lily
02-24-2007, 03:03 AM
Link (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-29-missing-weapons_x.htm)
Thousands of U.S. weapons in Iraq missing
WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of weapons the United States has provided
Iraqi security forces cannot be accounted for and spare parts and repair
manuals are unavailable for many others, a new report to Congress says.
ON DEADLINE: Read the report, guess where the weapons went
The report, prepared at the request of the chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., also found that major
challenges remain that put at risk the Defense Department's goal of
strengthening Iraqi security forces by transferring all logistics operations
to the defense ministry by the end of 2007.
A spokesman for Warner said the senator read the report over the
weekend in preparation for a meeting Tuesday with Stuart W. Bowen Jr., the
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
Warner, who requested the report in May, "believes it is essential
that Congress and the American people continue to be kept informed by the
inspector general on the equipping and logistical capabilities of the Iraqi
army and security forces, since these represent an important component of
overall readiness," said Warner spokesman John Ullyot.
The inspector general's office released its report Sunday in a series
of three audits finding that:
.Nearly one of every 25 weapons the military bought for Iraqi security
forces is missing. Many others cannot be repaired because parts or technical
manuals are lacking.
."Significant challenges remain that put at risk" the U.S. military's
goal of strengthening Iraqi security forces by transferring all logistics
operations to the defense ministry by the end of 2007.
."The unstable security environment in Iraq touches every aspect" of
the Provincial Reconstruction Team program, in which U.S. government experts
help Iraqis develop regional governmental institutions.
The Pentagon cannot account for 14,030 weapons - almost 4% of the
semiautomatic pistols, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled
grenade launchers and other weapons it began supplying to Iraq since the end
of 2003.
The missing weapons will not be tracked easily: The Defense Department
registered the serial numbers of only about 10,000 of the 370,251 weapons it
provided - less than 3%.
Missing from the Defense Department's inventory books were 13,180
semiautomatic pistols, 751 assault rifles and 99 machine guns.
The audit on logistics capabilities said there is a "significant risk"
that the Iraqi interior ministry "will not be capable of assuming and
sustaining logistics support for the Iraqi local and national police forces
in the near term." That support includes equipment maintenance,
transportation of people and gear and health resources for soldiers and
police.
The audit on Provincial Reconstruction Teams said that, because of
security issues, they "have varying degrees of ability to carry out their
missions." Auditors reviewed nine teams and four satellite offices and found
"4 were generally able, 4 were somewhat able, 3 were less able and 2 were
generally unable" to accomplish their goals.
Thousands of U.S. weapons in Iraq missing
WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of weapons the United States has provided
Iraqi security forces cannot be accounted for and spare parts and repair
manuals are unavailable for many others, a new report to Congress says.
ON DEADLINE: Read the report, guess where the weapons went
The report, prepared at the request of the chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., also found that major
challenges remain that put at risk the Defense Department's goal of
strengthening Iraqi security forces by transferring all logistics operations
to the defense ministry by the end of 2007.
A spokesman for Warner said the senator read the report over the
weekend in preparation for a meeting Tuesday with Stuart W. Bowen Jr., the
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
Warner, who requested the report in May, "believes it is essential
that Congress and the American people continue to be kept informed by the
inspector general on the equipping and logistical capabilities of the Iraqi
army and security forces, since these represent an important component of
overall readiness," said Warner spokesman John Ullyot.
The inspector general's office released its report Sunday in a series
of three audits finding that:
.Nearly one of every 25 weapons the military bought for Iraqi security
forces is missing. Many others cannot be repaired because parts or technical
manuals are lacking.
."Significant challenges remain that put at risk" the U.S. military's
goal of strengthening Iraqi security forces by transferring all logistics
operations to the defense ministry by the end of 2007.
."The unstable security environment in Iraq touches every aspect" of
the Provincial Reconstruction Team program, in which U.S. government experts
help Iraqis develop regional governmental institutions.
The Pentagon cannot account for 14,030 weapons - almost 4% of the
semiautomatic pistols, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled
grenade launchers and other weapons it began supplying to Iraq since the end
of 2003.
The missing weapons will not be tracked easily: The Defense Department
registered the serial numbers of only about 10,000 of the 370,251 weapons it
provided - less than 3%.
Missing from the Defense Department's inventory books were 13,180
semiautomatic pistols, 751 assault rifles and 99 machine guns.
The audit on logistics capabilities said there is a "significant risk"
that the Iraqi interior ministry "will not be capable of assuming and
sustaining logistics support for the Iraqi local and national police forces
in the near term." That support includes equipment maintenance,
transportation of people and gear and health resources for soldiers and
police.
The audit on Provincial Reconstruction Teams said that, because of
security issues, they "have varying degrees of ability to carry out their
missions." Auditors reviewed nine teams and four satellite offices and found
"4 were generally able, 4 were somewhat able, 3 were less able and 2 were
generally unable" to accomplish their goals.