
WASHINGTON, July 18, 2008
Could D.C. Bribery Have Cost Troop Lives?
Exclusive: In Finding How IED Targeting Went Awry, Investigator Found Trail Of Gifts And Earmarks
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Lives Lost Over Earmarks?
When Congress earmarked millions of dollars to dismantle IED networks in Iraq, the incompetence of the private contractor allegedly led to the deaths of many U.S. soldiers. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Eye To Eye: IED Earmarks
"Only On The Web": Sharyl Attkisson speaks with Maj. Eric Egland about allegations that Congressional earmarks meant to curb IED networks were mismanaged, leading to the loss of American lives.
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This frame grab shows U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq. CBS News looks at how Congressional earmarks may have put troops' lives in danger. (CBS)
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Intelligence officer Maj. Eric Egland was in charge of finding out why roadside bomb casualties continued to soar in Iraq when Congress was pouring tens of millions of dollars into contract to keep troops safe. He exclusively shares what he found with CBS News. (CBS)
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Congress poured in tens of millions of dollars to a company called MZM - but deaths and injuries continued to soar, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports for Follow the Money.
It was the job of intelligence officer Maj. Eric Egland to find out why.
"It was my job to do a field evaluation of this program," Egland said.
In an exclusive interview, Egland told us he discovered stunning lapses on the part of MZM, which only hird a third of the employees they were paid for
"What you're hoping for is fewer IED injuries; more IEDs targeted and found?" Attkisson asked.
"Yeah, help the combat units go after the networks that are using IEDs against us," Egland said.
But what really was happening?
"The capability that was being funded was given an unqualified contractor, who failed at even the most basic level to provide the right people, the right resources and the right capability to help our troops deal with the No. 1 threat in Iraq," Egland said.
With American lives at stake, Egland couldn't imagine how a company like MZM got such a crucial contract. His next assignment took him to a place where he could find the answer: The Pentagon.
There, Egland did some digging and found MZM had gotten millions in Defense contracts - courtesy of Rep. Duke Cunningham, R-Calif., in the form of earmarks, grants of money without the normal public review.
As member of the House Intelligence Committee, Cunningham was able to keep the earmarks even more secret than most by making them "classified."
"It was not a merit-based process. It was based on sneaking a large contract to a company that had given millions of dollars in bribes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions to powerful members of Congress," Egland said.
That's right. To get the sweetheart deals, MZM owner Mitchell Wade had bribed Congressman Cunningham with the "Buoy Toy" yacht, vehicles, antiques, jewelry, cash and fancy property - details revealed when both were prosecuted in a wide-ranging corruption scandal.
The pieces came together when Cunningham and Wade were prosecuted in a wide-ranging bribery scandal. Egland is convinced that the classified earmarks didn't just waste your tax dollars - they cost American lives.
"People died because of this program being done the way it was?" Attkisson asked.
"I really believe so. Absolutely," Egland said. "I mean the troops wanted to target these networks. But without this critical capability, that was given to unqualified people, they weren't able to."
He says the real shame is it could happen again. Today, there's nothing to stop members of Congress from making secret, classified earmarks to favored companies.Read more from Sharyl Attkisson on this story at Couric & Co.
"Nothing that has changed would preclude this from happening again," he said.
Taxpayers bore the cost, but Egland says the price that soldiers paid was even higher.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Read more from Sharyl Attkisson on this story at Couric & Co.



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R-Calif.
You people need to follow up on these stories when you start them. What else happen with this case?
Sounds like the whining republican legislatures that talk about the need to cut spending and increase efficiency. Staffing decreases, work load increases but where does the savings goes? Straight to the pockets of these antisocial azzholes.
"People died because of this program being done the way it was?" Attkisson asked.
"I really believe so. Absolutely," Egland said. "I mean the troops wanted to target these networks. But without this critical capability, that was given to unqualified people, they weren''t able to."
There is an antisocial patient on the ward....he can whine and cry just like Duke did when caught. They don''t care if people die for their greed. Sociopaths don''t care, and sociopaths are running this country...running it into ruin.
1. This scumbag, Cunningham (R-CA), needs to be tried for the additional charge of treason.
2. Someone in Congress needs to wake up, go through these so-called classified earmarks, find out if the work these contracts represent is being done and if so correctly?!
3. Between under supplying troops at the start of the war; lack of bullets, bulletproof vests, MRAPs, sticking them in dilapidated buildings while waiting for medical care, denying them medical care, trying to charge them for care, getting them to buy insurance they didn''t need, having them involuntarily serve additional tours, extending tours, and now endangering their lives by putting contract work in the hands of incompetents, this administration has completely and uttering FAILED to conduct this war in ANYTHING that approaches what could be deemed a reasonable and acceptable manner!
4. As time goes on, it becomes clearer that the real purpose this war was started---was to make a ''fast buck'' by Bush, Cheney, and assorted Republicans in Congress at the expense of the lives of our troops, Iraqi citizens, world peace, and the vitality of the U.S. economy!
5. May God grant them and their supporters their just rewards!
They are the real murderers.
Posted by ron4691 at 07:38 PM : Jul 18, 2008
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My response:
1. Excellent points!
2. The number who believe lynching or public mandated justice is appropriate, is growing each day!
3. When those in the justice system fail to enforce the law against ALL uniformly and without prejudice, then you don''t really HAVE a justice system at all anymore!
4. Three (3) above being the case, the citizenry is no longer under ANY obligation to abide by the law. And may attempt to re-establish government, law, and the social order as best they can.
5. Agreed. There are many who need to have justice applied to them for their crimes!
They are the real murderers.
Posted by Neo267 at 08:10 PM : Jul 18, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bush apologists regularly hold our troops up like a shield while they hide behind them using distortions, subterfuge, and outright lies as their sword.
They have nothing else to fight with or use in defense of the Iraq fiasco, not to mention a total lack of moral character and/or integrity.
I am so near tears that it is unspeakable -- The offences he is in prison for were so shocking several years ago .... when your hero falls on his own sword is bad enough all by itself! And now, to learn that his actions are directly responsible for so much pain, suffering and loss of lives.
The other day I suggested to you that politicians should be charged and punished for their crimes.
Suddenly, I feel Cunningham should be charged as an accessory to murder and given the death sentence. We damned surely did not send him to Vietnam in a defective Phantom!
Additional charges could be "War Crimes", " Crimes Against Humanity", misappropriation of funds, money laundering, blatant theft, Aiding and Abetting the Enemy, Treason.
Are there "civilian" law violations regarding this situation ? As a retired military officer, is this punishable under the UCMJ by the military ?
I am just so over-whelmed by this - I wish I could puke. This is far beyond despicable!
George Campbell
This surprises who?
http://www.hoovers.com/mvm/--ID__41271--/free-co-profile.xhtml
Only 13% of the Colonies'' population were active in the revolt against England.
Their motivation for such Evil Doings???.....$$$$$$$$
It''s the Sole and Singular Driving Force of Scumbag Politicians from BOTH Parties, and no amount of Phone Calls, E-Mails, or pleading of any sort will keep them from Robbing the American Public Blind.
It''s time to Dump the Entire Bunch and Start Over.
It''s the ONLY Answer.
Support responsible government: Lynch a politician!
Hideous? Yes!
Criminal? You Betcha?
Immoral? Oh Yah!
Surprising? No, just the usual garden variety, daily business in our government.
Posted by mttunes
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Dear Madam or Sir,
Please believe that I say this with all respect and deep understanding for your anguish around your son.
However, the truth is that "trading lives for cash" has been going on for as long as there have been politicians.
I got my "enlightenment" around this in a little place called Viet Nam. And one of the biggest lessons of that era was that we simply could not afford naivete''.
Tragically, we may have to re-learn that lesson. Perhaps every generation needs to re-learn it..
Regards.
They are the real murderers.
Posted by Neo267 at 08:10 PM : Jul 18, 2008
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My response:
1. I''ve read some pretty disgusting, cowardly, loathsome, callous, two-faced lying, propagandist neocon drivel on this board, but YOU ''take the freaking cake'', my friend!
2. The REASON they use IEDs is that it allows them to effectively kill multiple targets while not getting caught! And, it reduces their own casualty level.
3. Clowns like you sit at home making these obscene comments, cheering on Bush''s death machine, blaming anyone who ''won''t go along'' with your idiocy, while the reality is you wouldn''t lift a finger to protect America if it were necessary!
4. Thanks, I was leaning in the direction of not voting because I don''t like either candidate, but after reading your post I''m re-considering. With idiot scum like you loose in America, the rest of us have to see that you don''t get in positions of authority where you do nothing but DAMAGE!
For the love of one''s country is a terrible thing.
It banishes fear with the speed of a flame,
And it makes us all part of the patriot game.
My name is O''Hanlon, and I''ve just turned sixteen.
My home is in Monaghan, and where I was weaned
I learned all my life cruel England''s to blame,
So now I am part of the patriot game.
This Ireland of ours has too long been half free.
Six counties lie under John Bull''s tyranny.
But still De Valera is greatly to blame
For shirking his part in the Patriot game.
They told me how Connolly was shot in his chair,
His wounds from the fighting all bloody and bare.
His fine body twisted, all battered and lame
They soon made me part of the patriot game.
It''s nearly two years since I wandered away
With the local battalion of the bold IRA,
For I read of our heroes, and wanted the same
To play out my part in the patriot game.
I don''t mind a bit if I shoot down police
They are lackeys for war never guardians of peace
AND YET AT DESERTERS I''M NEVER LET AIM
THE REBELS WHO SOLD OUT THE PATRIOTS GAME
AND NOW AS I LIE HERE, MY BODY ALL HOLES
I THINK OF THOSE TRAITORS WHO BARGAINED IN SOULS
AND I WISH THAT MY RIFLE HAD GIVEN THE
TO THOSE QUISLINGS WHO SOLD OUT THE PATRIOTS GAME
Which is exactly what Bush is doing. I can''t imagine the length of this weasels upcoming presidential pardon list. We''ve been scammed and there''s nothing we can do about it. The best we can hope for is to make sure this never happens again by sticking a hot poker up our legislators a$$es... although I''d really just prefer a neocon hunting license to show them how liberals defend their country. All for one and one for all... it''s fiction I know... but for some silly reason I can''t explain, I still believe in America. Call me a pu$$y, call me a liberal, but I''m really a brokenhearted Republican.
Hideous? Yes!
Criminal? You Betcha?
Immoral? Oh Yah!
Surprising? No, just the usual garden variety, daily business in our government.
________________________________________
Posted by hadenough43
That%u2019s the saddest part of all this; people accept this as %u2018business as usual%u2019. Our country is being passed from party to party, robbed of its wealth, its brave young men and women who go into the military to serve their country are dieing because of uncontrolled greed. People, our kids are dieing because of these crooks.
Politicians protect their own, and don%u2019t bite the hands that feed them.
The Presidency of the United States of America is for sale for the cost of a Pepsi Cola add campaign and we%u2019re still buying it. Do you expect this to stop because of angry E-Mails?
One of the lessons of the break-up of the USSR that we all seem to have missed: It''s better to ask ''What the Hell is going on?'' than ''What the Hell happened?"
Our media seems to have missed it too.
Bad Government has Real consequences! Ask a German about that.
Support Responsible Government: Lynch a Politician!
Posted by hotpaulie at 09:48 PM : Jul 18, 2008
We can hope, But the Repugs own all the Swiftboats. so nothing surprises me
and the second to the last line should read:
"I wish that my rifle had given the same"
I''m not surprised at all by this CBS story. It''s a very old one with me. Just the latest version. It''s also very much older than me.
Posted by netadmin1
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The good ole'' US of A
Posted by netadmin1
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Thank you, same here
Posted by netadmin1 at 10:26 PM : Jul 18, 2008
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My response:
1. I respectfully disagree with you about this, netadmin1! It''s very much a partisan issue in this case.
2. Cunningham, the republican, took advantage of the war to profit off it. The war started by Bush and Cheney, who''s primary motivation appears to be war profiteering! Done through the issuance of no-bid contracts. There appears to be many ''CONS involved. How many Democrats have been involved in Iraq war profiteering? Uh-huh. It''s very partisan, it''s GOP!
3. I agree with you on your final point. A party whose sole purpose is too loot then destroy government and another party that won''t act to protect it or the public, is simply untenable!
Posted by netadmin1
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I couldn''t agree more. "On the take" is not restricted to party lines.
Posted by HarpoBarx at 10:52 PM : Jul 18, 2008
I do not support the current plan in Iraq and still find this statement quite foolish!
Posted by hadenough43 at 11:17 PM : Jul 18, 2008
Sounds like a good start. We need honesty and integrity in all aspects of government.
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