The Guardian: Iraq corruption 'the second insurgency,' costing $4 billion a year. "The Iraqi government is in danger of being brought down by the wholesale smuggling of the nation's oil and other forms of corruption... Stuart Bowen, who has been in charge of auditing Iraq's faltering reconstruction since 2004, said corruption had reached such levels that it threatened the survival of the state. A US government report has concluded that oil smuggling abetted by corrupt Iraqi officials is netting insurgents $100m a year, helping to make them financially self-sustaining." Blown up oil pipelines mean oil transported by trucks is sold on the black market.

Posted by Laura at December 2, 2006 11:35 AM