Pentagon's Failure to Handle Iraq's Money Harms America's Reputation (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Sara Sorcher of the National Journal reports the Department of Defense cannot account for some $2 billion given to it by the government of Iraq to pay bills on contracts awarded in 2003 and 2004. Auditors claim poor record-keeping led to the inability to track the money, while others insist that acceptable efforts were made and that the money made it to the appropriate recipients.

The article reports the Iraqi government is upset over the news and might begin seeking compensation. American contractors are allegedly being hassled within Iraq, and the U.S. embassy is reporting "meager" supplies due to supply convoys being harassed or detained.

If the local population of Iraq did little to support the U.S.-led coalition in their nation-building efforts after the 2003 invasion, how will the population affected by America's next nation-building spree react to the news the Pentagon cannot handle their money well? The U.S., once held in high esteem for its use of the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe after World War II, now looks incompetent and callous. Iraq, after all, was not a wealthy nation that could easily afford to have $2 billion go unaccounted for.

Without the goodwill of the people that comes from genuine respect and admiration, the U.S. will have to fight more wars as an aggressor rather than a liberator. While this is not necessarily a problem (personally, I feel that many problems come from trying to fight wars on the cheap and play "liberator" rather than righteous avenger), it will force drastic changes to the U.S. foreign policy playbook. Changes we would rather not have to make because they limit options

I would prefer Washington have the option of being a money-savvy liberator when it wishes to be. Now, with losing track of Iraq's hard-earned money, it is unlikely that people will accept the "we come in peace to free you and rebuild your country" explanation. Being callous with people's money seems more like a practice of 18th-century Britain, from which we declared our independence, than a practice of the nation that famously rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120130/pl_ac/10902821_pentagons_failure_to_handle_iraqs_money_harms_americas_reputation

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