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Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton released the following statement concerning today’s Full Committee hearing examining the approaches to audit of reconstruction and support activities in Iraq. Today’s witnesses include David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Thomas Gimble, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense, Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the Department of State, and Stuart Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General of the Department of Defense.
“Welcome to today’s full committee hearing. Today’s witnesses will give us their forthright and honest opinions on how things are going in Iraq. They are here today because being forthright is their job, and honesty and independence are their primary duties. In fact, it is written in law.
“The Inspector General Act of 1978 says that Inspectors General shall be chosen ‘solely on the basis of integrity” and that no one “shall prevent or prohibit the Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation, or from issuing any subpoena.’
“We have two missions to accomplish today. First, we must identify the critical lessons learned from the war in Iraq for today, now, while we are still engaged in the fight. If we are to have any hope of improving our course, we cannot wait 5 years or even 1 year. Gentlemen, we look to you to help this committee understand what has been done right and what has been done wrong in Iraq. If we can do more of what we have done right, and eliminate what we have done wrong, we are bound to be better off. I believe Mr. Bowen told me that he had already visited Iraq 15 times, and I know our other witnesses have been closely monitoring the situation. We need your insights.
“Second, we must identify the lessons learned in Iraq for the future because unfortunately, this government and our military are likely to be asked to engage in reconstruction and rebuilding activities again. Iraq will not be a model that we will ever seek to repeat. Nevertheless, there are failed states and ungoverned areas elsewhere in the world. There will be a next time for some of what we are doing today. We must do better next time.
“My own conclusion is that reconstruction in Iraq can best be described by paraphrasing General Pace’s analysis of the war itself. He said “We are not winning – but we are not losing.” Well the story on reconstruction is that it is not a total failure, but it is not by any means a success.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think a middling outcome in a situation as complex and volatile as Iraq is good enough. I have been told that as much as 20% of the reconstruction funding spent in Iraq to date has been wasted, largely as a result of the lack of security. Gentlemen, if this is true, then somewhere between $4 billion and $6 billion of taxpayer money has been wasted.
“Let me briefly point out the charts along the wall of the committee hearing room. Two of the major areas of reconstruction are displayed. Electricity production. The chart shows that the supply of electricity has increased at times, then fallen again. From start to finish, the chart shows almost no change. Not good enough. Oil Production. The chart shows that oil production has consistently fallen short of our goals and of pre-war production levels over the last few months. Not good enough.
“The charts also show attacks. Steadily increasing. Casualties of Iraqi police and civilians, also increasing. Not good enough. Gentlemen, we must do better.”
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