Missing Iraq Money As High As $18 Billion: Iraqi Parliament Speaker

Al Jazeera English:

Osama al-Nujaifi, the Iraqi parliament speaker, has told Al Jazeera that the amount of Iraqi money unaccounted for by the US is $18.7bn - three times more than the reported $6.6bn.

Just before departing for a visit to the US, al-Nujaifi said that he has received a report this week based on information from US and Iraqi auditors that the amount of money withdrawn from a fund from Iraqi oil proceeds, but unaccounted for, is much more than the $6.6bn reported missing last week.

Read the whole story: Al Jazeera English

Comments

[alpi57]

07:26 PM on 06/21/2011

It's not missing. Just ask Halliburton, KBR, SAIC and Balckwater. They'll tell you where it is.

[dsa1115]

06:00 PM on 06/21/2011

After billions and billions of dollars fighting in Iraq, we take out a bunch of incredibly corrupt leaders, and now we've got a bunch of new incredibly corrupt leaders. Yeah that makes a lot of sense doesn't it?

[banker67]

04:38 PM on 06/21/2011

Taylor Says The Money's in NY

John Taylor, former undersecretary of the Treasury from 2001 to 2005, wrote a NY Times op-ed piece in 2007 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/opinion/27taylor.html?pagewanted=1 ) that all the billions flown in bails to Iraq at Bush's order were carefully guarded and handed out with the utmost care. He says everyone kept meticulous records and, he notes:
"As a result, billions in cash accumulated in the vaults of the central bank. Later, with American help, the Iraqi central bank deposited these billions at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where they could earn interest." (Thanks to Huffpost poster 'Voter' for the URL)

So what's Waxman upset about? Don't tell me they don't provide deposit receipts at the NY Federal Reserve Bank. And what kind of interest have they earned so far?

How can Bush appointee Taylor boast so triumphantly that the entire cash-and-carry operation was a brilliant success when Waxman says the Pentagon and the Bush boys can't account for the lost billions. Either Taylor & Co., have the deposit slip or they don't.

Shouldn't exactly be boson research to find out if the money's still in the NY account. Check the inside pocket of Taylor's suit jacket for starters.

Any thoughts on this apparent multi-billion-dollar disagreement?

[Andman0121]

03:38 PM on 06/21/2011

Get.Us.Out.Of.There.NOW.

[Jebus Chris]

03:17 PM on 06/21/2011

And average everyday Americans just bend over an take with out so much as a peep.

Americans deserve what ever the government does, because we just put up with it.

[pcplz]

01:33 PM on 06/21/2011

It boggles the imagination that there were no receipts or any accounting at all for this $$. Can you imagine if you kept household accounts that way? The IRS would have a blast. As a matter of fact....just have a couple of IRS agents start looking into it.....

[Safire]

01:18 PM on 06/21/2011

Look no further than Bremer, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bush! This is old news.

I also find it interesting how they just reported 6.6B missing, when back in the early days of the war the money was being squandered at the tune of much more. This was published in the UK. I am not surprised that the Bush-adoring so-called journalists did not say a word about it. This is a national shame. They STOLE the money. I believe this scandal will get much bigger, given that they have squashed it since 2005!

Here is the link that takes you directly to the article I am quoting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/07/iraq.features11

[pcplz]

01:25 PM on 06/21/2011

follow the $$$$$ you are right on.....look no further!

[bluereality909]

01:15 PM on 06/21/2011

As an American I feel Bush and Cheney need to be held responcible for this missing money.

Those in charge rarely are held accountable and only pass the blame down the chain of command.

In this instance, it should be directed at the very top and let them do the hard work of finding the truth or be charged for their neglect of responcibility.

Why these two hugely wealthy men live off of taxpayer pensions and healthcare is a crime upon itself. This country needs to address reform and a means test of our wealthy politicians and any other wealthy individual collecting such benefits.

[Safire]

01:10 PM on 06/21/2011

"The "financial irregularities" described in audit reports carried out by agencies of the American government and auditors working for the international community collectively give a detailed insight into the mentality of the American occupation authorities and the way they operated. Truckloads of dollars were handed out for which neither they nor the recipients felt they had to be accountable.

The auditors have so far referred more than a hundred contracts, involving billions of dollars paid to American personnel and corporations, for investigation and possible criminal prosecution. They have also discovered that $8.8bn that passed through the new Iraqi government ministries in Baghdad while Bremer was in charge is unaccounted for, with little prospect of finding out where it has gone. A further $3.4bn appropriated by Congress for Iraqi development has since been siphoned off to finance "security".

www.guardi­an.co.uk

[Whinger]

01:08 PM on 06/21/2011

Bonnie and Clyde eat your heart out, talk about easy money!

[Safire]

01:07 PM on 06/21/2011

They have known about this for a long time! Check out the date on this article. 2005!

"So, Mr Bremer, where did all the money go? | World news | The Guardian
Jul 7, 2005 ... When Paul Bremer, the American pro consul in Baghdad until June last year, arrived in Iraq soon after the official end of hostilities, ..."

www.guardian.co.uk [Found on Google, Bing]

[gorgol]

12:35 PM on 06/21/2011

Remember this is ONLY Iraqi OIL money missing...add that to US TAXPAYER money missing in this war..and we're probably talking a few TRILLION....what was this war about??? Oil and more Transfer of Wealth to the Wealthy..Period.

[keramos]

12:34 PM on 06/21/2011

WOW!  This is bigger than ACORN.  Where's Rep CarThief Issa and his staff of sleuths?

[VOTER]

11:54 AM on 06/21/2011

The IRS, with the Justice Department standing by, should audit everyone in the
Bush Administration, including trust accounts in the names of their family members.
Toss in the "Bush/Cheney Contractor Friends" and the IRS will strike gold.......
enough to pay back to Iraq their money and pay off the debt for each of the 50 states.

[fgbouman]

11:19 AM on 06/21/2011

Whoever has it had better spend it quick before it turns into toilet paper.