Iraq - follow the money

Those who still rail against the American occupation of Iraq have missed the main game. It's not whether the occupation is illegal (it is), or whether it will usher in democracy (it won't), or even whether it has destroyed the recent balance of power in the region, enabling Iran to become a nuclear power (it has). No (and I learnt this lesson from my insurance loss-adjusting days in Kansas) - follow the money. It has given an impetus to corruption, both within the Iraqi government (now largely run by the religious fringe dwellers from the Shitites) and within the suppliers of US equipment. The latest scandal is the expenditure on equipment for hundreds of medical centers in Iraq, most of which will never be built. The US taxpayer (and their Chinese creditors) are paying for this, the expensive equipment suppliers can pocket the money and, eventually, re-sell the unused, undelivered equipment all over again.