Pentagon Reports on Iraq's Military Are Suspect, Audit Says

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ay4FOo.CFt8U&refer=home

Pentagon Reports on Iraq's Military Are Suspect, Audit Says

By Tony Capaccio

April 25 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. public and lawmakers should be skeptical of the Pentagon's quarterly reports on Iraq's progress toward building a viable military and police force, according to a new audit.

The reports from the Defense Department are based on data supplied by the Iraqi government that hasn't been fully vetted by the U.S. military and is unreliable, according to the Special Inspector General For Iraq Reconstruction, Stuart Bowen.

There are ``uncertainties,'' for example, ``about the true number'' of Iraqi military and police personnel on active duty or in training, Bowen wrote. ``A substantial number of personnel still on the payroll are not available for duty for various reasons, such as being on leave, absent without leave, injured or killed,'' he said.

Congress since 2003 has approved about $20.4 billion for training Iraqi Security Forces. Their readiness to take over missions from the U.S. affects the pace of U.S. withdrawals beyond the five combat brigades to be removed by July under the plan endorsed this month by President George W. Bush.

[Mountainman]

1. I would like to know the number if individuals who shared in the billions we have paid for this mess

and the average share of the money they got. Also what did we get for our money.

Those billions were spent on thousands I would guess.

[angstlessk]

2. aren't they called ghost soldier or something? someone is collecting their paychecks

and their name is on the role but no warm body anywhere???