Security costs cripple RTI's progress in Iraq (projects put on hold)

[Barrett808]

Security costs cripple RTI's progress in Iraq
Reconstruction grants shut down, projects skipped or put on hold
By Kevin Begos
JOURNAL REPORTER
Monday, January 24, 2005

Security costs were eating up 43 percent of Research Triangle International's contract to promote democracy in Iraq as of late 2004, and that pressure forced RTI's managers to shut down many previously approved reconstruction grants, a Journal investigation has found.

Monthly progress reports obtained in a Freedom of Information request show that security had become such an issue that RTI didn't start a single rapid-response grant in the second year of its $236 million government contract for democracy building in post-war Iraq.

In addition to projects already begun but put on hold from the first year of the contract, 11 rapid-response grants and more than $1.5 million in financing had been approved in the second year, but none were started from March to September 2004, the reports show (read the report). The rapid-response grants were for projects such as agricultural support, computers for local government and municipal-office renovation.

"The grant money was diverted to keep the project running," said Wallace Rodgers, RTI's former team leader for the northern region of Iraq. "Security costs ran about 43 percent of our budget" by late 2004, and that "kind of broke the program budget."

(more)

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780414399&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099

[KoKo]

1. This is the "Research Triangle Institute," in NC...which has been involved

in "spreading democracy." hmmm

Part of an investigative report done by the Winston Salem Journal. It's a three part and very interesting.