3 December 1007
Theft and corruption are not new in Iraq but as security as improved lawlessness has increased. On the black market one can find nearly everything that the government sells or buys at higher prices. Even schoolbooks stolen from the Ministry of Eduction must be bought from bookstores 3 times higher that the schools charged.
Recently an independent analysis ranked Iraq the third most corrupt country in the world. Out of 180 countries only Somalia and Myanmar were worse. According to American officials “as much as a third of what they spend on Iraqi contracts and grants ends up unaccounted for or stolen, with a portion going to Shiite or Sunni militias.” An additional $18 billion in Iraqi government money has been lost to various stealing schemes since 2004. This corruption is undermining Iraq’s ability to provide essential services to sustain recent security gains. Thru interviews across Baghdad, Iraqis said that widespread thieving has affected them on an emotional and moral level as it’s against the Koran. They feel that the initial looting in Baghdad, following the fall of Saddam Husssein, has tainted them all.
The weak central government in Iraq is doing nothing to curtail the corruption and is often part of it. To join the Police Force, recruits outnumbered positions so a $500 bribe is needed. The going fees are $400-$800. The commanders collect the salaries of those who quit. Do we really want our tax dollars drained away by corruption? American aid items are being sold or traded on the black market. There are no tough laws, no penalties for those who steal.
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