60 Minutes last night - $8.8 billion lost in Iraq - did anyone watch?

[Beaverhausen]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/09/60minutes/main1302378.shtml
I searched and didn't see any threads about it.

I know we know this but it was good to see some real journalism happening.

**********************************

(CBS) The United States has spent more than a quarter of a trillion dollars during its three years in Iraq, and more than $50 billion of it has gone to private contractors hired to guard bases, drive trucks, feed and shelter the troops and rebuild the country.

It is dangerous work, but much of the $50 billion, which is more than the annual budget of the Department of Homeland Security, has been handed out to companies in Iraq with little or no oversight.

Billions of dollars are unaccounted for, and there are widespread allegations of waste, fraud and war profiteering. So far only one case, the subject of a civil lawsuit that goes to trial this week, has been unsealed. It involves a company called Custer Battles, and as 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft reports, the lawsuit provides a window into the chaos of those early days in Iraq.


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When U.S. troops entered Baghdad in the spring of 2003, there was no electricity, widespread looting and little evidence of postwar planning. With the American military stretched to the limit, the Pentagon set up the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to govern the country under Ambassador Paul Bremer, who began hiring private companies to secure and rebuild the country.

[slor]

1. I am sure that is actually...

a conservative estimate.

[marmar]

2. Absolutely...

Once all the creative accounting is decoded, the actual numbers will be horrifying.

:scared:

[corporate_mike]

20. Yet people don't seem to care at all

where is the outrage?

[Dinger]

3. Maybe That's Why The Release On Cheney's Fuck-Up Was Delayed,

to detract from this devastating news for bu$hCo.

Oh, yes, I did watch it.

[Flubadubya]

4. I sure did watch it...

and as said above, I think what they reported is just the tip of the iceberg. No one is ever held accountable in this corrupt administration. No one!

[Coexist]

5. I missed it - however there was a thread on it somewhere

short, but covered the piece
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=402193

[Beaverhausen]

9. I searched for a thread but that one didn't come up

strange...

[Bozita]

16. The CBS "60 Minutes" transcript is in that thread

[im10ashus]

6. There was an episode on Frontline about that.

I don't understand how there haven't been impeachment hearings yet after watching that. What was the 60 minutes coverage like?

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. Yes. I watched it and I am hoping

MILLIONS of people who didn't know about this were watching too! Those are the people who need to know. Maybe they will wake the hell up to what's going on with this corrupt administration.

[Tracer]

8. That 8.8 billion is only the funds ...

... that are TOTALLY unaccounted for.

The program concentrated on the fraudulent billing done by contractors (Custer, Battles and others).


I believe that the one person in charge of investigating the fraud said that there are at least 50 cases pending.

[Earth_First]

15. I agree

I have heard several numbers involving missing funds in the billions of dollars. I fear that we will never know exactly how much the 'official' number really is.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

10. Very good segment. Part of the Kleptrocracy we are now living in..

and this from the supposed party of fiscal responsibility. Imagine the outcry if this had occurred during the Clinton admin. I've said this before, but the way to attack * is from the right. Go after the corruption & incompetence. Segment on Stem cell research & wounded Iraq troops were good as well. Overall excellent Bush bashing 60 minutes. Nothing like the truth to weed out the lies.

[JanusAscending]

11. The whole show was an eye opener

to millions of viewers that don't bother with cable news!! From beginning to end (including Andy Rooney's "geography lesson" ) was pro-Dem for a change. The story on the Vets by Mike Reynolds was pretty bi-partisan..........'til the last Veteran's interview!!! I thought I had died and gone to Heaven, as there was so much TRUTH coming out for a change. I hope millions of Americans watched it before they tuned in to the Olympics!!! GOOD JOB 60 Minutes!!!:applause:

[Beaverhausen]

12. Right. The stem cell segment was great too.

Glad to know Bush thinks a mass of cells is more important than living, breathing people with diseases.

[JanusAscending]

18. Right on!!

That segment had slipped my mind, as I was listening to it from the kitchen while fixing dinner. Come on guys, lets give this post a few more "KICKS" to greatest page!!You've got one vote from me, and someone else on this thread got a "heart" too!!!!:kick: :hi:

[Kashka-Kat]

13. yep, I was waiting for them to name Halliburton by name

thinking they aren't gonna go that far, to name Dick Cheney's pals. But I'm happy to report that they did!

[Ovett]

17. I missed it, but starting watching CNN presents about

the runup to war but fell asleep. anyone catch that? it looked pretty good, talked about George Tenet's "slam dunk" case for WMD.

[JanusAscending]

19. YEP !

but it was a rerun..........saw it just before the Nov. elections, and I'm sure it contributed to my little Towns' election going Dem. for the first time in 20 years !!! So what does that tell ya???????????? The MEDIA is very important when it comes to making people aware of what's going on. I mean the mainstream media that reaches more homes than Cable news. Only political "junkies" like us are aware of what's REALLY going on in this world !!! ( well, I exaggerate sometimes, give me some leeway K? )

[Rainscents]

14. Yes, I watched too.

ANyone who watched this and didn't know about it before hands, they're in for surprise and will be piss!