What happens when you give a barely-existent government carte blanche to buy weapons for a barely-existent army? As-yet-unknown people (Iraqis, presumably) in charge of equipping the Iraqi army lost, literally, $1 billion worth of money, and spent the rest of their budget on shit equipment: Helicpoters ready for the scrap heap, broken down armored cars, counterfeit machineguns (at genuine prices), bullets at 4 times retail.
Of a military procurement budget of $1.3bn, some $200m may have been spent on usable equipment, though this is a charitable view, say officials.According to Iraq's finance minister, Ali Allawi,
"...about $1bn compared with the budget of the ministry of defence, it is nearly 100 per cent of the ministry's [procurement] budget that has gone AWOL."Apparently an additional $500 million is missing from nondefense spending accounts, bringing the total of missing money to $1.8 billion. [Jil says: I get $1.5 billion, but whatever.]
Just so you know, if $1.8 billion was lost in the last 8 months, that is equal to the $1.8 billion that Saddam Hussein managed to pilfer from the Oil-For-Food program over a period of 6 years.
(Grandpa Jil Voice)
Ahh... that's alright kids! I'm sure that your ol' Uncle Sam has an extra coupla billion here in his pocket. Run along now, and try to spend it more carefully next time!
Heheh... lil' whippersnappers.
To paraquote King Edward Longshanks, "The problem with Iraq is, it's filled with Iraqis!" Well, it's a good thing we Americans are willing to stay there and help those poor people out for the next 35 years, right team?! Woo!
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