Accessibility links

Breaking News

Report: U.S. Received Little For What It Spent In Iraq


Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
Stuart Bowen, the U.S. special inspector-general for Iraq reconstruction, says that after 10 years and $60 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds, Iraq is still so unstable and broken that even its leaders question whether Washington’s efforts to rebuild the country were worth the cost.

That is the assessment in Bowen’s final report to Congress, which is due to be released on March 6.

In a preview of his final audit, Bowen told the Associated Press the reconstruction effort "grew to a size much larger than was ever anticipated.”

Bowen says Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told him that U.S. funding "could have brought great change in Iraq" but that “there was misspending of money.”

Bowen concludes that "not enough was accomplished for the size of the funds expended."


Based on reporting by AP and AFP

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG