Think Progress

‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’

By Amanda Terkel on Feb 15th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’

Federal auditors today told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the government has wasted $10 billion on “overpriced contracts or undocumented costs.” Of that amount, more than $2.7 billion were charged by Halliburton. The Government Accountability Office warned that “the problem could worsen,” given “limited improvement so far by the Department of Defense.”

UPDATE: Watch video highlights of the hearing HERE.

Comments
28

28 Responses to “‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’”

ken melvin says:

Every cent spent on the Iraq invasion was wasted.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
RUCerious says:

Every share of Halliburton stock should be diluted by half, and the value transferred to the US Treasury.
Bastards!
February 15th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Ken says:

Some months before the war Halliburton was given a high security clearance by the administration (three guesses who was behind that). Then when they needed to get companies in on the war effort, the administration demanded that any company had to have a security clearance.Again, (three guesses) who was the only company with a security clearance? Also in the news just before the war was notices that Halliburton was having income problems (no problem today of course). Ever hear the term “the fix is in”?
February 15th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Abby says:

Now you know why we fight: There IS no business like the war business.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
RUCerious says:

OK Spudge, you get to call the %. What’s fair dilute to 1/4000 th. I’m up for it!
February 15th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
JerryTheAngel says:

Of course it’s important to get to the bottom of the corrupt war profiteers and ultimately if the Congress does their job right, they will send these crooks to prison.

BUT: Every single day, our brave troops are dying and it’s because the President nor the Congress is calling for their IMMEDIATE withdrawl. Soldiers that have died in the last year and everyone that will die in the future, the President and the Congress are responsible now. Not just the President, but also the Congress.

ALL OF YOU IMMORAL SCUMBAGS are accessories to the murder of our brave troops. It was clear over a year ago, that the Iraqi’s were expected to standup and fight as our soldiers went home. Stop worrying about what the American people think about cutting off funding. Take the only moral position there is to take and that is to bring them home NOW. Not 6 months from now, not a year from now. IMMEDIATELY.

The War Criminal Bush doesn’t care that 70 percent of America doesn’t want to escalate this war. Why should the Congress care about politics when our soldiers are being murdered every single day? Both Bush and the Congress make me sick to my stomach.

It’s very simple: Only allocate funds that will be used to bring our troops home NOW. If Bush doesn’t allow those funds to be used for that specific purpose, then HE IS THE ONE abandoning our troops, not the Congress.

If the American people are too stupid to grasp this simple and moral solution (it’s possible, they did elect and then re-elect this war criminal)then so be it. But stop worrying about your GD jobs and get our troops out of that civil war NOW.

Because we are at a point now in the war, where the Congress is just as responsible as Bush is, if they don’t MAN UP and bring our troops home immediately.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
ForTruth says:

It went to pay for the massive asbestos liability when Halliburten took on Dresser industries. We paid for private business liabilities. Just sayin’
February 15th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
ForTruth says:

Abby you are correct. What better way to get people to just throw money at you, with little question or oversight, than to say its for the war. And if people don’t want to pay, they are ridiculed as being un-American. Its the perfect manipulation.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Wayne says:

Contrary to Cheney’s claims, he is still finacially tied to Halliburton.

from a 2003 article:

(CBS/AP) A report by the Congressional Research Service undermines Vice President Dick Cheney’s denial of a continuing relationship with Halliburton Co., the energy company he once led, Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Thursday.

The “no bid” open end contracts were pushed through by Cheney, you can bet on it.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
RUCerious says:

anybody care to join a class action suit to pay for all the repairs to our LyingBastardometers?
February 15th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
just some girl says:

as bush said yesterday, “money trumps peace sometimes.”
February 15th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Krazny says:

Sadly, given the overall cost of this war, 3 billion is chump change.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
GodfryDaniel says:

Good thing it isn’t real money.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
jimbo says:

CORRUPTED

HEALTHCARE
DEFENSE
ALL THE WONDERFUL SERVICES WE DESPERATELY NEED

yes……………….

C
H
R
I
S
T
M
A
S

MONEY……………….. )

REBUILDING CORRUPTED
NEW ORLEANS CORRUPTED
THAT HORRIBLE HURRICANE

we are here to help thanks to michael brown

CHRISTMAS MONEY :)

and now iraq is totally corrupted soon to be iran

MY COMMISSION IS JUST 5%
JUST A INNOCENT LITTLE FIB
WE ARE MEAN AND RUTHLESS

isn’t bush known to raise state tax 1/4% in texas to leech

when oh when is Cheney and Bush and all his cronies
going to pay for their crimes or is it enron all over again :)
(the the next 2 years + 50 years – 200 years in debt

just give it a chance to work – 5 years is nothin

lining pockets of lenders
alas… the middle class ALWAYS PAYS
for the leeches :)
bush/cheney/buddies are all political leeches :)
February 15th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
marcus robinson says:

Welfare I say, pure welfare. Cheney and Bush are getting rich!!!
February 15th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
RUCerious says:

Howza bout we bring back all those Military Occupational Specialties like truck driver and cook, and shitcan this privatized military model.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
jimbo says:

you know in the 1970’s i heard all about the

anticorruption

didn’t quite understand nixon

35 years later……..

corruption is alive and well :)

with some other swindles……..

109th

monday – wake up, hit corp’s to get my fill
tuesday – final business with lobbyists just 24 hours left :)
wednesday – get to work after lobby dinner
wednesday – midnight’s comin, dracula comin
thursday- good old boys… vote opens till 400am :)
thursday – votes totally RIGGED :) …
thursday – crash 7am
thursday – back home hang out with good old buddy boys enron, etc.. etc.
friday thru sunday…. time to line my pockets again for rigged vote

4 friggin years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oops it was 8 years
February 15th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Willy says:

As usual, Republicans have no fiscal discipline. Spend, spend, spend, or I should say: waste, waste, waste.
February 15th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Raymond Funamoto says:

“Round and round the Halliburton bench
CHIMPya chased the Cheney,
CHIMPya thought ’twas all in fun!
POP! WENT THE MONEY!!!!!

A TRILLION FOR THE WAR IN Iraq,
A TRILLION FOR Bush’s cronies,
THAT’S THE WAY TAXPAYERS’ MONEY GOES!!!!!
POP! WENT THE MONEY!!!!!
February 15th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Karim says:

So much for fiscal responsibility.
February 15th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
barnavy says:

Yaaaaaaaaaay! Maybe Halliburton is planning to use the funds for the next natural disaster recovery relief in the U.S.! Oh, wait they can’t. They have to make sure the x-board member that got them the contract is rewarded well for his cheritable contribution. Such nice, nice people

Stepping back, I can’t imagine how much that would have helped New Orleans recover had that fraudulent money been spent there, towards a good cause.
February 15th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
big papa says:

I’d say they’ve underquoted the waste, fraud and graft…

…by at least $400 billion…

…but then, who’s counting?
February 15th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
jimbo says:

#24

dude… who’s counting…. :)
the loan officiers :)
the lenders
bush’s cronies
dracula’s buddies
ceo’s

d
u
d
e

ceo’s…….

we are the ones who get ALL these desperately needed services

and get shafted snake oil

you get half and WE get 1/2

we get services like defense in iraq from the best governement

$
$

can buy…. while of course there’s a slight administration fee only
of about 400%……….. + 200 – 300% in interest

enough to

P
U
K
E

:)
February 15th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Liberal in New Mexico says:

Freeze the money, claim the profits, get the dollars back and destroy that GD company for good. -Just make it look like an “accident”.
February 15th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
jimbo says:

oh, but i forgot………

READ MY LIPS………….

TAXES ARE TOO HIGH AND WILL NOT BE INCREASED

TAXES ARE LOWER THAN ANYTIME IN HISTORY

WILL HURT ECONOMY,

GO SHOPPING MORE

YUP…. THE SECRET MEETING WITH FRB ONLY A 1% COMMISSION

JOHNNY KNOW JACKIE WHO KNOWS SANDRA

HAHAHAHAHA

i believe that gets the point accross regarding all the
wonderful services we all desperately need
February 15th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Larry from C says:

Make no mistake: This war/occupation is a Tax increase. Its a totally unnecessary expense paid for by the American taxpayer (funded in part by China).
February 15th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Fedup says:

…and we want to escalate and give even more money to Cheney’s Halliburton because of why???????

IMPEACH Bush and Cheney to show the rest of the world that some rational sane minds in the United States think this is NOT OKAY OR MORAL!!!!!!!
February 15th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Lee says:

and Smirky just keeps on smirking…
February 15th, 2007 at 10:19 pm

‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’

‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’

28 Responses to “‘Billions already wasted in Iraq, billions more could be.’”

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