p>Ongoing reports of administration incompetence in the Iraqi reconstruction effort continue to boggle the mind. From the New York Times:

A new audit of American financial practices in Iraq has uncovered irregularities including millions of reconstruction dollars stuffed casually into footlockers and filing cabinets, an American soldier in the Philippines who gambled away cash belonging to Iraq, and three Iraqis who plunged to their deaths in a rebuilt hospital elevator that had been improperly certified as safe.

This type of stuff is stupefying. There are a lot of us who are willing to give the President due credit where appropriate in the war formerly known as on terror, and who are in agreement that a Saddam-free world is a better place.

But somehow, it grows increasingly apparent that nobody of influence in the administration ever asked the question, "OK, now Saddam's gone, what now?"

More amazing, it's not as if the US has no experience in rebuilding countries. And now of all times, this type of incompetence and bungling when not outright corruption is something we can ill afford.

The Carpetbagger gives Bowen kudos for the work he's been doing.

When the White House tapped Bowen for the job in January 2004, Bush critics were deeply disappointed — Bowen was widely recognized as a close Bush ally, so few expected him to be thorough and aggressive.

The critics were wrong.

As Bush confidants go, Bowen was in tight. He was a senior member of Bush's gubernatorial campaign team in 1994, he served alongside Alberto Gonzales in Bush's office in Austin, and during the Florida recount debacle in 2000, it was Bowen who spent 35 days in the state, serving as deputy counsel to the Bush transition team. From there, Bowen was an associate counsel in Bush's White House before becoming a powerful DC lobbyist. For Dems hoping for a strong, independent voice to exercise real oversight of Iraqi reconstruction, Bowen's resume offered little encouragement.

And yet, as the NYT report makes clear, Bowen has not only taken his job as inspector general seriously, he's been the leading figure in exposing fraud and corruption. The Wall Street Journal reported in July that Bowen "has become one of the most prominent and credible critics of how the administration has handled the occupation of Iraq," and considering his record, it's a more-than-fair description. The guy even took on Halliburton.

Other voices:

Sarah Ellen Parsons

This is NOT just routine levels of mismanagement, so I don't want to hear excuses about the scale of the project. The Marshall Plan was administered effectively. This is fraud and theft on ENRON levels.

Politics Defined

Iraqi oil production fell by 8% last year, calling into question the nation's ability to support itself and fund reconstruction efforts as U.S. assistance is scaled back.

Also see:

Cherkoee Sage Woman

Huffington Post

Nevada Thunder

Crossposted from GregPrinceBlog