Iraq Weapons Are a Focus of Criminal Investigations
BAGHDAD - Several federal agencies are investigating a widening network of criminal cases involving the purchase and delivery of billions of dollars of weapons, supplies and other matériel to Iraqi and American forces, according to American officials. The officials said it amounted to the largest ring of fraud and kickbacks uncovered in the conflict here.
The inquiry has already led to several indictments of Americans, with more expected, the officials said. One of the investigations involves a senior American officer who worked closely with Gen. David H. Petraeus in setting up the logistics operation to supply the Iraqi forces when General Petraeus was in charge of training and equipping those forces in 2004 and 2005, American officials said Monday. 
There is no indication that investigators have uncovered any wrongdoing by General Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, who through a spokesman declined comment on any legal proceedings.
This article is based on interviews with more than a dozen federal investigators, Congressional, law enforcement and military officials, and specialists in contracting and logistics, in Iraq and Washington, who have direct knowledge of the inquiries. Many spoke on condition of anonymity because there are continuing criminal investigations.
The inquiries are being pursued by the Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among other agencies.
Over the past year, inquiries by federal oversight agencies have found serious discrepancies in military records of where thousands of weapons intended for Iraqi security forces actually ended up. None of those agencies concluded that weapons found their way to insurgents or militias.
In their public reports, those agencies did not raise the possibility of criminal wrongdoing, and General Petraeus has said that the imperative to provide weapons to Iraqi security forces was more important than maintaining impeccable records.
In an interview on Aug. 18, General Petraeus said that with ill-equipped Iraqi security forces confronting soaring violence across the country in 2004 and 2005, he made a decision not to wait for formal tracking systems to be put in place before distributing the weapons.
“We made a decision to arm guys who wanted to fight for their country,” General Petraeus said.
But now, American officials said, part of the criminal investigation is focused on Lt. Col. Levonda Joey Selph, who reported directly to General Petraeus and worked closely with him in setting up the logistics operation for what were then the fledgling Iraqi security forces.
That operation moved everything from AK-47s, armored vehicles and plastic explosives to boots and Army uniforms, according to officials who were involved in it. Her former colleagues recall Colonel Selph as a courageous officer who was willing to take substantial personal risks to carry out her mission and was unfailingly loyal to General Petraeus and his directives to move quickly in setting up the logistics operation.
“She was kind of like the Pony Express of the Iraqi security forces,” said Victoria Wayne, who was then deputy director of logistics for the overall Iraqi reconstruction program.
Still, Colonel Selph also ran into serious problems with a company she oversaw that failed to live up to a contract it had signed to carry out part of that logistics mission.
It is not clear exactly what Colonel Selph is being investigated for. Colonel Selph, reached by telephone twice on Monday, said she would speak to reporters later but did not answer further messages left for her.
The enormous expenditures of American and Iraqi money on the Iraq reconstruction program, at least $40 billion over all, have been criticized for reasons that go well beyond the corruption cases that have been uncovered so far. Weak oversight, poor planning and seemingly endless security problems have contributed to many of the program’s failures.
The investigation into contracts for matériel to Iraqi soldiers and police officers is part of an even larger series of criminal cases. As of Aug. 23, there were a total of 73 criminal investigations related to contract fraud in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, Col. Dan Baggio, an Army spokesman said Monday. Twenty civilians and military personnel have been charged in federal court as a result of the inquiries, he said. The inquiries involve contracts valued at more than $5 billion, and Colonel Baggio said the charges so far involve more than $15 million in bribes.
Just last week, an Army major, his wife and his sister were indicted on charges that they accepted up to $9.6 million in bribes for Defense Department contracts in Iraq and Kuwait.
Investigations span the gamut from low-level officials submitting false claims for amounts less than $2,500 to more serious cases involving, conspiracy, bribery, product substitution and bid-rigging or double-billing involving large dollar amounts or more senior contracting officials, Army criminal investigators said. The investigations involve contractors, government employees, local nationals and American military personnel.
Questions about whether the American military could account for the weaponry and other equipment purchased to outfit the Iraqi security forces were raised as early as May of last year, when Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia and then the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a request to an independent federal oversight agency to investigate the matter.
But federal officials say the inquiry has moved far beyond the initial investigation of hundreds of thousands of improperly tracked assault rifles and semiautomatic pistols that grew out of Senator Warner’s query. In fact, Senator Warner said in a statement to The New York Times that he was outraged when he was briefed recently on the initial findings of the investigations.
“When I was briefed on the recent developments, I felt so strongly that I asked the Secretary of the Army to brief the Armed Services Committee right away, which he did in early August,” Senator Warner said in a statement.
An Army spokesman declined to comment on the briefing by the secretary of the Army, Pete Geren. In a sign of the seriousness of the scandal, the Defense Department Inspector General, Claude M. Kicklighter, will lead an 18-person team to Iraq early next month to investigate contracting practices, said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.
Mr. Morrell said Mr. Kicklighter, a retired three-star Army general, would stay in Iraq indefinitely to investigate contracting abuses, and was empowered to fix problems on the spot or take action if his team identified potential criminal activity.
Congressional officials who have been briefed on the Defense Department inspector general’s inquiry said Monday that one focus would be on weapons, munitions and explosives. In addition, Mr. Geren, the Army secretary, is expected to announce later this week the creation of a panel of senior contracting and logistics specialists to address any systemic problems they identify.
Senator Warner’s request last May for an independent federal oversight agency to investigate the accountability of weapons and equipment given to Iraqi security forces underscored concern about the issue.
That federal agency, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, responded with a report in October 2006 that found serious discrepancies in American military records of where thousands of the weapons actually ended up. The military did not take the routine step of recording serial numbers for the weapons, the inspector general found, making it difficult to determine whether any of the weapons had ended up in the wrong hands.
In July 2007, the Government Accountability Office found even larger discrepancies, reporting that the American military “cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 90,000 pistols, 80 items of body armor, and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi security forces as of Sept. 22, 2005.”
James Glanz reported from Baghdad, and Eric Schmitt from Washington.
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
We triggered a civil war to satisfy our economic need for a permanent state of war.
We’ve bungled nothing.
Mission Accomplished.
Go shopping or back to sleep.
These aren’t the arms you looking for. Move along.
Peace to you and yours.
This is our Republican leadership’s version of free enterprise, just doin’ business in the usual CON servative way.
Please dems - impeach these f’in bastards at the top, or you will have a lot ’splining to do too George Washigton, Ben F and Thomas J in the afterlife.
Are the investigations also digging into the story of rhe brave American whistle blowers, who were jailed in Iraq by OUR government, for initially bringing this story to the FBI?
I would like to know!
Granted my hard earned tax dollars mean nothing to the gutless, soulless, military leader’s/thugs appointment by the number 1 terrorist in the world/bush. But you would think they would record the serial numbers, if not why not? I’m aware the bush military knows this is a phony war, which was declared for phony reasons and could be stopped at anytime. Also when the military sees all the fraud going on with all the phony contractors it is tempting to join in.
Lets face it boys, it’s about time to move on. The poppy fields seem to be doing fine; it may be about time to check on the coca plants in South America. Keep the poppies growing remember we must stay the course.
I heard on the MSM today that the revenue from the poppy fields was supporting Taliban fighters which I found interesting since the Taliban would not allow the production of poppies when they were in charge. So that can mean only one this that the slimy bush administration is also supplying Taliban fighters with money and weapons. Sounds crazy, have you ever listened to bush speak for five minutes.
This is your brain; this is your brain listening to MSM; any questions.
“Truth tis stranger than fiction”.
If you haven’t read my posting late last night about ‘missing weapons’, then and now, go to Marjorie Cohn’s article titled,’Turning Iraq Into Vietnam’ and scroll to the bottom of the comments.
Freedom Loving American said:
This is your brain; this is your brain listening to MSM; any questions.
LOLLLLLL hysterical I pictured the egg in the pan and everything reading that :)!
KEM…
“Are the investigations also digging into the story of the brave American whistle blowers, who were jailed in Iraq by OUR government, for initially bringing this story to the FBI?”
Did you notice that the whistleblower article by the AP that appeared this past Saturday on CD is no longer available? Unless I’m just overlooking it, it has apparently “disappeared”. Do you recall that people were posting that it was pulled from several other sites? As of this writing, it’s still located on http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/24/ap4052736.html . I wonder how long before it’s buried there, too?
KEM (and everyone else)…
Forget it, I found it. (It’s titled “Steep Price Paid by Those Who Blew Whistle on Iraq Fraud”. Found it under “More Headlines”.
By-the-way, I e-mailed my congressman about this and asked him to investigate.
Peace
Lets see, you fly 17? large jetloads of cash over and let just anyone wheelbarrow it away,
then you bring in weapons and let just anybody take them away…
yet you want the fighting to stop?
They did this to supply the enemy, to keep this war going AND to bring it into Iran “who train and supply terrorists”
just more of the Neo CONgame.
Jefferson’s Guardians. I don’t understand why Common Dreams buries such important articles so quickly? They will leave some mundane article that has few comments on the front line for ten days.
Now I wonder if this investigation posted on this article includes those whistle blowers? They should be given medals and jobs in the Pentagon as Quality Control inspectors, working directly for the American public, reporting daily to us via the web and C- span. Thanks for fnding it too, that’s the archives, it was a Satuday, Aug 25th lead article, buried already. there are websites like CD that keep important articles on the front pages for weeks.
I just sent the link to “my” Rep. John Campbell in Orange County, CA. I asked him what he was doing to support the troops. By paying taxes am I complicit in war crimes committed by the U.S. government?
Peace,
st john
The mere idea that ALL US citizens are not complicit in each and every war our tax dollars finance show just how insane this country’s people have become.
The single most important idea the USA is supposed to embody is precisely the fact that WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE GOVERNMENT….we delegate its functionaries, pay its costs, review and change periodically its modus operandi, etcetc….
the present system had ossified into a truly fascistic corporatocracy, and no relief is on the way unless we get off our collective butts and raise hell. Are you willing to lose a day’s work one day a week from here on out?? It might actually take even two…..
I’d rather keep it up just like a Teamsters strike, keep up not buying anything except food, don’t go to work, call in sick and have a nation wide sickout,or orange flu, all across the country until we had someone like maybe Lou Dobbs or Robin Williams, represent us. No political figures, and have our single representative have a televised meeting with the entire congress. He or she would list our grievenses, a legal manifesto, and tell them what we desire and what is fair. Only ten articles of grievance, keep it short and sweet. If congress doesn’t act in five working days.___ Re-strike.
…………For the U.S. Congress………….
WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DO HEREBY AND LEGALLY, PETITION THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STAES OF AMERICA WITH THE FOLLOWING TEN GRIEVENSES.
1. The congress of the united states has failed to obey the Constitution of the United States in the follwing: Failure to impeach the president and the vice president for committing impeachable crimes. We demand the impeachmet proces to commence within five days. (other major individuals may be added if appropiate)
2. We demand our all of our troops out of Iraq and Afganistan within twenty days.
3. We demand all of any presidential orders that violate the Constitution resended within one day.
4. We demand that congreess initate a fair bill to have medical care for all, with no pork allowed in the bill and no pork allowed in any other bills from now thru perpitutity.
5. We demand that lobbying politicans in any form, be outlawed across the land forever, this law would be an ammendment to our Constitution.
I’ll leave the next five open, for any who wish to join in.
“The general voice from north to south… calls for a bill of rights. It seems pretty generally understood that this should go to juries, habeas corpus, standing armies, printing, religion and monopolies. I conceive there may be difficulty in finding general modifications of these suited to the habits of all the States. But if such cannot be found, then it is better to establish trials by jury, the right of habeas corpus, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, in all cases, and to abolish standing armies in time of peace, and monopolies in all cases, than not to do it in any. The few cases wherein these things may do evil cannot be weighed against the multitude wherein the want of them will do evil.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788.
KEM (and rest of CD community)…
for #6 I propose, as Mr. Jefferson so vehemently argued for, the abolishment of all monopolies. Most people do not realize that Thomas Jefferson, in addition to the Bill of Rights we all know and support, fought for the inclusion of disallowing monopolistic powers to be a factor in the new-found republic. Obviously, due to time and distance (Jefferson was in France during the time the Constitution was being formulated), his opinions on this subject were, for the most part, dismissed and never made the final writing. Not having sufficient support, his idea died a fateful death.
Oh, how I envision how this republic to be more what our founders envisioned, had Mr. Jefferson been present at the Constitutional Convention in 1787-88. I suspect we’d be living in a much different world.
I forgot, #7, Ban the use of DU in all weapons, forbid any company to produce them and insure that all nuclear waste is safely stored. Forever. Then pass a bill to begin a cleanup of areas on Earth that are polluted with DU.
Okay, KEM, reminiscent of Dueling Banjos, here’s #8…
No more privately financed monies for elected offices. All funding will be public, through tax-payer initiatives, thereby allowing EVERY person the chance to run, and seek election, in the party of their choosing.
Next…
#9 All Congress persons will be paid $170,000 a year, all will serve 8 years only. All will have two non-related aids, salary $85,000 a year. All must work in DC for no less thn 42 weeks a year. Each will have a fair housing allownace, unless their homes of residence are within 100 miles of DC. In that case a fair transportation allowance will be offered.
At age 65, each, including their aids, will recieve a tax free retirement of $2,500 a month, if deceased prior to that time, their spouse will recieve the retirement benefit. All will be eligable for the same medicare offered to any citizen while in office and after age 65. They may have a 401K option while in office, their contributions matched by government funds.
Since they will no longer be required to campaign for political office, and they or any other family mever be allowed to ever run for any public office outside their state of residence, the above will be their only pay and benefits for the 8 years term.
Presidential elections will continue as before, with one exception. The electorial college process will be abolished, popular vote will apply. ALL elections in the United States, from local up to national will be by paper and pencil ballot. The Presidential fleet of aircraft will be reduced by 70% and he/she must work in DC for no less than 42 weeks a year.
Retirement and health benefits, White House budget will be the same as now. Any changes to all of the above must be approved by a nationwide vote at the time of the presidential election, which will not be held in any year that congressional elections are held.
Why do I get a mental picture of those bankers setting the small businessman on fire and laughing heartily in that commercial? This could only work if everyone participates or at least a pretty good sized majority. I’d love to see it though…
#10
No more funding for Israel
No more funding of foreign armies or mercenaries
Since studies have shown the Pentagon budget can be reduced by $65 billion per year without an effect on military capability, defund by $65 billion and devote those funds toward social programs and infrastructure repair
No more subsidies to the hydro-carbon or nuclear industries, but redirect those monies toward renewables on an Apollo type program to reduce greenhouse gases
Single payer health care for ALL Americans
Make illegal immigrants subject to six months work on public works projects BEFORE they are deported. Second infraction of illegally crossing our borders-2 years, third infraction-5 years.
Babies born to mothers illegally in this country are citizens of the country of the mother
And the biggest one of all…dismantle the Federal Reserve!!!
KEM and PaulMagillSmith, I think our “Top 10″ list is complete. Let’s hand-deliver to the front door of OUR capital first thing in the morning.
Best wishes to all for a meaningful and peaceful Labor Day holiday.