GAO - White House Claims On Iraq Reconstruction 'Without Merit'

By Cernig

This should surprise nobody.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the figures touted by the Bush administration showing economic progress in Iraq were without merit.

A GAO report issued Tuesday said the Iraqi Finance Ministry spent 4.4 percent of its reconstruction budget by August 2007 in contrast to Bush administration figures from July 2007 that suggested Iraqi spent 24 percent of its $10 billion reconstruction budget, The New York Times said Wednesday.

The Bush administration used figures that combined real expenses, suggested programs and contracts still under negotiation at the time the Bush administration figures were released.

Not a small matter this one - a 20% difference between actual and claimed spending is the difference between hopeful reconstruction efforts and almost none. Or if you prefer it Bush administration style, the White House hyped the actual efforts of the Iraqi government towards reconstruction by over 700%. Which is pretty much the White House standard when it comes to optimism on Iraq.

Perhaps it might occur to some in the media that if the Bush administration will hype Iraq's reconstruction this way, they'll also play fast and loose with other figures too. Like those on the economy, or global warming, or social security, or...you get the idea. There isn't a single damn thing comes out of this administration that is trustable on faith. They have no credibility, having burned it all up a long time since along with the credibility of their trusting supporters.