U.S. soldiers indicted in Iraq kickback probe

[brooklynite]

WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors have accused a group of U.S. Army soldiers with taking part in an ambitious scheme to get kickbacks from government contractors hired to help rebuild Iraq, federal officials said Wednesday.

The charges accuse the soldiers, both active duty and reserve, with illegally accepting lavish gifts — including motorcycles, jewelry, expensive cars, military weapons, liquor and cash — in return for rigging government contract bids.

They're charged with pushing the contracts to companies hired for working on nearly 30 construction projects to help rebuild Iraq.

...snip...

The soldiers, including at least one officer, now face charges of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering, the officials said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17025277/

[CoffeeCat]

1. This makes sense...

CNN reported this morning, that many convicted felons have
been admitted into military service. Furthermore, the military
has been taking increased numbers of high-school drop outs and
people with "criminal or moral issues".

Make no mistake. This is no mistake. The perverse band of
neocon psychopaths, needs ignorant criminal minds to pull
off the sick abuses that they have in mind. Educated and
emotionally stable people tend to shine the spotlight on
pathology that BushCo would rather hide.

So...it's really no big surprise that crime is rampant in
Iraq...all kinds of crime.

[shance]

2. What about the real criminals? The Contractors?

They are the ones waving the carrots and bribing the soldiers.

The Government contractors are the ones who need to face the charges, much more than the soldiers.

[classysassy]

4. How

about the criminal that started the war?

[shance]

5. How about the criminals who own and dictate that criminal?

It's like an onion that keeps peeling.

[Breeze54]

3. Why is it always the 'soldiers' that are indicted?

Why is it always the 'soldiers' that are indicted and never the people in charge?

Pretty convenient, if you ask me! I don't know if they're guilty or not but

Bremmer ADMITTED that he was paying 'ghost' contractors!!

Where's his fucking indictment!?!?! :mad: :grr:

[shance]

6. Because my friend, to power abusers like Bremer, they are expendable pieces on the chess board.

n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

7. BREAKING: five indicted in Iraq fraud -- CNN banner

Three former Army Reserve officers and two civilians indicted with conspiracy, money laundering and bribery in probe of alleged fraudelent use of millions of U.S. dollars in Iraq. Watch Justice briefing live on CNN Pipeline now.
Home World U.S. Weather

CNN Home page has JavaScript link to live video of Justice Dept. briefing.

[meegbear]

8. Home World U.S. Weather

well which is it?

[Earth_First]

9. Big fucking deal.

You know something... this is such small potatoes compared to the MUCH bigger picture.

BILLIONS of dollars, palletized, and shrink-wrapped which were flown in on military Blackhawk helicopters straight from the Federal Reserve have gone missing in Iraq by folks who go much higher up the ladder than a few enlisted military personnel.

This is just an attempt to give some semblance of justice in a GOVERNMENT LED (Army) investigation.

It's a dog and pony show.

The media might as well have just ignored this story as they do with much more important pieces.

Fuck this story.

[Old and In the Way]

10. Where'd the 8.8 Billion dollars go?

It got recycled back into the 2004 elections. Takes a lot of money to keep the RNC Syndicate in operation. Ever wonder why they hired so many Republican kids to work in the CPA? Is there a better place to train the next generation of corrupt Republican politicians?

[underpants]

11. Officials Indict 5 in Iraq Contract Scam

NO NOT THEM!

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2856865

WASHINGTON Feb 7, 2007 (AP)— Three Army Reserve officers and a U.S. contractor were indicted Wednesday as part of a bid-rigging scam that steered millions of dollars of Iraq reconstruction projects to a contractor in exchange for cash, luxury cars, jewelry and other pricey goods.

The husband of one of the military officials also was charged with helping to smuggle at least $10,000 into the United States that the couple used to pay for improvements to their New Jersey house.


The indictment says the three officers Col. Curtis G. Whiteford of Utah, Lt. Col. Debra M. Harrison of New Jersey and Lt. Col. Michael B. Wheeler of Wisconsin directed at least $8 million to a construction and services company. In return, they allegedly demanded cash, a Nissan sports car, a Cadillac SUV, real estate, a Breitling watch, business-class plane tickets and other items.

The contractor, identified in the indictment as Seymour Morris Jr., allegedly acted as a go-between for the military officers and the construction company by illegally wiring money and securing the goods. Morris is a U.S. citizen who lived in Romania, and owned and operated a Cyprus-based financial services business.

[youngdem]

12. Must have forgotten to give the Bushco Mafia their cut

[Deep13]

13. The search for a scape-goat has been conpleted. nt

[DU9598]

14. Curious

Does theft of military funds in time of war equate to treason?

[deadparrot]

15. Officials indict 5 in Iraq contract scam

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. Army Reserve officers were indicted Wednesday, accused of taking part in a bid-rigging scam that steered millions of dollars for Iraq reconstruction projects to a contractor in exchange for cash, luxury cars and jewelry.

An American businessman in Romania was charged as the go-between for the military officers and the contractor. The husband of one of the reservists was accused of helping smuggle tens of thousands of dollars into the United States that the couple used to pay for a deck and a hot tub at their New Jersey house.

Together, the five used the $26 billion Iraqi rebuilding fund "as their own personal ATM machines," Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said in announcing the charges.

"These defendants actually took bricks of stolen cash ... and smuggled them out of Iraq and back to the United States for their own personal use," McNulty said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070207/ap_on_go_ot/iraq_contract_bribes

[Glimmer of Hope]

16. Good! I hope to see more of this.

[Auggie]

17. Lock them up and throw away the key

[Joanne98]

18. I love good news! K&R!

[HowHasItComeToThis]

19. THIS "WAR" ALL ABOUT CONTRACTS FOR THE WEAPONEERS AND HANGERS-ON

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: WHAT A SAD DAY FOR AMERICA