2009-02-16 Missing Iraq billions could be greatest fraud in US history

2009-02-16 Stephen C. Webster The Raw Story \US-Iraq War\Bush-Cheney administration/corruption http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Missing_Iraq_billions_could_be_greatest_0216.html Missing Iraq billions could be &lsquo;greatest fraud in US history&rsquo; Missing Iraq billions could be greatest fraud in US history  The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), the Army's criminal Investigation Command and the Justice Department are investigating US soldiers and officials in the alleged misuse of a portion of the $125 billion initially sent to Iraq for reconstruction shortly after the fall of Saddam.

Monday, The Independent's Iraq correspondent Patrick Cockburn reported the inspectors believe misuse may account for over $50 billion, exceeding the scope of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme and making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."

"In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in 'pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills' to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money," wrote Cockburn. "He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.

"Despite the vast sums expended on rebuilding by the US since 2003, there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline except those at work building a new US embassy and others rusting beside a half-built giant mosque that Saddam was constructing when he was overthrown." Commentary: 2009-02-18 The Iraqi Prisoner - the US-Iraq War was nothing but a huge international version of a very old scam.

&ldquo;Monday, The Independent&rsquo;s Iraq correspondent Patrick Cockburn reported the inspectors believe misuse may account for over $50 billion, exceeding the scope of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme and making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."&rdquo;   