Book: US paid wanted international criminal 60 mill US tax $ for services in Iraq

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/08/book-wanted-cri.html

Book: Wanted Criminal Flew U.S. Supply Missions in Iraq

The U.S. government paid a wanted international criminal roughly $60 million to fly supplies into Iraq in support of the war effort, a new book alleges.

Intelligence officials have considered arms merchant and international trafficker Viktor Bout one of the greatest threats to U.S. interests, in the same league as al Qaeda kingpin Osama bin Laden. Interpol has issued a warrant for his arrest; the United Nations Security Council has restricted his travel.

Yet from 2003 through at least 2005, Pentagon contractors used air cargo companies known to be connected to Bout to fly an estimated 1,000 supply trips into and out of Iraq, according to "Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Plans, and the Man Who Makes War Possible."

...

The deal never came together. But Bout found business with the United States in 2003, flying supplies into newly-invaded Iraq as a subcontractor to U.S. military contractors, including Fluor and Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), the authors say, citing military flight records as evidence. The flights continued even after President Bush signed an order banning Americans from doing business with Bout or his associates, the authors report.

...

Bout didn't just walk away with millions of taxpayer dollars, the authors found. The military issued Bout's pilots supply cards allowing them to gas up their planes for free when landing in Iraq. A Defense Department spokesman confirmed to the authors that Bout's fleet made off with nearly 500,000 gallons of fuel from the Baghdad airport courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

[acmavm]

1. Lovely. NO FRIGGIN' WONDER we don't have money for

children's health insurance and Katrina victims. We're busy enriching the world's worst criminals and liars.