From: "Rich Gauszka" 

Can't be embarrassed if you fire the auditor

 http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2006/11/2736_midnight_rider.htmlM
idnight Rider Terminates Iraq Reconstruction WatchdogSecreted into a
military authorization bill that was signed by the presidenttwo weeks ago
is a provision that will shutter the Office of the SpecialInspector General
for Iraq Reconstruction effective October 1, 2007. Theoffice, headed by
former White House official Stuart W. Bowen Jr., wasestablished in October
2004 to investigate the potential fraud and abuse ofreconstruction funds.
Since then it has filed one explosive report afteranother, revealing, most
recently, that the military could not account forhundreds of thousands of
weapons it provided to Iraqi security forces.Perhaps Bowen's agency did its
job a little too well.The New York Times reports:  Susan Collins, a Maine
Republican who followed the bill closely aschairwoman of the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and GovernmentAffairs, says that she still
does not know how the provision made its wayinto what is called the
conference report, which reconciles differencesbetween House and Senate
versions of a bill.  Neither the House nor the Senate version contained
such a terminationclause before the conference, all involved agree. 
"It's truly a mystery to me," Ms. Collins said.It's no longer a
mystery. According to the Times, the provision was placedin the bill by
Congressional staffers working for Duncan Hunter, thechairman of the House
Armed Services Committee (who recently announced he'srunning for president
in 2008)."I just can't see how one can look at this change without
believing it'spolitical," Rep. Henry Waxman told the
Times.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6114132.stmA US government agency
that has exposed corruption in Iraqi reconstructionprojects will close in
2007.Washington lawmakers have reacted with shock at the discovery that
anobscure clause in a military spending bill will terminate the work of
theauditor.The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction hasembarrassed the US administration with its reports on
corrupt practices.Critics of the government claim this is what lies behind
its sudden closure.Dogged investigatorUnder the direction of Special
Inspector General Stuart Bowen, the Officeemploys 55 auditors and
inspectors.His office has detailed successes among the many reconstruction
projects,such as in the rebuilding of infrastructure essential for
transport andeducation.However, critics of President George W Bush's Iraq
policy seized on theauditor's conclusion that the overall $20bn (œ11.5bn)
reconstruction effortwas being hampered by inefficiency as well as attacks
by insurgents.The auditor recently reported that a subsidiary of
Halliburton, the largestUS civilian contractor in Iraq, had withheld
information from US officials.

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5