Saturday, September 01, 2007

U.S. Broadens Fraud Investigations In Iraq

International Herald Tribune

Several U.S. agencies are investigating a widening network of criminal cases involving the purchase and delivery of billions of dollars of weapons, supplies and other materiel 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.

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 FBI, among other agencies.

Over the past year, U.S. oversight agencies have found serious discrepancies in military records about where thousands of weapons intended for Iraqi security forces actually ended up. None of those agencies concluded whether weapons found their way to insurgents or militias.......

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