The Nation: Corruption the Norm in Iraqi Gov't
USG Reports Al-Maliki has Impeded investigations
The Nation has gotten hold of a secret USG report that says that profound corruption is the norm in the Iraqi government. The intrepid David Corn writes:
' according to the working draft of a secret document prepared by the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the Maliki government has failed in one significant area: corruption. Maliki's government is "not capable of even rudimentary enforcement of anticorruption laws," the report says, and, perhaps worse, the report notes that Maliki's office has impeded investigations of fraud and crime within the government.
The draft--over 70 pages long--was obtained by The Nation, and it reviews the work (or attempted work) of the Commission on Public Integrity (CPI), an independent Iraqi institution, and other anticorruption agencies within the Iraqi government. Labeled "SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED/Not for distribution to personnel outside of the US Embassy in Baghdad," the study details a situation in which there is little, if any, prosecution of government theft and sleaze. Moreover, it concludes that corruption is "the norm in many ministries."
The report depicts the Iraqi government as riddled with corruption and criminals-and beyond the reach of anticorruption investigators. It also maintains that the extensive corruption within the Iraqi government has strategic consequences by decreasing public support for the U.S.-backed government and by providing a source of funding for Iraqi insurgents and militias.'
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 8/30/2007 10:11:00 AM
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4 Comments:
Well then, obviously the Maliki government is a beacon of democracy and freedom for the whole world. Their inability or disinterest in "even rudimentary enforcement of anticorruption laws" only demonstrates the degree to which they are successfully able to follow the example of the United States.
Perhaps they even exceed the Bush Administration since they apparently lock up and torture whistleblowers who try to expose the corruption while in Washington they are merely relegated to toilet-cleaning duty and studiously ignored.
Maybe this will convince the right-wing think tanks to back Maliki and stop campaigning for an Allawi coup. Now that theft and corruption rule the day, we should declare victory since the true goals of the invasion have been realized.
Greed has seemed like the the primary motive in Iraq since the invasion in 2003. Greed and corruption most likely pervaded the government, including the security forces. Iraqi's standing up to greed and corruption was probably nearly impossible.
However now Iraqi's are starting to step forward, sometimes at considerably danger to themselves, and saying corruption is funding the insurgents. For example McClatchy had a recent article titled "Iraqi insurgents taking cut of US rebuilding money" (link below).
The criticism is publicly directed at US military contracting practices, however it's also implied that the same criticism can be made of al-Maliki's government. The article quoted Sheikh Ali Hatem Ali Suleiman who is the deputy or acting leader of the the largest and most powerful tribe in Anbar province called the "Dulaim". The Sheikh said "U.S. federal rebuilding funds indirectly fund Iraqi insurgent groups such as al Qaeda in Iraq" McClatchy reported the payments by the US military were "in return for the insurgents' allowing supplies to move and construction work to begin."
Iraqi contractors, politicians and interpreters involved with reconstruction efforts said "these payments have taken place since the earliest projects in 2003." Therefore the message is becoming very clear - Iraqi's are increasingly fed up with corruption and bribes and the message is clear that both al-Maliki's government and US forces need to improve.
The tide seems to be changing for reform and fighting corruption, starting with al-Maliki. However US military contracting practices are clearly starting to endanger the mission as well and WE need to speak out about that.
Link - "Iraqi insurgents taking cut of U.S. rebuilding money":
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/19232.html
Juan Cole's Informed Comment: The Nation: Corruption the Norm in Iraqi Gov't
Da' Buffalo's Comment: The Nation: Corruption the Norm in U.S. Gov't
Why don't we bash Mexico for the "Mordida" ("The Bite", graft), while we're at it.
It's always 'someone else, somewhere else'... and I ain't buyin'.
It's the way business is done in many places around the world. Much like a 'local' sales tax might function in a more regulated, centralized (read authoritarian if you like...) society.
Stop placing the blame elsewhere.
It is not constructive.
Hey! How about those quarter million missing AKs with a Bosnian air shipper/Rusian mobster working for the Pentagon even after he was sanctioned by U.S. State for his DRC 'antics'. He worked for the taliban as well. Nice!
...And the 20,000 Glock pistols turning up all over Turkey (Could the Pentagon be trying to destabilize Turkish society to draw their intel/other resources away from the the Kurdish region of Iraq? ... We do REALLY want them to stay out of it don't we?)
The Glocks were DIRECTLY connected to the CPA et al.)
No bribery or corruption involved there!
Gimme a break!
“…….Commission on Public Integrity (CPI), an independent Iraqi institution, and other anticorruption agencies within the Iraqi government……..”
Amazing that Iraqi even bother with these commissions. I mean, you can get blown to dust when you walk out of your house, get kidnapped and tortured, live without electricity or water and watch your family members getting raped or beaten at gunpoint by teenaged foreign soldier with pimpled face. Hell, why these dumb Iraqi wasting time on investigating corruption, why have not all joined resistance first, demanding independence and foreign troupes withdrawal. Why have they not setup a Commission to publish secret but not classified reports about occupation coalition corruption in Iraq and expose it to the world. First and foremost why not set up a dozen commissions to investigate on going and past war crimes and crimes against humanity, genocides, forced exiles and the likes. Who care about Iraqi government corruption that is basically sharing percentage with the higher ups, the occupying landlords.
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