Iraq Scams, Another Downed Chopper and Other News

   From BBC:

Five charged over US Iraq 'scam'

The group are alleged to have run the scam for two years

A US court has charged three reserve army officers and two civilians with using millions of dollars of Iraq reconstruction money for personal gain.

The group are accused of directing at least $8m (£4m) to a construction firm run by a US businessman in return for luxuries such as cars and jewellery.

The officers were responsible for supervising how some $26bn was spent on reconstruction projects in Iraq.

One man has already been jailed and another awaits sentence over the scam.

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BBC:

US helicopter crash kills seven

The US military has lost dozens of helicopters over Iraq

A US Sea Knight helicopter has gone down near Baghdad, killing all seven crewmembers and passengers on board, the US military has said.

It said the cause of the crash - the fifth such incident this year - was being investigated.

It come three days after the US said ground fire apparently caused the four previous helicopter losses, which claimed 20 lives.

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BBC

Bremer quizzed over cash for Iraq

The former head of the US-led civilian administration in Iraq has defended his decision to send billions of dollars in cash to Baghdad in 2003 and 2004.

Paul Bremer told a Congressional committee investigating allegations of waste and fraud that he had done his best to kick-start Iraq's economy.

The funds came from Iraqi oil revenue and previously frozen assets.

Much of the money went missing and critics say there was no system to track how it was used.

 

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