Iraq War misappropriations refers to allegations that billions of dollars have not been properly accounted for or misappropriated during the Iraq War from funds released by the United States Congress for programmes, including the re-construction and re-building of Iraq, after the war. Gag orders from the United States Department of Justice/White House are preventing further inquiry into the allegations.
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The United States Department of Justice has 900 cases of alleged fraud by contractors to investigate.[1] The Defense Contract Audit Agency similarly has uncovered $10 billion in questionable Iraq contracts[1] and a US audit found that the occupation authority lost track of reconstruction funds totalling nearly $9 billion.[2]
Henry Waxman, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives committee on oversight and government reform, said: "The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is just so outrageous, it's egregious. It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history."[3]
In an October 2007 article, two Vanity Fair authors examined the fate of $12 billion in U.S. currency which was transported from the Federal Reserve to Baghdad in April 2003 and June 2004, where it was dispensed by the Coalition Provisional Authority. They concluded that of this sum "at least $9 billion has gone missing".[4]
BBC television program Panorama (9 June 2008) investigated claims that "as much as $23bn (£11.75bn) may have been lost, stolen or not properly accounted for in Iraq.[5] Panorama used US and Iraqi government sources to research how much some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding.[5]
Dispatches: Iraq's Missing Billions, produced by Guardian Films, was broadcast on United Kingdom's Channel 4 at 8 p.m. on March 20, 2006.[6]
$12 billion or more per month is currently being spent in Iraq with little accountability or oversight.[1]
It has been alleged that there may also have been some "immunized foreign contractors" involved in this scandal.[7] US gagging orders are currently preventing discussion of the allegations. The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.[8]
At the start of the Iraq war, the United Nations awarded $23 billion of Iraq money to the US-coalition to re-develop Iraq.[6] Around $12 billion was flown to Iraq in cash, in $100 notes, because of the collapse of the banking system.