Audit Finds That U.S. Overpaid Blackwater

[girl gone mad]

Shocking! :sarcasm:

Audit Finds That U.S. Overpaid Blackwater
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124511068419617063.html">Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- A government audit found that the State Department overpaid the contract-security firm once known as Blackwater Worldwide by tens of millions of dollars because the company failed to properly staff its teams in Iraq.

The report didn't identify any specific security breaches, but it said the State Department should have withheld at least $55 million in payments to the company because of the shortfalls.

The audit by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the State Department's Inspector General said the firm didn't employ enough guards, medics, marksmen and dog handlers to fully man the teams, which were responsible for protecting the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and other high-level officials.

The failure to consistently field the right numbers of guards endangered the U.S. officials whom the company was being paid to protect, the report concluded.

"We believe the full manning of protective details is important to the safety of the principal being protected, as well as to the members of the protective details," the audit noted. "Insufficient manning exposed the department to unnecessary risk."

The audit also found that Blackwater, which this year changed its name to Xe, sometimes overcharged for airfare to and from Iraq and failed to properly account for some equipment received from the U.S. government.

[aquart]

1. Yes, if we paid more than a dime.

[ejpoeta]

2. and this is a surprise because....??? what i don't get is this...

how do these companies that blatantly rip off the government and companies like halliburton and KBR that electrocute soldiers and continually provide shoddy work STILL get contracts!! Any company caught ripping off the government or providing less than stellar work should be banned from working with the government. I am sure there are other more competent (although perhaps not in thick with anyone in congress or the white house) that can do the job. probably for less, too..

[BR_Parkway]

3. Breaking: Study finds Oxygen needed for happy, healthy life

I'm sure the audit even understates how badly the company ripped off the taxpayer. Now that they're no longer a US company, can't we suspend contracts or drop a bunker buster on them or something?

[Optical.Catalyst]

4. The International Union of Professional Mercenary's might disagree with this article

After all, Blackwater personnel are professional cowards with no morals that kill innocent civilians for sport.







i guess i should include the sarcasm thingy

:sarcasm:

[Raineyb]

5. We needed an audit to figure this out? n/t

[JohnWxy]

6. all part of the cost of gasoline.