Corruption in Iraq Contracting Requires Draconian Response

U.S. Contractor Admits Bribery For Jobs in Iraq
Occupation Officials Got Cash and Gifts for Deals

By Griff Witte
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 19, 2006; Page D01

An American businessman who is at the heart of one of the biggest corruption cases to emerge from the reconstruction of Iraq has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery and money-laundering charges, according to documents unsealed yesterday in federal court in Washington.

As part of the plea, Philip H. Bloom admitted his part in a scheme to give more than $2 million in cash and gifts to U.S. officials in exchange for their help in getting reconstruction contracts for his companies. Bloom's firms won $8.6 million in reconstruction deals, with an average profit margin of more than 25 percent.

Yesterday's filings included e-mails that provide insight into the fraud. In one, an Army Reserve officer who allegedly helped Bloom secure his contracts expresses gratitude for Bloom's largesse.

"The truck is Great!!! I needed a new truck . . . People I work with cannot stop commenting on how much they love it," the officer wrote in a Sept. 2, 2004, message to Bloom. The officer then added a bit of reassurance: "If there were any smoking guns, they would have been found months ago."

The reassurance was premature. Bloom's deals soon attracted the interest of investigators, and the case has ensnared three officials of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq for a year after Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled.

More arrests are likely. The documents unsealed yesterday refer to an unidentified co-conspirator who was chief of staff for the CPA office in Al-Hillah, which supervised the reconstruction of all of south-central Iraq.

According to Bloom's plea agreement, which was signed in February, he faces up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $750,000. He also must repay the government $3.6 million and forfeit $3.6 million in assets.

The one thing we cannot allow to go unaddressed is corruption involving members of our military, whether active or reservist. Bloom needs to face hard time for his actions, and he needs to do so whether he cooperates or not. All or those involved in this business like the above mentioned officer, who refers to "a smoking gun," needs to face hard time as he is obviously aware of the transgression involved. Those in the military, above and beyond all others in our society because of the oaths they take, must be held to a higher standard.

I am a big defender of the President's war effort and of our military men and women, but this kind of transgression is completely unacceptable. These folks swear an oath upon entering service in the military, what is our military's motto, Duty, Honor, Country?

10 USCcode Sec. 502 (01/24/94) Enlistment oath, and who may administer
(Title 10, Subtitle A, Part II, Chapter 31, Sec. 502)
Sec. 502. - Enlistment oath: who may administer
Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath: "I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." This oath may be taken before any commissioned officer of any armed force

In committing these acts, these Reserve Officers have violated the "true faith and allegiance" clause of their oath.

Americans can never afford to allow those in the military to escape justice or to violate their oaths. They more than any others in service to the people of the United States, including those in Congress and the President, pose too great a threat to our freedom to allow them any leeway. The military must always remain under the command of our civilian population.

Full Story: Unacceptable Behavior

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