Inquiry into American Corruption in Iraq

In an earlier posting I had alluded to BILLIONS of dollars that are largely unaccounted for from America's war and reconstruction operations in Iraq since 2003. Then I read this report in the New York Times which seems to indicate there is some effort to uncover details of possibly the biggest case of theft in human history.

Some thoughts:

1. This should be a multi-generation investigation. I'll tell you why. All they have to do is follow mid-to-senior level military officers who retire in the next 40 years, particularly if they leave America's shores to retire somewhere else. As they say in such investigations "follow the money" and in this case, following some of these retirees going overseas will take us to the money. My experience in such investigations is limited to reading Sherlock Holmes (sorry!) and yet, I feel confident if we do a preliminary investigation on those officers who have retired early in the last few years, we will be able to find a lot of American tax-payer money.
2. Here's my rationale for why this investigation should last a long time: Once it comes out that retirees are being followed, many will decide to forgo their plans, leaving the money instead to their children and grand-children. Let's watch them carefully for some time.
3. America's future depends on its ability to hold its officers accountable. Whatever happened to the days when this country could deliver massive and complex projects under-budget and ahead of schedule? The unprovoked war was shameful and criminal in itself. Its execution has been so badly botched that Americans have never been seen so incompetent and so corrupt in this nation's history. Aside from the unimaginable human tragedy brought upon the Iraqi people, George W. Bush' low, low IQ and Don Rumsfeld's high, high arrogance are the two things that have defined this war. And I believe there has been a "Don Rumsfeld" at every rank and level in this war. While we have seen the consequences of their arrogance, we have yet to see the size and scope of their corruption. Purely on a hunch, I believe there are boxes and sacks full of American currency hidden in all sorts of locations in Iraq and Kuwait. There are billions of dollars in off-shore accounts that these officers and contractors from Halliburton, Blackwater, CACI are waiting to retire and start enjoying. I hope we can catch them and make examples out of them. We need a long-term investigation. We must send a clear message that such ill-gotten gains can never be enjoyed. If your ethic is corrupt, no problem, America's Department of Justice will set it right. I must confess, I am not too optimistic about enough upright Americans left in public service to undertake this operation. But I can pray, can't I?
4. American military officers and contractors do not have a monopoly on corruption nor is corruption anything new - but recent levels of corruption in American public life should alarm the daylights out of us. Bringing these criminals to justice and doing so swiftly is necessary or our entire culture could spiral out of control. I hope it's not too late, although sometimes I fear it just may be :(
5. Finally, a silver lining to this cloud. I don't believe there is another nation in this world where an inquiry of this sort was even possible. Which is why I pray that not only may America survive this and prevail in ensuring justice gets done, I hope other nations follow in America's path. Many of you might remember, the long-time Saudi Ambassador to the US was identified as the man who received nearly ONE BILLION DOLLARS in kickbacks. It was all hushed up. Can you imagine what goes on in Saudi Arabia when news of this sort is discovered? I suspect it never comes out. I shudder to think of the sort of crimes that are constantly committed and, if you have the right contacts, you need never fear any consequences. Well, not until you wake up in your graves.

I'm Stumped, Help Me...

In recent years, we have seen Iraqis fight with abandon.

With no care for what became of their own bodies, with no regard to what happens to their families, so many there have embraced suicide bombing and carried out missions that just seem irresistible. It's hard to fight someone who is fighting to die, especially if you are restricted to fighting by a civilized code (Abu Ghraib and others of Messrs Rumsfeld and Cheney's misdeeds aside, on which there will be another post another time).

For a moment, I want to set aside any debate on what inspires or motivates them - whether it's desperation, religion, brain-washing, patriotism, etc. Let's consider that only in the limited context that I am posing the question:

Where were these "brave" men when Saddam ruled over that land with an iron fist for decades? Just where were they? Why was it that whatever is "inspiring" them to "fight with whatever and everything they have" didn't come out against a sadistic ruler who just wouldn't go away, but it flows so easily against an effort to establish a system that gives them more power and a greater say. I have a few theories, but I could be wrong:

1. Good ol' Tribalism - which says something along the lines "he may be wicked and stink, but he's OUR wicked and he's got OUT stench." Our stench is better than a "foreign perfume." Abuse at the hands of someone from MY TRIBE is better than something that benefits me at the hands of a FOREIGNER.
2. Inertia: Yes, this is Uncle Isaac Newton's First Law. People resist change, they accept the old. So maybe Saddam faced some problems in his early days, but the generations that opened their eyes in the world with Saddam as the head, came to accept that as "normal." An attempt to change that even with the promise of something better is change and Newton can't have any of that - not without a fight.
3. Things really were not that bad under Saddam: OK, I am putting this down to prove I am trying to be exhaustive in my brain-storming.
4. People fighting now are those who were privileged under Saddam: Sort of like in Europe, it was harder for the serf class to start a rebellion. So the Kings kept the Lords and Nobles happy and everything was peaceful.
5. Saddam crushed rebels more ruthlessly than Americans and Iraqi government dare: This could be true. There are reporters in Iraq now (how else would we get the video of the Shoe-Attack on President Bush?) and it's not just the official news state anymore. So Saddam could carpet bomb the rebels and bury them with bulldozers, and no one would find out?

Help me, I am confused. Where were the brave men of Iraq when Saddam plundered their land? got into one misadventure after another? Why was it so easy for him to suppress their yearning for self-determination?

Shoe-Attack

A lot has gone wrong in Iraq in the past 6 years.

An American president possibly defined by his lack of curiosity, likely overwhelmed by a mentor and a mentor's mentor (Cheney and Rumsfeld), rushed a 9/11-scarred nation to invading this sovereign nation over flimsy UN resolutions and shameful lies. What a shameful scar on the history of America and what a horrible tragedy for the people of Iraq and humanity! Some experts estimate nearly 1 million Iraqi civilians may have been killed. That's the count of innocent Iraqis, not soldiers, not militia folks, just your average men, women and children.

An uninstigated ought to be sufficient reason for Americans to be ashamed of what their country was doing...but for the thick-skinned, God sent images of Abu Ghraib and reports of rapes by American soldiers. We have yet to figure out how we ensure something like this never happens again.

All of this is so jarring that I shouldn't be able to see any humor in anything associated with Iraq.

Yet, yesterday's shoe-attack on President Bush made me laugh and cry, both simultaneously.

Many things went through my mind all at once:

1. For all that Iraq endured, and I can't even begin to appreciate it, at least the country has gotten to the point where you can hurl your shoes at a VVIP and not immediately face a firing squad. That seems like progress.
2. Then again, maybe he will rot in a dungeon somewhere? So there may not have been much progress after all?
3. You can always count on Muslims doing the most high-risk and stupid thing when charged with emotions. For some reason, we lack the ability to carefully lay out constructive plans with long-term strategies and remain steady on them. I suspect we have the steady-types, it's just that the shoe-attackers and suicide bombers keep making headlines?
4. Does this mean all future presidential press events will require journalists to leave their shoes behind?
5. That was one fast shoe-pitch, if I ever saw one...I mean he didn't merely toss his shoes, he surely meant to hit W!
6. That was some fast ducking and evading by Bush. Then again, as this lady on TV said, he's been practicing evasion and ducking through much of his presidency!
7. On a serious note, there is something wrong about attacking any political leader or head of state like the journalist did. An act like this is all despots need to usurp more freedoms of press. The journalist got to get his frustration out of his system but the cause to which he claims allegiance was not advanced, I would argue it suffered.