Channel 4 Dispatches - Iraq's Missing Billions

Channel 4: Dispatches Iraq's Missing Billions ---UK television ---Channel 4, Programme: 'Dispatches' ---Original broadcast: Monday 20th March, 2006 ---48 minutes " In a joint TV investigation with Channel 4's Dispatches Programme and GuardianFilms, Dr Ali Fadhil, a 29 year old Iraqi doctor, investigates what has happened to billions of dollars worth of Iraqi money which was put into the care of the US led coalition to be spent for the benefit of Iraqi people on the reconstruction of their country. He uncovers a shocking story of fraud incompetence and corruption, unscrupulous foreign contractors who made millions from dodgy contracts, and literally billions of dollars which cannot be properly accounted for. And at the same time he visits the people who are paying the price of broken Coalition promises to rebuild Iraq. The people struggling without power or clean water. The doctors and nurses in hospitals without basic drugs and equipment. The parents who lose their newborn children as a consequence of those shortages. " http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianfilms/story/0,,1732634,00.html -------------- Thanks to IntnsRed for the upload. The following are his comments: "As if the illegal Iraq war wasn't unjust enough, we learn that our taxes, that should be funding the rebuilding of Iraq are in fact disappearing into the pockets of corrupt contractors and officials. Dispatches travels to America to reveal a trail of fraud, corruption and incompetence that has left billions of dollars unaccounted for and deprived Iraq of its desperately-needed investment. With Iraqi society descending into civil war, The program investigates what has happened to the 23 billion dollars entrusted to the British and American coalition for the rebuilding of Iraq. Reporter Ali Fadhil, an Iraqi doctor and journalist, examines whether the coalition has kept its reconstruction promises: to restore basic services such as electricity and water and build new schools and medical clinics. Focusing on the state of the health system, Ali uses his medical expertise to investigate what has been achieved at a pediatric and maternity hospital that was promised a refit worth millions of dollars; but that before its opening is plagued with problems from leaking sewage to ant infestations in hospital operating rooms. Overall, the film documents another prime example of the war crimes committed against Iraq by the US (and other) governments -- in this case the crime of outright theft. (It's no wonder the US/UK is losing the war.) Watch this video and then ponder 2 questions: Is it any wonder the Iraqis oppose the occupation of their country? And how "moral" is it for the Bush regime to blame Iraqis for the US/UK failure to rebuild the country the US/UK destroyed by invading it?" -------------- See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1522983,00.html