A US agency that has exposed corruption and mismanagement in Iraq reconstruction efforts will be shut down next year, the New York Times reported yesterday on its Web site.
A little-noticed provision in a recent military spending bill signed by US President George W. Bush will close the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction in October 2007, the Times said.
The move will end an operation that has embarrassed the US government at times by exposing corruption and poor performance among favored contractors such as Halliburton and Parsons for the reconstruction contracts worth billions of US dollars.
The provision was inserted at the last minute into a large military authorization bill by Republicans in the US Congress.
"It has generated surprise and some outrage among lawmakers, who say they had no idea it was in the final legislation," the Times said.
The Office of the Special Inspector General has 55 auditors and inspectors in Iraq, according to the newspaper.
A number of its reports have exposed the poor performance of US companies involved in reconstruction work and one pointed out that the US military did not keep track of hundreds of thousands of weapons it provided to Iraq's military and police.
Earlier this week, the agency issued a report saying that violence, corruption and bureaucratic red tape were hindering Iraq's reconstruction effort.
"The deteriorating security situation across Iraq continues to impede progress in the reconstruction program, causing project delays, preventing travel to many sites, increasing security costs and endangering contractors' lives," the agency said in a quarterly report.
"Sabotage of Iraq's infrastructure, particularly in the electricity sector, hindered reconstruction efforts this quarter," Iraq Inspector General Stuart Bowen wrote.
Heavy rain and strong winds yesterday disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancelations were still widespread after airport authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease later yesterday, after it paused operations at Wellington, Napier and Palmerston North airports. Online images showed flooded semi-rural neighborhoods, inundated homes, trees fallen on vehicles and collapsed
FRAYED: Strains between the US-European ties have ruptured allies’ trust in Washington, but with time, that could be rebuilt, the Michigan governor said China is providing crucial support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and could end the war with a phone call, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said. “China could call [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow and cut off his dual-purpose technologies that they’re selling,” Whitaker said during a Friday panel at the Munich Security Conference. “China could stop buying Russian oil and gas.” “You know, this war is being completely enabled by China,” the US envoy added. Beijing and Moscow have forged an even tighter partnership since the start of the war, and Russia relies on China for critical parts
In a softly lit Shanghai bar, graduate student Helen Zhao stretched out both wrists to have her pulse taken — the first step to ordering the house special, a bespoke “health” cocktail based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). “TCM bars” have popped up in several cities across China, epitomizing what the country’s stressed-out, time-poor youth refer to as “punk wellness,” or “wrecking yourself while saving yourself.” At Shanghai’s Niang Qing, a TCM doctor in a white coat diagnoses customers’ physical conditions based on the pulse readings, before a mixologist crafts custom drinks incorporating the herbs and roots prescribed for their ailments.
Two sitting Philippine senators have been identified as “coperpetrators” in former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), documents released by prosecutors showed. Philippine senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go are among eight current and former officials named in a document dated Feb. 13 and posted to the court’s Web site. ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs.” “Duterte and his coperpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals in the Philippines
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