Check the dateline: yes, this is a NEW article

Investigators: Millions in Iraq contracts never finished
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
27 Apr 2008
WASHINGTON - Millions of dollars of lucrative Iraq reconstruction contracts were never finished because of excessive delays, poor performance or other factors, including failed projects that are being falsely described by the U.S. government as complete, federal investigators say.

The audit released Sunday by Stuart Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, provides the latest snapshot of an uneven reconstruction effort that has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $100 billion. It also comes as several lawmakers have said they want the Iraqis to pick up more of the cost of reconstruction.

And why can't the Iraqis "pick up more of the cost of reconstruction"?

But administration and military officials say it's not that easy to distribute the money. They contend that Iraq's lack of spending isn't due to laziness or corruption, but rather Baghdad's inability to determine where its money is needed most and how to allocate it efficiently.
[Iraq Looking at Oil Surplus, Big Profits]

At the time I noted that the U.S. seemed to be holding the Iraq to much higher standards than anything WE've been able to meet: "Baghdad's inability to determine where its money is needed most and how to allocate it efficiently" certainly can be NO WORSE than OUR inability!

I'm still waiting for an update on Laura Bush's children's hospital!... no, wait: here it is!

In addition, the audit said many reconstruction projects were being described as complete or otherwise successful when they were not. In one case, the U.S. Agency for International Development contracted with Bechtel Corp. in 2004 to construct a $50 million children's hospital in Basra, only to "essentially terminate" the project in 2006 because of monthslong delays.

But rather than terminate the project, U.S. officials modified the contract to change the scope of the work. As a result, a U.S. database of Iraq reconstruction contracts shows the project as complete "when in fact the hospital was only 35 percent complete when work was stopped," said investigators in describing the practice of "descoping" as frequent.

"De-scoping". Cool. Nice job if you can get it!

Stop the madness!