Bloomberg: Waxman Probes Iraq Contracting, Missing $12 Billion (Update1)

[PhilipShore]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aRfRyhT0yHzU&refer=us

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Representative Henry Waxman, kicking off hearings on government contracting, questioned former Ambassador L. Paul Bremer today on what happened to as much as $12 billion in unaccounted-for cash spent when he was in charge of rebuilding Iraq.

A report from Waxman's House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said the money represented more than half of Bremer's budget from May 2003 to June 2004. The report described contractors being told to bring big bags to collect shrink- wrapped bundles of money and one episode where a Bremer staff member was allegedly told to spend $6.75 million in a week.

``We have no way of knowing if the cash that was shipped into the green zone ended up in enemy hands,'' Waxman, a California Democrat, said at today's hearing. ``We owe it to the American people to do everything we can to find out where the $12 billion went.''

The hearings, which fulfill a Democratic campaign promise, will spotlight the use of contractors in Iraq and on homeland security under President George W. Bush, as well as spending on Medicare and Medicaid. The hearings ``will embarrass the administration,'' said James Thurber, a political science professor at American University and expert on government oversight.

[Benhurst]

1. Has anybody looked in that big purse

Barbara Bush carries around?

[tanyev]

2. I want to know how many of the Bush-loving Coalition Provisional Authority

employees who submitted their resumes through the Heritage Foundation are now driving really nice cars and living way beyond their apparent means?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. This is very important, thank you for investigating Mr Waxman

people in this country are getting irate at the amount being squandered by this administration. Good job we have a Dem congress.

[rodeodance]

4. now the plan is is for the Military personal to give it out for jobs to the

Iraqi.

[gratuitous]

5. And it only took three years for someone to start asking

I wonder why those titans of government waste, those beady-eyed hawks of government spending, the Republican party, didn't ask into this unaccounted-for $12 billion?

What were they so preoccupied with that such a large sum of money (well, large to you and me) could go missing for so long? A partial list:

Terri Schiavo
A constitutional amendment to ban flag burning
A constitutional amendment to outlaw all abortion
A constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage
Trips to the Northern Marianas Islands
Trips to Scotland for golf with Jack Abramoff
Redistricting Texas
Redistricting Georgia

Any other pressing matters that got in the way of asking where $12 billion might have gone, and now three years later is probably gone forever?

[caligirl]

6. LINK to live hearing here

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1164

[Nitrogenica]

7. Waxman Probes Iraq Contracting, Missing $12 Billion

``We have no way of knowing if the cash that was shipped into the green zone ended up in enemy hands,'' Waxman, a California Democrat, said at today's hearing. ``We owe it to the American people to do everything we can to find out where the $12 billion went.''

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20070206/pl_bloomberg/arfryht0yhzu_1

Bremer insists that they took their responsibilities seriously, the money belonged to Iraq and that "where we may have fallen short, I accept the responsibility". Accepting responsibility? That would mean going to jail, in my opinion.

Bremer accepts responsibility as well as * does.

[DURHAM D]

8. From Bush - to Bremer - to Chalabi - to Iran - back to Iraq

for funding the violence (both sides).

What's the problem. Its being used up in Iraq, except for what was deposited in Swiss bank accounts by U.S. military and civilian personnel and Iraqis returning to Iraq after living in the U.S. for 30 years, in order to officially run their/our corrupt government.

[BayCityProgressive]

9. the "fiscally responsible"

Dems should demand that every penny be accounted for before any more money is given...after all these Dems are the first to cut food stamps and welfare benefits for the slightest misdeeds...where is that $12 billion?

[DURHAM D]

10. What's the problem - its not U.S. money. Its Iraqi money.

We don't really care how it got spent do we? We currently don't care that Iraq citizens are not getting the benefit of their own oil.

[SpiralHawk]

13. "We are 'conservative' republicon cronies." - Commander AWOL & Cronies

"We are conserving all the wealth of America for our fat-cat cabal
or elite republicon cronies. So all you Little People can just
shut up and sit -- oh yeah, keep paying your taxes, suckers.
Smirk, Smirk. Sneer, Sneer."

- Commander AWOL Bush & the Corrupt Cabal of repiglicon Cronies

[goforit]

11. Further validating Cheney is an anti-American traitor!

[rcdean]

12. THIS IS THE STORY !!!

My friends, THIS is the story that will blow apart this administration like a bad hand grenade AND will destroy the right wing's claims to patriotism for 2 generations.

THIS is the Teapot Dome of our time.

THIS is the Watergate of our time.

GO HENRY! Follow the money!

[Nitrogenica]

14. Just commented on by Wolfie and (Mommas husband) Jack Cafferty!

Yuppers this has a lot of potential. 12 Billion is a lot of money.

[Laurab]

15. I'm happily amazed that this is getting coverage

I watched the hearings - Bremer thinks everything went swell, that's the responsibility he takes. And the repuke apologists made me sick, offering Bremer excuse after excuse, which he gladly accepted.

I was somewhat impressed with Bowen - he is a Bush friend, and a repuke, as well, so of course when he was sent there, not many expected him to do his job. He did, probably to the surprise of the people that sent him there. I just finished reading the book "Blood Money", which has a lot about this fiasco in it.

Go Waxman!

[Wilms]

16. K & R n/t

[lebkuchen]

18. The $ belonged to Iraq, so it's okay to lose it?

I don't get what Bremer is saying.

[druidity33]

17. but where's the trial?

I hope we can get indisputable evidence from these hearings, but i doubt it. What can Waxman do next? Does he have the power to hand out indictments? Can he choose a special prosecutor to look into allegations? How long would it take to get these criminals in court?

Just wanting more here... we already know they committed crimes, i want to know what we're going to DO ABOUT IT.

:shrug: