Oversight Hearing on Corruption in Iraq
Blaming Politics, Iraqi Antigraft Official Vows to Quit
Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times - September 7, 2007
Iraq's highest ranking anticorruption officer, Judge Radhi Hamza al-Radhi, has asked Iraq's prime minister to accept his resignation and, in an interview Thursday, cited political pressure as the reason he sought to leave his job.Judge Radhi is the chief of the Public Integrity Commission, which has initiated hundreds of corruption inquiries in the past three years, including investigations of several current and former cabinet members. He said the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki had tried to limit his commission's scope and to close cases by saying they fell outside his purview and should be handled by the judiciary.
"I cannot just sit in my place and see corruption eating the Iraqi state, so I asked for retirement," said Judge Radhi, who is currently traveling in the United States. He added later that he had recently received anonymous threats on his life if he did not stop his work.
Watch the hearing live via committee webcast or on C Span 3.
Chairman Waxman gives opening remarks:
| Chairman Waxman: "Incredibly Secretary Rice directed these officials not to answer any questions about the extent of corruption in Iraq and its effect on political reconcicliation and the insurgency. Her position is that all information that reflects poorly on the Maliki government is classified. At one point my staff asked an official if he agreed with a public statement from Secretary Rice praising the anti-corruption efforts of the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The official told us, and this is a US official, 'I cannot discuss this in an open forum.' The State Department even retroactively classified memos about corruption in Iraq after the Committee requested them. These efforts to silence debate are an absolute embarassment." |
Comptroller General David Walker, GAO, gives opening testimony (pdf):
| Walker: "We therefore recommended to the State Department that it, in conjunction with the Iraqi government, complete an overall strategic and integrated strategy for US capacity development efforts. Congress, we believe, should also consider conditioning future appropriations on the completion of such a strategy." |
Judge Radhi Hamza al-Radhi gives opening testimony (pdf):
| Radhi Hamza al-Radhi: "Since the establishment of the Commission of Public Integrity, 31 employees have been assassinated as well as at least an additional 12 family members. In a number of cases, my staff and their relatives have been kidnapped or detained and tortured prior to being killed. Many of these people were gunned down at close range. This includes my staff member Mohammed Abd Salif who was gunned down with his seven month pregnant wife... Importantly, it has been impossible for the Commission on Public Integrity to safely and adequately investigate oil corruption where Sunni and Shia militias have control of the metering, transport and distribution of Iraqi oil. This has resulted in the Ministry of Oil effectively financing terrorism through these militias." |
Chairman Waxman questions the witnesses:
| Chairman Waxman: "Let me ask you this question: you've been there for a number of years in this position as head of Commission on Public Integrity. Based on your experience over the last three years is corruption in Iraq getting better or worse?" Radhi Hamza al-Radhi: "Yes, it is getting worse because of the sectarianism in the country and the lack of rule of law in the country." Chairman Waxman: "You indicated in your statement that $18 billion is a sum that you feel has gone to the costs of corruption. $18 billion is a lot of money, it could've gone to electricity projects, hospitals, police training, a lot of things that could have helped the Iraqi people. How much does corruption affect the reconstruction efforts in Iraq?" Radhi Hamza al-Radhi: "I believe that it has stopped the process of reconstruction in Iraq." |