Are Lost U.S. Weapons In Enemy Hands?
Last month, a government report revealed the U.S. military could not account for 190,000 -- or 30 percent -- of all weapons issued to Iraqi Security Forces between June 2004 and December 2005.
Thursday, Pentagon officials said $88 billion in spending in Iraq and Afghanistan is now under audit by the Department of Defense for fraud.
Now, in his exclusive report CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian has learned some of those missing weapons have ended up in the worst possible hands.
CBS News has learned that the CIA has photographic evidence that Austrian-made Glocks intended for Iraqi security forces and paid for by U.S. taxpayers are now in the hands of Iraqi insurgents -- in numbers that the intelligence community believes are in the thousands.
According to an intelligence source, the U.S. contractor in charge of the Glocks somehow lost track of an entire shipment. That mysterious disappeance is now part of a massive military bribery investigation centered around a contracting office run out of a small trailer at a military base in Kuwait. Eighteen federal investigators are digging into the actions of dozens of high-ranking U.S officers and military contractors.
Thursday, at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers took aim at what the chairman called "a culture of corruption" surrounding billions in Iraq war contracts, but stopped short of publicly saying where some of the weapons wound up.
"The number of folks who have enormous responsibilty to this country are involved has, I think, made this a real tragedy for our country," says Duncan Hunter, the committee's ranking member.
After the hearing, Keteyian confronted Army Lt. General Ross Thompson, who admitted the Inspector General at the Defense of Department is looking at the CIA's evidence.
"We are going to report tonight that thousands of Glock pistols intended for Iraq security forces instead ended up in the hands of insurgents," says Keteyian. "What is your reaction to that?"
"I don't know that for a fact," Thompson says. "It is something that is being investigated by the DOD IG right now and that's something that is not within my responsibility or my area of expertise to comment on, but it is being actively investigated."
As Congress prepares to send another $2 billion to the Iraq security forces, Dept. of Defense officials testified they are working to find better ways to maintain appropriate accountability and control over military material.
It's small comfort to American soldiers in Iraq who may now be staring down the barrel of guns paid for by the U.S. government.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. Thursday, Pentagon officials said $88 billion in spending in Iraq and Afghanistan is now under audit by the Department of Defense for fraud.
Now, in his exclusive report CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian has learned some of those missing weapons have ended up in the worst possible hands.
CBS News has learned that the CIA has photographic evidence that Austrian-made Glocks intended for Iraqi security forces and paid for by U.S. taxpayers are now in the hands of Iraqi insurgents -- in numbers that the intelligence community believes are in the thousands.
According to an intelligence source, the U.S. contractor in charge of the Glocks somehow lost track of an entire shipment. That mysterious disappeance is now part of a massive military bribery investigation centered around a contracting office run out of a small trailer at a military base in Kuwait. Eighteen federal investigators are digging into the actions of dozens of high-ranking U.S officers and military contractors.
Thursday, at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers took aim at what the chairman called "a culture of corruption" surrounding billions in Iraq war contracts, but stopped short of publicly saying where some of the weapons wound up.
"The number of folks who have enormous responsibilty to this country are involved has, I think, made this a real tragedy for our country," says Duncan Hunter, the committee's ranking member.
After the hearing, Keteyian confronted Army Lt. General Ross Thompson, who admitted the Inspector General at the Defense of Department is looking at the CIA's evidence.
"We are going to report tonight that thousands of Glock pistols intended for Iraq security forces instead ended up in the hands of insurgents," says Keteyian. "What is your reaction to that?"
"I don't know that for a fact," Thompson says. "It is something that is being investigated by the DOD IG right now and that's something that is not within my responsibility or my area of expertise to comment on, but it is being actively investigated."
As Congress prepares to send another $2 billion to the Iraq security forces, Dept. of Defense officials testified they are working to find better ways to maintain appropriate accountability and control over military material.
It's small comfort to American soldiers in Iraq who may now be staring down the barrel of guns paid for by the U.S. government.
"Brigadier General Karl Horst, deputy commander of the 3rd Infantry Division said of private security contractors, %u201CThese guys run loose in this country and do stupid stuff. There%u2019s no authority over them, so you can%u2019t come down on them hard when they escalate force%u2026. They shoot people, and someone else has to deal with the aftermath. It happens all over the place.%u201D Horst tracked contractor conduct for a two month period in Baghdad and documented at least a dozen shootings of Iraqi civilians by contractors, resulting in six Iraqi deaths and the wounding of three others. That is just one General in one area of Iraq in just 60 days."
Those were his first TWO LIES to the nation.
He is not compassionate, as he spends $500 Billion on a needless horrific war based on Lies, gives hundreds of billions in massive tax cuts to the filthy rich, then says $7 Billion per year to help poorer kids get health insurance either costs too much or would take profits away from mega-insurance-corporations (God forbid!)
He is NOT Conservative. Ron Paul is Conservative. Conservatives do not double the national debt to NINE TRILLION Dollars. Conservatives do not go on radical reckless Invasions, Hitler style (you know, based on LIES, FEAR, hyped fake-patriotic fervor, co-opted media that is nothgin more that flag-waving cheerleaders...)
Whoever is responsible needs to go to jail!
Posted by USnotUN at 08:07 PM : Sep 22, 2007
The Shrub !!!
Next time one of our politicians starts spouting off about "gun control", remind him or her about the foolishness of letting government control something as potentially dangerous as firearms.
Hopefully, somebody is going to jail. I''m tired of hearing some crooked politicians tell us that he takes responsibility, and that''s it. Whoever is responsible needs to go to jail!
www.conservativemusiconline.com
My music slaps The Left
Posted by conserva at 04:13 PM : Sep 22, 2007
+ report abuse
You pathetic Fascist, the CHAIRMAN of the committee investigating the missing weapons is a Democrat... if it were left to the fascist there would be no investigation. Now overlooking your stupid LIE about the weapons from Iran what do you say about OUR OWN Government arming the insurgency? No don''t bother, your to fascist to have an answer... sieg heil bush!!
Haliburton planned this war for years so that your tax money would go directly into its pockets.
Source: http://www.4iam.info/Manifesto/lxxii.htm
I know how it is . . . Sometimes one of these guys says something so idiotic you just have to point out the error of their ways. I just wish he''d actually listen and internalize what you said! :)
Posted by socrates392
Yeah, I do understand that. I reported him for it earlier today, but his statement in this ''ad'' just really got me.