FLASHBACK: 109th Congress Tried To Defund Iraq Watchdog, Transfer Authority To Krongard
FLASHBACK: 109th Congress Tried To Defund Iraq Watchdog, Transfer Authority To Krongard
Congress created the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) “to provide oversight of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) and all obligations, expenditures, and revenues associated with reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in Iraq.”
SIGIR Stuart Bowen has provided an independent check on President Bush’s Iraq efforts, concluding that the administration’s post-war planning “was insufficient in both scope and implementation.” Last year, he reported that over $8.8 billion in funds meant for Iraq reconstruction could not be accounted for.
Not surprisingly, Bowen’s assessments have frustrated the Bush administration, which called them “too negative.” In 2006, the White House persuaded its conservative allies in the House Armed Services Committee, then led by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), to terminate the SIGIR position on Oct. 1, 2007. As Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone points out, oversight responsibility would have been transferred to embattled State Department IG Howard Krongard. The New York Times reported:
The idea, [committee spokesman] Mr. Holly said, was simply to return to a non-wartime footing in which inspectors general in the State Department, the Pentagon and elsewhere would investigate American programs overseas. The definite termination date was also seen as helpful for planning future oversight efforts from Bush administration agencies, he said.
The House Oversight Committee is currently investigating allegations that Krongard blocked investigations into fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in Iraq, working to “support the Bush Administration” rather than “act as an independent and objective check.” Because of this investigation, Krongard has now “recused himself from the State Department’s two main internal investigations in Iraq.”
Luckily, in Dec. 2006, Congress voted to restore Bowen’s tenure.
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Not surprisingly, Bowen’s assessments have frustrated the Bush administration, which called them “too negative.â€
Truth doesn’t matter.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:05 amThis situation requires immediate impeachment of Pres. Bush and VP Cheney, by Democrats and Republicans, in the House and Senate. Any members of Congress who fail to vote for impeachment are traitors to the US Constitution > PERIOD.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:12 amThe definite termination date was also seen as helpful for planning future oversight efforts from Bush administration agencies, he said.
iran? …
November 17th, 2007 at 11:20 amWe have literally seen a disciplined attempt to destroy government in the United States. The Bush administration has attempted, with a great degree of success, to dismantle every control or safeguard upon the operation of administrative agencies and programs. At the same time, the Bush administration has installed incompetent administrators or industry puppets to run key regulatory agencies (EPA, FEMA,OSHA, and so forth.)
Bush does not believe in government. Neither does the Republican party. They do believe in turning governmental functions into a profit center for favored corporate interests. The lack of oversight and accountability permits the transfer of wealth from public coffers to a new wealthy aristocracy.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:24 amAt every turn this administration and its supporters have tried to overturn the rule of law. In many ways they have succeeded. The Bush administration and its supporters are profoundly un-American.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:25 amThis Tommy Gun administration just keeps shooting out wrong-doing and abuses of power, etc., etc., on a daily basis and all the old ones are shoved back and soon forgotten for the new headline. Waxman holds hearings and what comes out of them? Not much. Forget about impeachment, it isn’t going to happen. All we can do is wait for January 2009 when George goes crawling back to Crawford.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:40 amSo they found 8.8 billion dollars that is unaccounted for. And what have they done about it? Has anyone been fired? Has any company that ripped off the taxpayer been punished? Has anyone been made to reimburse the government for ripping them off. No you say? Thought so.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:50 amTawdry > Bush could declare martial law, and refuse to leave office in 2009, so impeachment has to be done before he can circumvent the Congress.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:50 amOne other question. Why are the “fiscally conservative” Republicans OK with 8.8 billion dollars going “poof”?
November 17th, 2007 at 11:52 amCongress was not gung-ho about impeaching Nixon, but after Richard realized he would be impeached he resigned instead. Same has to be done for George Bush Junior. Bush Senior will go ballistic, but who cares!
November 17th, 2007 at 11:54 ambilbobaggins > perhaps some of those Republicans got a cut of some of that money. Americans have a right to know if any members of Congress have secret offshore bank accounts. Revealing that would be grounds for immediate removal and prison terms as well.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:56 ambilbobaggins: Those same “conservatives” are willing and ready to vote for the pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-gay rights, pro-stem cell research candidate Rudy Guiliani I guess we will need to adjust our lucky-number GOP programs. “Poof” goes all those wedge issues that conservatives used for years.
November 17th, 2007 at 12:04 pmHas any company that ripped off the taxpayer been punished?
Comment by bilbobaggins — November 17, 2007 @ 11:50 am
The Bush administration’s lack of interest in recovering stolen funds is one of the great scandals of the war. The White House has failed to litigate a single case against a contractor under the False Claims Act and has not sued anybody for breach of contract. In nearly five years of some of the worst graft and looting in American history, the administration has recovered less than $6 million.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:27 pmThis is a remarkable example of how the system works: sympathetic operatives in Congress (Hunter, et. al.) working to shift “oversight” responsiblity to a hack like Krongard — all beneath a belligerent stream of patriotic and militaristic rhetoric.
“Badger” is right: the enabling of fraud by the Bush administration is breathtaking in its scope. Corruption and a steady flow of dollars — and the missing $8-9 billion is just one tributary — is the fuel that drives this machine.
It’s only possible because of the devisive political movement Rove, Abramoff, Gingrich et. al. sponsored: when you can scream that any opposing voice is treasonous, and demand “fair and balanced” media coverage, then you can always rely on a loyal 28% to believe the crap you put out, and accuse anyone calling for accountability of defeatism.
Meanwhile, the cash machine just keeps pumping deficit-funded gravy.
Waxman deserves credit, from anyone who really cares about our country, for putting some of these bastards’ feet to the fire. We just need to remember that corruption doesn’t stop at the Republican party door. Let’s remember to hold a place for John Murtha and his pals at the supeona bar.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:52 pmKrongard’s going down the tubes. When will this level of inhouse corruption end? Have we no one in the Bush administration that is honest?? Every last one of them is turning out to be criminal frauds. What the hell is going on? I guess when the top of the heap is a corrupt liar, then it stands to reason that these tactics filter their way down to the bottom of the barrel as well…..a massive, necrotic, dank barrel of smut & corruption.
November 17th, 2007 at 5:56 pmI challenge any Repuke to find me just one individual either in the GOP aisle of congress or this administration who is not a sick, twisted fraud.
November 17th, 2007 at 5:57 pmBadger: Remember when Rummy announced the missing money in Iraq? How much was that? And what is the status of that missing money? I guess it can be found where that missing nuke is located….Cheney’s bunker.
November 17th, 2007 at 5:58 pm“… Cheney’s bunker.”
Comment by Veritas — November 17, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
Cheney’s “bunker”??? That’s a new way of saying it.
As in the usage, “Hey, kiss my bunker”!!!!
November 17th, 2007 at 9:01 pm