US Suspends Iraq Audit of DynCorp ( $1.2 billion security contract)

SF Gate ^ | Oct 23, 2007 | PAULINE JELINEK, AP

[RDTF]

The State Department so badly managed a $1.2 billion contract for Iraqi police training that it can't tell what it got for the money spent, a new report says.

Because of disarray in invoices and records on the project — and because the government is trying to recoup money paid inappropriately to contractor DynCorp International, LLC — auditors have temporarily suspended their effort to review the contract's implementation, said Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Jr.

Bowen had been trying to review a February 2004 contract to DynCorp awarded by the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The company was to provide housing, food, security, facilities, training support, law enforcement staff with various specialties as well as weapons and armor for personnel assigned to the program.

"I guess it's a familiar theme," Bowen said Monday, in that problems have previously been documented with both DynCorp and the agency overseeing the contract.

Although training has been conducted and equipment provided under the contract, the bureau is in the process of trying to organize and validate invoices and does not believe its records accurately show the reasons for most payments that were made, the report said.

"As a result, INL does not know specifically what it received for most of the $1.2 billion in expenditures under its DynCorp contract for the Iraqi Police Training Program," Bowen said in a new 18-page report.

The contract, now in its third year, is to support training programs in Iraq and Afghanistan — to help stand up local forces that can take over from coalition forces and provide for their own security in each nation. Bowen focused on the Iraq program in the new report.

-snip-

[FreePaul]

The State Department so badly managed _____________

Fill in the blank. After all it's the "State Department." Will anyone be fired? No! Those responsible will be promoted as usual.

[Rodm]

And People want the Government to manage Health
Care. They have to be NUTS

[RDTF]

at the rate they are going there will be no contractors providing security

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Kerik will surface in this.....bringing attention to rotorooter.......therefore the veritas interruptus....

[edcoil]

“The State Department so badly managed _____________”

Yes but look at how many want its boss Condi Rice to run for political office.

[snarks_when_bored]

Dyncorp, huh?  Just damn...

In Russia, everybody knows that the oligarchs run things; over here, oligarchs run things, too, but we imagine that they don't (they must laugh about that while flying around the world in their Gulfstreams).

[Allegra]

I just might know a thing or two about this.

All I can say is....it's about time.

[RDTF]

doesn’t seem like the State Dept knows how to take care of those that take care of them

[kipita]

In Russia, everybody knows that the oligarchs run things; over here, oligarchs run things, too, but we imagine that they don't (they must laugh about that while flying around the world in their Gulfstreams).

But in a relative sense, what government's system is better? South and Central America? Africa? Middle East? Asia? Canada?

[FreePaul]

I don’t think that the Secretary Of State has a clue as to what goes on in the daily routine of the department. Should but doesn’t. The department is run by “career” employees who aren’t responsible to anyone. They are in their positions because they are masters of ducking blame for failures and taking credit for successful operations.

[snarks_when_bored]

But in a relative sense, what government's system is better? South and Central America? Africa? Middle East? Asia? Canada?

Your question is broader than my comment: saying that oligarchs run things here is not the same as saying that there's some other place that's run differently or better. Still, it seems fairly clear that there's a difference between the way things here actually stand and the way many of us think (or would like to think) things stand, and that's too bad.

[kipita]

Still, it seems fairly clear that there's a difference between the way things here actually stand and the way many of us think (or would like to think) things stand, and that's too bad.

I tend to agree.

[joebuck]

"Yes but look at how many want its boss Condi Rice to run for political office."

I think the bloom is off that rose. Perhaps the most disappointing part of Bush's second term has been the absolute failure of Condi as Secretary of State.

[Dad2Angels]

Perhaps the most disappointing part of Bush’s second term has been the absolute failure.

There, fixed it.