE republican.
      • GRTWHT, on 06/11/2008, -1/+16As long as you (all people who believe as Shiftgood) continue to believe that this is a "republican" issue and electing a "democrat" will fix it, we are all *****.

        Stop falling for the phony 2 party *****, accept that our government as a whole is corrupt and we may be able to fix the system some day.



        Let the politically motivated burying begin.
        • 55mph, on 06/11/2008, -0/+9GRT, you are absolutly right. The US has a one party system thanks to special interest funding.
        • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -4/+5The problem with your arguments, GRTWHT and 55mph, is that in THIS election no third party stands a chance. Any viable third-party candidate would have to be a major player in the game by now, so unless Ron Paul runs as a third party candidate (he won't, and it's probly too late for even him at this point), either a Republican (McCain) or a Democrat (Obama) will become President.

          Given this, who do you think would be most likely to start revealing and unraveling the corruption that has been so prevalent recently? Look past party lines for a moment and consider an *honest* answer here. Obama not only has made open-government principles a cornerstone of his campaign, he has fought for government transparency and against corruption for his entire political and academic career. Can McCain honestly make such a claim?

          I'm all for ending the 2 party *****, and would love to fix our corrupt government, but ending it has got to start somewhere. Why not start by electing Obama, who legitimately wrestled the Democratic nomination away from Hillary Clinton based on these exact principles?

          I think there are far worse things we can do (like getting McCain elected, for starters).
        • sonstone, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1"The problem with your arguments, GRTWHT and 55mph, is that in THIS election no third party stands a chance"

          They never argued contrary to what you are saying. They are simply lamenting where we are.
        • relic180, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2@mechnoch
          "The problem with your arguments, GRTWHT and 55mph, is that in THIS election no third party stands a chance."

          GOD I want to rip your ***** head off. This is THE STUPIDEST response and EVERYBODY seems to use it. This is not a reason for *****. This is an excuse for you to feel ok about voting for somebody you already know is full of *****.

          If you, sheep, stop voting for the god damn Dems or Repubs then EVERY third party candidate has a chance. So the sentance you just utterred (actually, typed) is the EXACT REASON why your statement is true. You're not mentioning the reason, your statement actually IS the reason. All you have to do is not do that and suddenly all the third party candidates have a great chance. It's so simple, and yet for some reason, so ***** frustrating.

          The reason Paul won't run as an independent or on a third party ticket, is because lemmings like you have decided that you won't vote outside one of the major parties. It's expensive to run for president, and he obviously has no faith that you, the blind, 'party voting' voter, will actually vote for a person. You will only vote for a party. He's demonstrated this belief of his by not running outside of the Republican party. This is your fault, accept it, and choke on it.

          ***********
          "I'm all for ending the 2 party *****, and would love to fix our corrupt government, but ending it has got to start somewhere."

          If you really believe that, then stop making excuses for yourself to keep voting the 2 party line, and it will happen.
        • relic180, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Almost forgot this gem,

          "Who do you think would be most likely to start revealing and unraveling the corruption that has been so prevalent recently?"

          Neither of them. Absolutely and without question, NEITHER of those two hood-ornaments will have ANY interest in revealing and/or unraveling any corruption. Get it through your head. They're owned by the same CEOs.
      • relic180, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Corporations own the Democrats too. It just hasn't been that way for quite as long as with Republicans.
    • jascination, on 06/11/2008, -0/+17Throughout this war, the extent to which the current administration has tarnished the freedom, privacy and reputation of America, its allies and those in Iraq is truly horrendous. I am so, SO afraid of what your government is capable of

      And the truly scary thing is that not a single thing will be done about it.
      • relic180, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1No, that's not the scary thing.
        The scary thing is that almost everybody over here has become very efficient at convincing themselves that they can't do anything about it.
    • abravenewworld, on 06/11/2008, -9/+0He stopped abruptly, letting his head swim a little. After a moment, he opened his eyes and peered into the mystic black. Far off into the distance, there was a tiny speck of light. Craig's bloodshot, cold, gray eyes stared fixedly on the seemingly distant star. "Holy *****," he muttered.

      Holy ***** was right.

      http://aaronscryptofgorgothica.com/page5.html
      • the6thReplicant, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1That sounds awfully close to a line in Loon Lake by E.L. Doctorow. Or maybe not, I originally thought it was.

        Anyway....umm...nice quote.
      • Pssdoff, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1thin grey text on a various shades of grey background, and when you highlight it... more grey.
    • ChocChunkOaties, on 06/11/2008, -1/+8Actually, it's got black ops funding written all over it.
      • Pittance, on 06/11/2008, -1/+4Black Ops might be expensive, but with $23B you could fund a million-man black ops army that was capable of taking over most of the world. Not holding it, but taking it over definitely.
        • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4Sshhhh! You're not supposed to be talking about the black ops army!
          (Damn. I just scared the ***** out of myself...)
          /fetal position
    • xs11ax, on 06/11/2008, -2/+2boycott taxes!
    • internetcoward, on 06/11/2008, -4/+6because it's capitalism. Socialism is the one where the money goes into the well being of the country/people.
      • Metman, on 06/11/2008, -4/+4At the expense of those who work to pay into the system.
        • internetcoward, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Ok, for people like you, socialism is not just capitalism minus the working. It isn't free everything. It has to do with ownership and well fare for contributors. Maybe you shoudl educate yourself.
      • laughandsing, on 06/11/2008, -6/+2Ummm... that isnt how any socialistic state has worked. It has always failed and will always fail. Someone always wants more power and money. This is why we shouldnt have socialized health care. Yup I'll be dug down.
    • PJ1967, on 06/11/2008, -2/+2And cue inevitable "but Clinton did it" retort in 3, 2, 1...
    • coolremo, on 06/11/2008, -0/+0Read "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. The American government has been doing sh*t like this for decades. It's time for another revolution. The Ron Paul Revolution!
  • arjie, on 06/10/2008, -1/+166"A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations. "

    Well well well... that's interesting. So Halliburton, Blackwater et al. get to be the only ones to bid on multi-billion contracts and then the government places a gagging order on the court process? I wonder if 'Confidential' is going to be the cover under which the US Administration robs its citizens.
    • dsmx, on 06/11/2008, -1/+15Actually Halliburton doesn't bid on contracts cheney hands them no bid contracts.
      • Metman, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Really?

        There is a difference between no bid contracts and no competition contract. I have no love for the parties involved in the contracts, but being factual is rather important.
        • Loonacy, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3What about no competition contracts where only one company was asked to bid?
    • xs11ax, on 06/11/2008, -0/+12"A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations. "

      yet most people will not be able to see beyond their own stupidity that a gagging order itself shows their guilt.
    • sodade, on 06/11/2008, -0/+13Demand transparency of government - they have proven that they can't be trusted with "secrets." Especially not the military. It's not that the people can't handle the truth - the military can't handle the repercussions of the people actually knowing the truth.
    • gandhii, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4"I wonder if 'Confidential' is going to be the cover under which the US Administration robs its citizens."

      It already is and has been for ages.
    • asus2000, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3How about if we gag Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld with wads of hundred dollar bills...
      We have criminals in the White House folks. Time to storm the Bastille is coming...
    • richmomz, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2It's simple actually. The government acts on behalf of a few powerful corporate interests, seizing revenues through taxation and debt, and redistributing the money to these same interests (often owned or controlled by the very politicians that are writing the check, like Cheney and Halliburton for example). The government furthers these objectives by lying to the public and stripping away civil liberties through fear, coercion and media control.

      Believe it or not, this is nothing new and in fact a term was coined over 70 years ago to describe this form of government: Fascism.
  • Taktic, on 06/10/2008, -5/+72This should hit the front page.
    • 55mph, on 06/11/2008, -0/+14It did.
      • luke16, on 06/11/2008, -1/+14Twice
        • ddfall, on 06/11/2008, -0/+10Oddly enough. Twice. They're both a 'top story now.'
        • Handonam, on 06/11/2008, -0/+10with the same headline
        • WallnutBoy, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4and thumbnail
        • brad3378, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1One of the few stories worth repeating.


          Yet I wonder why it seems like the American media doesn't want to talk about it?
    • captnkurt, on 06/11/2008, -2/+7I'd hit the front page.
    • diggerphelps, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1..
    • coolcash2005, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Well, we all knew it would. After all, theres a dude named "Judge Rahdi al Rahdi" in the article. What a Rahdical name.
    • Overgrown, on 06/20/2008, -0/+0yes it should be the ONLY news we hear about. but guess what? Have you heard about it? No and you probably wont. I would reallybe surprised if they even mention it. if they do, it willpass quickly or be said like it doesnt matter. Biz as usual.

      when will we open our eyes?

      i mean this is gigantic. a GAG order? THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT RIGHT.
  • spacetheater, on 06/10/2008, -1/+89WTF!! We're talking about what Congressman Waxman says may be "the largest war profiteering in history" and there's a god-damn gagging order!?! This is sinful. This is a crime. The Judge in charge of Iraq's Commission for Public Integrity says "I believe these people are criminals." Could not agree more. Let's send them Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. These are the people who deserve to be subject to "enhanced interrogation" if anyone does.
    • 55mph, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3We'll have to wait for hell to freeze over before the MSM picks up this story.
      • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Since when is BBC not MSM?
        • sonstone, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4I think he is talking about the American MSM.
        • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3You know, since I canceled my cable TV, I sometimes forget that it's not easy to get news from non-US-MSM sources within the US without resorting to the internet.

          NET NEUTRALITY, FTW!
    • th3heretic, on 06/11/2008, -2/+3You think the government cares if its sinful? They invented "sin" to control us, not the other way around..
  • spacetheater, on 06/10/2008, -2/+42Just to add the only reason the murderous brutality is continuing in the killing fields of Iraq is because these military-industrialists are making god-awful amounts of profit out of it. Send the war profiteers to jail and the rest of us want peace with the good people of Iraq.
  • demonotaku, on 06/10/2008, -2/+22Just found this on my own and found it here. It disgusts me completely.
  • Freedom4Tibet, on 06/10/2008, -1/+24Not like we didn't already know this, but hopefully this story will give this issues some more exposure. Sadly, I feel like this on top of everything else will never get the media attention or POLITICAL ACTION that it needs. Too much corruption in politics.

    Everyone says they want to stay out of Politics because its corrupt. No. Please get involved with politics so we can rid this country of corrupt politicians who enter politics only because it has been facilitated by their family history.
    • rezonq3, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2"I am Jack's complete lack of surprise"
  • TipsyMcStumbles, on 06/10/2008, -0/+38The Bush-Cheney war profiteering racket is nothing short of treasonous. Add this to W's list of high crimes and misdemeanors. The list is long.
  • oldhick, on 06/10/2008, -1/+61It doesn't matter if you or conservative or liberal, there is no reason for a gag order here. That is an outrage to democracy. Our entire form of government relies on transparency and openness.
    • milkmit, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Agreed. What's sad is that some people will probably attempt to defend this....really showing their true colors (and most certainly not the red white & blue kind).
  • SeanRoach26, on 06/10/2008, -0/+22I can not believe no one has been brought up on criminal charges for this. Impeachment must happen.
    They fire Air Force command for messing up an order to Taiwan and do nothing when billions go missing?
    It's morally reprehensible.
    • Crimsoneer, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Air Force is pretty obviously to blame for the order to Taiwan...but this? Who do you want to blame exactly? Bush? Cheney? The whole administration? Whoever made money out of this? Or what about all the people who voted for Bush?
      • Codwhy, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Well definitely Bush and Cheney, and everyone who is pocketing our ***** money, so i guess whoever the new CEO of Halliburton is,

        *****, i dont care, i blame them all
  • DragonGirl724, on 06/10/2008, -0/+102There was coverage (very brief coverage) that TONS (363 TONS to be exact) of newly printed US dollars flown over to Iraq on palattes in 2007 mysteriously got lost.

    how the hell do you "lose" 363 TONS of cash??


    "The Federal Reserve Bank in New York had to pack 281 million individual bills onto wooden palettes to be shipped to Iraq. The cash weighed more than 363 tons and was loaded on C-130 cargo planes to be flown into Baghdad."

    http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/07/acd ...
    • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -0/+23and yet still so many Americans still refuse to connect the dots eh?
      • Pigeon, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8What I don't get is why the hell they sent it in CASH. I can't think of any better way to lose it other than flying around Iraq dropping it out of the plane.
        • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Winning their hearts and pocket books huh?
        • Angostura, on 06/11/2008, -0/+6Well, the straight non-conspiratorial answer is: They wanted to be able to get development action going FAST and let the management on the ground get people working immediately, with a wedge of cash, some discretionary spending and a minimum of paperwork

          It was a fine idea in principle, but the total lack of an audit trail and the dreadful security screwed it all up.
      • coyote1284, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2Paul Ruben (AKA PeeWee Herman) made connecting the dots gay.
        /La-la-la-la
    • FREETHINKER2008, on 06/11/2008, -0/+13They sent dump trucks of cash in to a war zone, good thinking eh? As far as Americans not connecting the dots, most are more concerned about American Idol or whatever other distraction is on the tv. The cable newsmedia is only reporting on election 08 coverage(apparently there is no other news)
      • sodade, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2Bread and circus.
      • coyote1284, on 06/11/2008, -1/+3"distraction"
        You just said the secret word! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
    • nwoantibody, on 06/11/2008, -4/+5They're paying the troops and corrupting them; little dudes get 30k cash, colonels get in the millions, generals is unknown. They're soiling them, then they bring them back to the States, at which point they're compromised; and they're given jobs as police. Needless to say, when martial law is declared; you won't be able to ask the police to enforce the law and not the dictatorship.
      Over 100 investigators have been killed already, so; but folks think this is freedom.
      • coyote1284, on 06/11/2008, -6/+7Are you suggesting that an American soldier's salary is corrupting them? Should they risk their lives for free? They have families and bills to take care of just like everyone else. I certainly hope you're not saying they are raking in money hand over fist (OK, officers are, but it's not like they are given cash bonuses for leading a raid). The only thing a former soldier is good for is the police force? Gee, the technical experience in electronics I recieved must mean absolutely nothing, all I can ever be now is a cop.
      • Pittance, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Not salaries. Colonels dont make millions in pay. Generals might make in the low (under 10) millions, but probably in the high hundred thousands. And how exactly do military personel just get jobs as police? PDs are all run by Cities individually or state governments.

        Also coyote, officers dont make that much in general. A 2nd Lieutenant in the AF (one of the better paid branches) starts off at 40-60k a year, depending on their college major and job. Hazard pay for being deployed, and pilots make more. Colonels make at least 1-200k, but it takes at least 15-20 years to get that far.
    • mrzeero, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4how the hell do you "lose" 363 TONS of cash??

      Very carefully.
      • Pittance, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Well, when they find the $400 tons of bombs in a back storage room, they will know what happened and how the enemy is able to fund itself...

        heh
    • compulsive1, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1"There was coverage (very brief coverage) that TONS (363 TONS to be exact) of newly printed US dollars flown over to Iraq on palattes in 2007 mysteriously got lost."

      This happened right before the "surge".
      Personally I always suspected that this money was a part of the strategy to ensure that the "surge" is successful.
      Basically a lot of war lords and religious leaders were paid in cash to influence decline in violence and fighting.
      That's why the "surge" has worked to media's and experts' amazement.
      The ones who didn't participate in the pay off or who feel shorted are the ones who are still attacking US troops and each other.
  • DragonGirl724, on 06/10/2008, -1/+33and people wonder why the dollar is in the dumps......
  • stutimandal, on 06/10/2008, -8/+17Finally someone spoke on this issue. My guess is that the figure is around $230 billion and not around $23 billion.
    • Crimsoneer, on 06/11/2008, -3/+10Well, nice to know you can guess random numbers.
  • kyledwards, on 06/10/2008, -2/+22This doesn't surprise me. War profiteering ranks up there with genocide. A sad day...
  • hsansom, on 06/10/2008, -1/+40IG Farben and other German companies (or their leaders) faced prosecution for crimes against humanity for their profiteering (and worse) during the Second World War. Halliburton and its executives, Blackwater and its executives, and all their counterparts should face prosecution for their atrocities during the Iraq war.
    • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -1/+11and yet someone dugg you down? There are some seriously messed up people out there...

      I'll ask again America... - is THIS enough for you to stand up???

      What else will it take for you to understand what is happening to you?
      • coyote1284, on 06/11/2008, -1/+8*puts on Joe American hat* Nah, I'm still happy and safe in my home. I really can't be bothered by things happening in other countries. It all has hardly effected my daily life. I still wake up, go to work, come home, watch TV and drink a beer, without constant fear of being attacked. Price of gas is high, but what you gonna do? Maybe I'll do something when it effects me personally. *removes hat*
        • Codwhy, on 06/11/2008, -2/+2Joe American hat? Do you really think that most americans dont care about things happening in other countries? Take a look at how much money American citizens donate to non-profit organizations working throughout the world to help fix problems in other countries. Americans are very generous when it comes to throwing money at the world's problems, and *****, our government ***** us and stole all of our ***** money.
          and funny enough, we're broke as ***** now. and citizens are STILL donating cash.


          Just because our government ***** us doesnt mean that the American people as a whole are ignorant twits. i do know whats happening, and i do care, i just dont know what i can ***** do.





        • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2Unfortunately, Codwhy, just because *some* US citizens donate money does not negate the fact that *most* US citizens don't care about things happening in other countries. (Or at least, they don't care as much as I feel they should.)
          I will give you the fact that most US citizens are not "ignorant twits", but they are complacent and too preoccupied with day-to-day life to worry about things that do not directly affect their day-to-day life. "Joe American" is all to real, unfortunately.
        • bullhead2007, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4Donating money != caring

          It could be sympathy, guilt, or a way to make them feel better about having money, or a way to get tax breaks.

          It's easier to give money than to research, pay attention, advocate ideas, or protest in the streets.
    • chillfaktor, on 06/11/2008, -1/+3It's too late. Haven't you noticed? America has reached the point of no return long ago. Society is in lala-land. Now all you can do is wait until it all turns to custard so EVERYONE, including the boogeymen, have to change at their very core and we can start over, again.
      It's just a matter of time, and people like obama might be better than bush, but that doesn't mean that american politics will come even close to a democracy. From that point of view I think america should elect the worst possible president, lets say McCain, so we get some REAL change faster.
      Anyways, what was I saying? Yes, right, stop trying to persecute some villains, it's peanuts and new ones will follow.
      • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1"I think america should elect the worst possible president, lets say McCain, so we get some REAL change faster."
        That idea, sir, is completely ***** retarded. COMPLETELY. *****. RETARDED.

        Your arbitrary "point of no return" is fallacious as well. We have NOT passed the point of no return. We can start to wrestle control of this country away from the corrupt, but it will have to be inch-by-inch, and we are going to have to fight hard for it. Rolling over and giving up is not a winning strategy.

        Please reconsider your position, sir.
      • mechnoch, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1And for the record, I meant no disrespect to the mentally-challenged by my comment. I simply meant that by saying "I think america should elect the worst possible president, lets say McCain, so we get some REAL change faster." You are not using your full mental faculties. And unfortunately, since I'm fairly certain that you're not actually 'retarded', this is worse. Good day.
      • bullhead2007, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2So you're betting that Rome will rise from its ashes like a burning Phoenix?

        If we go down, China will be the next "super power" that will influence everything.
      • chillfaktor, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Yes, except it will be more like Athens than Rome. Electing the worst possible president will save lifes and give a painless end by increasing oil dependency, further indebting the US, further alienating it from the rest of the world and further ruining its own economy. Only when it all turns to absolute ***** and people HAVE to change, people will change for good. As long as society can stay in its old ways, corrupt governments will come and go, the situation will stay the same.
        And no, I'm not retarded, but I like to be a bit provocative at times.
    • Pittance, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Just to be fair. All the Blackwater hate isn't completely justified. I know someone working for Blackwater in NC. Most of their operations are training local and state/fed law enforcement in advanced tactics. Such as how to clear a building or a container ship (for Coast Guard training). All the scandal was perputrated by the other branch of Blackwater. The company has its training branch, and its operative branch. Its that latter that was under scrutiny for questionable behavior while being on contract overseas. Just make sure you dont think the whole company and all employees are worthless because of some of its employees actions.
  • rzxc, on 06/11/2008, -1/+13Nothing will come of this...yet. The Establishment likes corrupt politicians. In fact, the Establishment only deals with corrupt politicians because it can control them. After all, corrupt politicians are easy to get rid of. The Establishment has so much dirt on them, it can blackmail those politicians into doing whatever they want. And if they don't do what the Establishment wants, it will simply go public with the information it has. Case in point: Ehud Olmert. Obviously, the Establishment does not want peace. When it found out that Olmert was negotiating with Hamas, it decided to move against Olmert (an American businessman went public with details of Olmert's dirty laundry). This is one way the Establishment can control the agenda. If you're interested, you can read more at www.politicsofextortion.com
    • ElbowGeek, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3That makes a lot of sense actually. It's a win-win situation for the corporate overlords and why Obama needs to watch his back. As I posted earlier, there's too much at stake for these corporate monsters to allow him to get all the way to Washington and start causing trouble for them.
      • ummagummas08, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Haha, Yeah right, Obama is one of their puppets as well. They wouldn't give him so much support and coverage on the news if he wasn't.
        Just look at what they did for Ron Paul.
    • rhendrix, on 06/11/2008, -1/+0What do you think there is a conference in the Bahamas every quarter to work out how "we" will control the world for our corporate greed? hehehe.
      There is medication to help you with your paranoia sir.
      Olmert did a stupid thing and the "timing" of the exposure of this is not coming from "the estatblishment" but from some dogged work by excellent law enforcement in Tel Aviv. Olmert took the money over a long period of time which is not illegal. His reporting of this on the other hand seems to speak to a less than law abiding man. This is not a conspiracy this is greed corrupting a very talented and conflicted man.
      Try going for a run instead of reading about conspiracy. The world will be no better or worse and you will feel a lot better.
  • LoJack, on 06/11/2008, -3/+11Nah ... we go there just to help the Iraqi people.
  • DeviantDragon, on 06/11/2008, -2/+20http://digg.com/world_news/BBC_uncovers_lost_Iraq_ ...

    Notice that 5 at the end of your URL? Paramnesia, gg for checking for dupes.
  • 10goto10, on 06/11/2008, -3/+14I like this story better: http://digg.com/world_news/BBC_uncovers_lost_Iraq_ ...
  • macabaret, on 06/11/2008, -0/+5Were those billions under the couch all along?
  • GrownupPhan, on 06/11/2008, -1/+35Way to go U.S. MSM. Once again, it takes a UK media outlet to give this story any coverage.
    • Stavrosian, on 06/11/2008, -0/+23Bear in mind that's a UK media outlet which seems to be bizarrely painted as either completely biased or just flat-out communist by some Americans because it has the nerve to question the status quo.
    • the6thReplicant, on 06/11/2008, -0/+6What's surprising is how little of the conspiracy "Oh my God, look at how Bush and Co is making money from the war" was in the report. It mostly seems like that the people who aren't in jail from Enron are just running things in Iraq. That people they "trust", i.e Christian-Right, Neocon Republicans, with very little experience and a huge chip on their shoulder for wanting to be cowboys, were given free reign to run nearly everything in Iraq. Together with the fact that it was nearly impossible not to flaunt the system, it is absolutely no surprise that this happened.

      Imagine, you are the law. There is virtually no oversight, you can hire who you want and then you have the keys to the US Treasury. Then your boss, or his boss, realizes that they could do things the hard way by making a better product, or competing with other companies with a better service *or* they could just write big fat checks to themselves. Make a huge profit; see their share prices go up and everyone is happy.....until someone finds out.
      • Metman, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3"That people they "trust", i.e Christian-Right, Neocon Republicans, with very little experience and a huge chip on their shoulder for wanting to be cowboys, were given free reign to run nearly everything in Iraq."

        You know I am one of many who oppose the occupation and invasion of Iraq. I join the long line of people displeased with the current administration. However, I do not let my biased miraculously become a expert on the subjects. Perhaps you should do more research and see who was/is responsible for what in Iraq. With a little patience and some time you will find that a) there is less partisan favoritism then you might think, b) the UN keeps track of where duties fall and to whom, and lastly c) all of the over-sight for what is taking place over in Iraq is managed by the Democrats currently in office.

        Maybe it is time we stop drawing lines in the sand (literally) and start looking at the candidates. More importantly, hold those who have the power to make change accountable. I have heard more ***** from this current Congress in regards to woulda, coulda, shoulda then I can ever remember and yet they continue to do nothing. At least in years past Congress would 'try' to do something. These people seem perfectly content to make hopeful sound bites then walk into their offices and take a nap.

  • PATSCRU, on 06/11/2008, -1/+9Mr. Waxman, you have the wind of the American people behind you...find them and make them pay. No one should run free after bilking America and her taxpayers out of so much goddamned money.
    • syngeon, on 06/11/2008, -2/+0Better the wind of the American people behind you than in front of you. All those hamburgers, nachos and doughnuts plays havoc with the digestion.
  • 3tcp, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8How about a 1% reward for anyone who can find out where it went? $230,000,000 is a hell of an incentive to expose corruption.
    • CatsAreGods, on 06/11/2008, -1/+5Yeah, but the problem is that people get bumped off every day for a lot less than that.
    • FairDinkumMate, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2It's $23,000,000,000 - you understated the amount by $22,770,000,000!!!

      1 billion(9 zeroes) is 1 thousand million. The figure you typed is 230 million(6 zeroes).

      It's about $840 for EVERY man, woman & child in Iraq(Pop. 27,500,000. estimated July 2007)
      • 3tcp, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2bah, i knew i should have just typed million
      • 3tcp, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Hey wait a minute, I did it right, you just suck at reading comprehension
        • FairDinkumMate, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1It's $23 BILLION dollars that the article talks about, not $23 million.

          Anyway, you typed $230 million!
        • SubjectiveC, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2He typed 1% of 23 billion. He's right.
      • Codwhy, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1***** that rapes the "economic stimulus"
  • HubbertWins, on 06/11/2008, -0/+6It is a shame to think about all the Iraq related stuff that we are just never going to know about. It would be fascinating to hear the WHOLE story and all the dirty little secrets that have been hidden. Even if it meant that absolutely no one was ever to be held accountable for any of it...which, of course, they won't be.
  • hitkaiser, on 06/11/2008, -0/+5Can't you guys call up your local congressmen or something to put pressure into getting this topic more debated?
    • TritonX, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1Sure you can call them, and they sure can ignore you. The only ones these days that seemed to be able to get heard by the government are the corporations.
  • diggingaround, on 06/11/2008, -1/+7Digg this story people - DIIIIIIGG!
    • xs11ax, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1DUUUUUUG!
    • SilverStandard, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1That is how we bring change. We vote for Obama and digg a story. Great job.
  • Ciryon, on 06/11/2008, -1/+13BBC owns. If you ever have a chance, you should watch HardTalk with Stephen Sackur.
    • FairDinkumMate, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1I really like the BBC except they have one stupid presenter that continually refers to Asia as a 'country' & it drives me crazy!
  • slkingmjg, on 06/11/2008, -9/+0http://digg.com/comedy/Novelty_staircase
  • russianfella, on 06/11/2008, -8/+2YOU KNOW WHAT? SAME ***** DIFFERENT DAY.
  • jamble, on 06/11/2008, -0/+19It shouldn't be that hard to figure out most of it is in Dick Cheney's bank account.
  • digghasnoethics, on 06/11/2008, -1/+3A quick search suggests that the torrent of this show is available.

    Those with working proxies in the UK can see it on iPlayer.
  • HeartlandUSA, on 06/11/2008, -0/+15Try a missing TRILLION!

    Military waste under fire
    $1 trillion missing -- Bush plan targets Pentagon accounting

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/ ...

  • QsheiK, on 06/11/2008, -0/+25As outraged as we get, we will never realize how much $23 billion really is until we put it into perspective:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ ...

    That money that the States lost is more than over a hundred country's GDP.
  • mr5150, on 06/11/2008, -12/+8Note:

    "While George Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted.

    To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq. "

    The rape and pillage squads of the U.S have no shame and no mercy when a buck is to made. I hope every U.S soldier (goose stepping morons) ***** dies there in a filthy ditch with their private contractor goon squads alongside them.(Hello! Blackwater *****)
    • PJ1967, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4And remember Bush has the power to pardon. And once he exercises that power, oh, say, on the very last day of his term, the list of names should be very interesting.
      • SpongeBad, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1But can he pardon someone for a crime they haven't been charged with yet?
    • Codwhy, on 06/11/2008, -1/+5You hope every U.S. soldier ***** dies in a filthy ditch?
      Your ***** in the head man, go get some therapy.

      Most U.S. soldiers arent inhuman beasts, raping and pillaging their way through every town leaving a trail of dead children behind them.

      most of them are just lost kids from not so great backgrounds who were offered one chance to make some money and *maytbe* get an education - but will possibly get killed as a pawn in a game that they didnt understand at all.

      Mr5150 - you are a failure of a human.
      • mr5150, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Screw you and you your ***** beliefs of blindly supporting murderous ***** thugs who are systematically ransacking a sovereign nation under the auspices of ridding a dictator which is really an illegally waged war for profit and spun by the US whitegoons as a salvation effort.

        I will not recant my words and I hope all murdering thugs die, including domestic and foreign soldiers and nations that backed this ***** war.


        • Codwhy, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1I'm not "Blindly supporting murderous ***** thugs", im supporting other human beings who i see on a daily basis getting ***** by our military and government

          you think these kids WANT to go to Iraq? you think they still WANT to be there? a majority of them do not.

          they just had the guts to give the military a shot when they had no other ***** options, and happened to do so just in time to get shipped away to a worthless pointless war that they dont believe in.

          ***** you and your pussy ass accusations, if you cannot understand that they cry day in and day out and fear for their lives when they get the letter in the mail saying they have to go back for a 3rd, 4th, or 5th term, then you are a complete PIECE OF *****.

          where are you from? yoiu hope that all nations who backed this ***** war die? You probably just wished death upon yourself, JACKASS
    • inane, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2Goose stepping morons? What hippie cloud 9 commune do you come from? Get help now.
  • craighoxton, on 06/11/2008, -0/+6This is like the movie Three Kings but for real
  • mutz, on 06/11/2008, -5/+9start with...:
    SHOOT THE PRESIDENT, LYNCH THE VICE-PRESIDENT!

    and hopefully Obama will clean up this mess
    • the6thReplicant, on 06/11/2008, -3/+2>> and hopefully Obama will clean up this mess

      With what? He won't have any money? He'll have the usual ratbags behind him calling him a Muslim and a Manchurian Candidate.

      No let McCain win, so then we can see his face eat itself when he has to explain why he didn't extend Bush's 2003 tax cuts. "umm, now is not the time, to, umm....tax cuts for now...umm, ah....*arghh**!!!***umpphhhhh!^#%#$(!#^*^"
    • manifest020, on 06/11/2008, -3/+1Too bad Obama is having secret meetings with Big Bankers in the Bildersburg the DAY after Hilary announces her support for Obama.
      http://americangoy.blogspot.com/2008/06/bilderberg ...
    • inane, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1Funny how bleeding heart liberals want to resort to violence in dealing with Bush/Cheney. And Obama is a politician just like the rest of them. They all claim to be the angel of change, but end up bilking us in the end.
      • mutz, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1i'm not even a liberal... thankfully i can't vote in america.... i vote green or socialist her in europe
  • JMellissa, on 06/11/2008, -0/+10It's no surprise to me. The Iraq war has been a profiteering scheme from the very beginning and the people responsible should be hanged.
  • LilRabbitFooFoo, on 08/11/2008, -0/+9It's called GRAFT, folks. And it is the way that Tammany Hall and previous corrupt administrations used to fleece the public coffers in the good old days, before the rule of law. But it has taken 50 years for them to game the system back to the rigged deals they used to enjoy. This time their graft has collapsed our dollar to half its value, but they all got the trillions Bush was put into office (by them) to send their way. Congrats, scumbags.
    • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -0/+5Maybe it is time to dust off the Guillotine ?
  • BlackPetal, on 06/11/2008, -2/+4The fact that this story is not front page news is a disgrace and a symtom of wider issues with the press both in the US and the UK. http://blackpetal84.wordpress.com/
    • tk0680, on 06/11/2008, -1/+2What? Why is the government-funded BBC's reporting of this a symptom of issues in the UK?
      • ohreilly, on 06/11/2008, -1/+0Technically it's not government funded, the fees from the voluntary TV licence fund the BBC.

        Admittedly said monies take a circuitous route through HM Treasury, but it's not really government funded (the only outlet of the BBC that really is government-funded is the World Service).

        (and as a result, the BBC is free from political and commercial influence)
    • BlackPetal, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3The government does not fund the BBC. The fact the story is not getting more attention, is a symtom of a press obsessed with celebrities, a press afraid to talk about corruption at the highest levels and a press that drops stories, because they feel people might get bored. If Bill Clinton can be impeached for lying about an affair, surely George Bush can be impeached for being an ignorant and irresponsible human being. Where are the main stream press calls for impeachment. Its like people expect it, so they just let it go. The press is one of the most influential institutions in the west, its about time they lived upto it.
  • soinie, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8If Bush and Company aren't arrested, put on trial, convicted, executed and their assets and estates seized, the American people will have been cheated out of justice they deserve. And anyone who voted for the bastards should be paying the taxes of those who didn't for the next 8 years.
  • flashback99, on 06/11/2008, -0/+15***** these war criminals. They are no different from the enemies they claim to be thwarting. Why is it that criminals go to jail, but this adminstration gets to fly off free of charge?
    • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8Because they have the key people, in key positions. The system itself is broke - and gamed.

      Americans.... what are you going to do about it? How much more obvious does it have to be before you take a stand? If you don't do it over this, the wiretaps, the secret prisons, the spying, stolen elections.... for Christ sake just think for a minute what these people have done to your country.

      • ummagummas08, on 06/11/2008, -1/+1What do you suppose we do?

        Contact the local news stations? Yeah right.
        Make banners of protest? Sure, that sounds like a good idea, but it more than likely won't garner enough support
        People are ignorant and lazy and only care about what's effecting their lives at this exact point in time. If something hasn't been done already to impeach this monster, nothing will.
  • Ne007, on 06/11/2008, -4/+2Ohhhhh Dubya...ha ha haaa! You naughty boy you hehe!
  • martoq, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8I don't think "lost" is the appropriate word. I would go more with "plundered."
    • Waiting2awake, on 06/11/2008, -0/+4Stolen? Pilfered? Absconded ?

      What will it take for people to march on Washington?
  • screenwalker, on 06/11/2008, -0/+10As said earlier a Trillion USD might be closer.

    The sum calculated by the BBC does not include monies wasted through massively overinflated billing by the "selected" contractors similar to the UK's 250K Zebra crossings billing (see http://duvet-dayz.com/archives/2007/10/29/461/ ). This type of sleaze is not new, but the level and extend of it is (we have seen over-billing in the region of 10-20 times within a recent investigation in International Organizations, G8 Government administrations and assoc.).

    What also is surprising, that the sum is even smaller than the USD 30 Billion the Pentagon has already admitted last year to "...not being accounted for..." read most of it has disappeared in some peoples pockets.

    Anybody looking into the matter should also review how much of these overinflated bills has been coming back home to political parties in the US and particularly into the practices of the big accounting firms that are auditing and approving these budgets. They themselves are continuously granted massive contracts in parallel seemingly to be quiet. - one small example - a fat four accounting firm being paid USD 40.000 p.a. to look at up to four 3 page MS Excel sheets (in our opinion a max 4 days job) per country in a contract. Now multiply this with about 60 countries included and by up to a dozen contracts per country. It all looks legit if you don't have inside knowledge to cut through the tons of paperwork created on top by hundreds of government staffers to cover up.

    There are massive theft and money laundry operations going on with the tax payers money by what we call government associates or enterprises specifically setup for this task operating similar to organized crime. You could of course just call this corruption.

    But to put it in words like Ron Paul "...don't steal ... the government hates competition..." hence the "gagging order".
  • tk0680, on 06/11/2008, -0/+8Sigh. You're all reacting as if this is something new and as if anything will happen as a result.
    America, you missed chance after chance to do something about the comically flagrant issues your government has. Now you can just wait, and probably elect another Republican in a few months. GG.
  • volcompimp, on 06/11/2008, -0/+3Ask the Oval Office they know exactly where the money is.
  • MacBookForMe, on 06/11/2008, -0/+2If one is a President or a VP, one can kill, steal and lie and he is still praised, well guarded and protected, because he is a President...how long more? (till eternity and even further...)
  • screenwalker, on 06/11/2008, -0/+6The video can be watched at the following URLs (other versions have already been removed):

    (short version 2min):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaiFYKkDbI

    (Panorama official site including 2min video):
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/743 ...

    (long version 72min):
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-128992686 ...
    • ts2007, on 07/12/2008, -0/+0Thank you, but the Google video has been taken down.
  • FrankHope, on 06/11/2008, -0/+9A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations.
    To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq.
    It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history.
  • JoeVet, on 06/11/2008, -0/+1"A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations.
    The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.
    While George Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted.
    To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq. "

    This is typical GOP fiscal responsibility and McCain wants to carry on that tradition. We don't have any money for the troops or even for our citizens at home but we have billions for their wealthy cronies. Oh, and make sure you don't allow anyone to talk about it. That would stop the flow of money from the people to the wealthy.
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