Reconstruction
(AP) - U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq are so beset with daily violence, corruption and poor maintenance that Iraqis will not be capable of managing reconstruction anytime soon, investigators say. The latest audit by the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction found that uncertainty and delays plague a U.S.-led war and rebuilding effort that has already cost nearly $400 billion.
Echoing what U.S. military commanders have acknowledged in recent days, the 210-page report being released Monday found that security remains highly volatile. Rates of attacks are lower, but attacks are more devastating, meaning greater disruption of services and public works. Corruption among Iraqi officials also appeared to be worsening. Iraq's annual financial loss now exceeds $5 billion due to fraud and abuse that "afflicts virtually every Iraqi ministry," according to the report. It cites the ministries of oil, interior and defense as the biggest offenders.
"Persistent attacks on U.S.-funded infrastructure projects and sustainment challenges could jeopardize the completion of projects by their planned end-dates of mid- to late-2008," according to the report. In a cover letter, Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr. said the Iraqi government was assuming more of the financial burden for the recovery effort, but U.S. support "will remain relatively robust for the foreseeable future."
Responding to specific portions of the audit, William Lynch, acting director of the State Department's Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, indicated that it was unfair for investigators to hold the U.S. responsible for several of the cited problems, such as maintenance issues that he said were the Iraqis' responsibility.
Among other findings:
-While targets for training and equipping Iraqi security forces have been achieved, the actual number of forces available at any given time is a concern.
-The actual number of present-for-duty soldiers is about one-half to one-third of the total because of scheduled leave, absence without leave and attrition.
-While the target training 135,000 Iraqi police was met during the quarter, there were problems in getting the police where they were needed.
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On the Net:
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction: http://www.sigir.mil/
Echoing what U.S. military commanders have acknowledged in recent days, the 210-page report being released Monday found that security remains highly volatile. Rates of attacks are lower, but attacks are more devastating, meaning greater disruption of services and public works. Corruption among Iraqi officials also appeared to be worsening. Iraq's annual financial loss now exceeds $5 billion due to fraud and abuse that "afflicts virtually every Iraqi ministry," according to the report. It cites the ministries of oil, interior and defense as the biggest offenders.
"Persistent attacks on U.S.-funded infrastructure projects and sustainment challenges could jeopardize the completion of projects by their planned end-dates of mid- to late-2008," according to the report. In a cover letter, Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr. said the Iraqi government was assuming more of the financial burden for the recovery effort, but U.S. support "will remain relatively robust for the foreseeable future."
Responding to specific portions of the audit, William Lynch, acting director of the State Department's Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, indicated that it was unfair for investigators to hold the U.S. responsible for several of the cited problems, such as maintenance issues that he said were the Iraqis' responsibility.
Among other findings:
-While targets for training and equipping Iraqi security forces have been achieved, the actual number of forces available at any given time is a concern.
-The actual number of present-for-duty soldiers is about one-half to one-third of the total because of scheduled leave, absence without leave and attrition.
-While the target training 135,000 Iraqi police was met during the quarter, there were problems in getting the police where they were needed.
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On the Net:
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction: http://www.sigir.mil/