So what you're saying is that Bush and his entire staff are
incompetent. Ok. Thanks for the clarification.

"matt colie" wrote in message
...
There are admittedly some differences.
Slick Willy lied to the people of the country based on information he
knew was true. (More than once, remember the testimony of the Arkansas
State Trooper.)
George W. "lie" was based on the best intel available to both us and the
British. That intel has not proved false, it just has not been proven
true to the satisfaction of the press - yet.

Remember to read the entire report - the WMD programs were there and
operational (admitted and proven). The fact that everyone was told they
were having some success was only keep Saddam from killing everyone
involved.

Remember the mobile biolabs that they tried to say were for ag research
and three different experts said they couldn't do what was claimed.

There is still 100kg of enriched uranium (sold to them by the French -
why do you think they wanted the money) that is unaccounted for.

Then there was the DC9 airframe about 15km northeast of Bagdad where
people were trained to take over airliners in fight.

If I can't trust someone, my relationship end right there.



Jonathan Ganz wrote:
Yeah, Clinton lied about a blow job. Bush lied about WMDs.
I guess you got us there.

"matt colie" wrote in message
...

Boy,
Makes you really wish we had someone as honest a Bill Clinton back in
office.
NOT

Bobsprit wrote:


Iraq's interim trade ministry is investigating alleged corruption of up

to

$US40 million by members of the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority

and

senior ministry officials.

Trade minister Ali Allawi says he discovered a month ago that a
contract

for

wooden doors worth about $US80 million had been manipulated.

"I think a third of it was stolen," he said, specifically estimating

that

"probably around 30, 40 million" disappeared.

Mr Allawi said the allegations mainly involve "contract manipulation
and

...

contract prioritisation" which he has asked a prosecutor to
investigate.

"There is strong evidence ... of the implication of certain
individuals,
senior management who have since been asked to leave, together with,
unfortunately, figures in the CPA," said Mr Allawi, who returned from

his

job as a London investment banker to take up his post in September.

He said a few "key individuals" were under investigation.

"If the evidence is confirmed then obviously I'll bring charges," he

said.

The CPA could not immediately comment on the case.

Mr Allawi said Paul Bremer, who heads the CPA, has asked each ministry

to

appoint an inspector general.

"So this investigation might be passed on to him or her," the minister

said.

It is not the first time post-war contracts in Iraq have come under
scrutiny.

The Middle East Economic Survey predicted earlier that it was

increasingly

unlikely Iraq's new mobile telephone service would be in place by
year's

end

because of a Pentagon investigation into allegations of corruption in

the

awarding of the three licences.

Iraq's interim telecommunications minister, Haydar al-Abadi, said the
corruption allegations were "a naked lie" exposed by the fact that he

signed

the licences last week and the companies were testing their networks.

He said neither the Pentagon nor any other agency had asked his
ministry
questions about the mobile phone deals.

"There is no such inquiry," he said.

In October, the British charity Christian Aid alleged $US4 billion in

oil

revenues and other Iraqi funds earmarked for the country's

reconstruction

had disappeared into "opaque" bank accounts administered by the CPA.

Mr Bremer rejected those allegations and said all funds were being
spent

or

transferred in a "completely transparent" way.

Mr Allawi said the latest allegations ran counter to the mentality he

was

trying to instill within his department.

"We are trying as much as possible to instill a culture of resisting
corruption," he said.

The ministry is organising a public forum to create a non-governmental
organisation that would combat the problem.

Once the watchdog has elected its own secretariat, the ministry will
withdraw from the body, Mr Allawi said.

-- AFP