Defense Auditors Can’t Keep Up
Thanks to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the privatization of the military and the surge in defense spending since 9/11, individual Pentagon auditors now have to keep track of more than three times as much money as they did 10 years ago. Because of limited resources, the Defense Department inspector general revealed in a recent report, about half of the military's $316 billion weapons budget went under the radar last year.Thanks to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the privatization of the military and the surge in defense spending since 9/11, individual Pentagon auditors now have to keep track of more than three times as much money as they did 10 years ago. Because of limited resources, the Defense Department inspector general revealed in a recent report, about half of the military’s $316 billion weapons budget went under the radar last year.
That’s a recipe for “fraud, waste and … abuse,” warns the IG.
Get Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer’s take on defense spending here.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AP via Google:
WASHINGTON — Pentagon auditors say billions of dollars in military spending is going unchecked because they are having trouble keeping pace with the ever-expanding defense budget and combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a recent report, the Defense Department inspector general estimates that nearly half of the military’s $316 billion weapons budget went unchecked last year because the IG’s office lacked the manpower. Whereas 10 years ago when a single auditor would have reviewed some $642 million in defense contracts, individual investigators are now charged with auditing more than $2 billion in spending.
The IG also has been stretching its staff to investigate corruption and fraud cases overseas, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan where the military is hiring contractors to help run operations.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Courts & Law
The impact of junk science in criminal cases is well known, yet family courts continue to allow a disputed psychological theory to persist with little scrutiny.
ProPublica obtained police reports and call logs from more than two-thirds of the shelters housing immigrant children. Here’s what they show.
"Roxy died due to medical negligence by U.S. immigration authorities," a statement from immigrant rights groups says. "Why incarcerate and torture her like this?"
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.