Our tax dollars and war effort at work: The U.S. military’s main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan’s army and police forces has been sending ammunition that is more than 40 years old, much of it coming “from the aging stockpiles of the old communist bloc, including stockpiles that the State Department and NATO have determined to be unreliable and obsolete, and have spent millions of dollars to have destroyed,†the New York Times reported. What’s more, AEY Inc. worked with middlemen and a shell company on a federal list of entities suspected of illegal arms trafficking and appears to have purchased some ammunition from China, which could be a violation of American law.
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38 Comments
But the 22 year old CEO’s myspace page says he’s a really nice guy. So what if he robbed taxpayers of $300 million, he probably wears a flag lapel pin so we can’t question his patriotism. If we didn’t send useless ammo to the soldiers then that would just embolden the Iraqis. 9/11.
I was wondering if the Pentagon will go to the cheapest tanker bidder, foreign or not, why not by foreign arms as well. Looks like they’re waaay ahead of me!
Bet he’s a Young Republican, enterprising young man. Merica needs more like him!
Way to run a f*ckin’ war, George. Profiteering? What me worry!
“War on terra” = contractor welfare.
He even had a fake ID to show people that he was 26. What a goon.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_304.php
So what’s the problem? Bullets is bullets. Yeah, some of them are green and corroded, but most of them will still work…probably.
It’s not like American soldiers had to use them.
More good news from the war on terra
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3635838.ece
Abu Iman barely flinched when the Iraqi Government ordered his unit of special police to move against al-Mahdi Army fighters in Basra.
His response, while swift, was not what British and US military trainers who have spent the past five years schooling the Iraqi security forces would have hoped for. He and 15 of his comrades took off their uniforms, kept their government-issued rifles and went over to the other side without a second thought.
Such turncoats are the thread that could unravel the British Army’s policy in southern Iraq. The military hoped that local forces would be able to combat extremists and allow the Army to withdraw gradually from the battle-scarred and untamed oil city that has fallen under the sway of Islamic fundamentalists, oil smugglers and petty tribal warlords. But if the British taught the police to shoot straight, they failed to instil a sense of unwavering loyalty to the State.
Nanno,
Some of those 40yr-old bullets went to our own Special Forces. Just one more in a long string of incidents and policies that demonstrate how little this administration thinks of its men in uniform (”they’re poor people- being cannon fodder’s an improvement!”).
Defective ammo, defective helmets, lack of body armor and if they survive then they come home to lousy VA facilities because Bush and the Rethuglicans cut spending on veterans issues. Why would anyone associated with the military vote Republican?
Pretty good scam, 21 yr. old and had 5.5 mil. in his bank account.
There’s nothing this admin. won’t outsource. I’ve got an idea, instead of paying the old soviet union countries to destroy their ammo stockpiles, why doesn’t the U.S. just buy it up and ship it to Afghanistan and Iraq?
This would be humorous if it wasn’t so serious. Wonder if he was also contracting to the Taliban? Reminds me of that show I saw a few yrs. ago, that started out tracing the path of a bullet, can’t recall the name. The guy was doing the same thing, except selling mainly to Africa. Could have been about this company, or maybe inspired this company.
“from the aging stockpiles of the old communist bloc, including stockpiles that the State Department and NATO have determined to be unreliable and obsolete,
considering it’s soviet ammo, maybe they’re doing their patriotic duty and supplying the insurgents?
Reminds me of that show I saw a few yrs. ago, that started out tracing the path of a bullet, can’t recall the name
Wasn’t that part of the ‘bowling for columbine’ doc?
What will be the next bombshell, Tillman and his Afghan commrade had uncovered the illegal arms sale, and had to be taken care of?
No, it was about an illegal arms trader, big difference was that the U.S. govt. was always trying to catch him, guess if he’d been selling to the U.S. govt. it would have been just too fantastic of a story line
Eventually, he did get busted, but he had powerful Washington connections and had to be released.
You, just can’t make this stuff up!
The 40 yr. old bullets are probably newer then the guns that they shoot.
You, just can’t make this stuff up!
Kinda like making Kissinger the first head of the 9/11 commission until he was asked about the number of bin Laden relatives he had as clients, at which time he quietly stepped down? I bet they made that up.
“He and 15 of his comrades took off their uniforms, kept their government-issued rifles and went over to the other side without a second thought.’
Deja vu all over again - 40 years later.
Makes me wonder how many nukes and how much nuclear material is on the black market from the old soviet empire.
Jed
Posted March 28, 2008 at 12:08 pm | Permalink
Nanno,
Some of those 40yr-old bullets went to our own Special Forces.
______________________________________
Jed, I was being somewhat sarcastic. But I think this is symptomatic of how not only contractors, but American business runs nowdays.
Take the money:::screw everybody else.
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040223.htm
http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040223.htm
It’s bigger’n you think, phantom
Seriously, though, I recall there was a young military woman in Afghanistan, in procurement that was mysteriously found executed, and her family made a statement about she’d uncovered something highly irregular and was very afraid. hmmmm
I may have to try and dig that up.
Yeah, Phantom, I recall that incident. Good luck on finding it.
The Kansas House has passed a bill letting us Kansans own machine guns, sawed-off shotguns and silencers. Maybe trigger-happy Phil Journey could round up some of that old ammo for us to blast away with.
Didn’t have any luck finding it, was starting to wonder if it was a false memory! Glad someones else had read it.
Dennis,
Oh no! Not that! Law abiding citizens being allowed to purchase weapons that much of the rest of the country already is allowed to do?
Gasp!
[sarcasm]
You liberals better lock the doors and stay inside, there will be blood in the streets now!
[sarcasm]
Does this mean I can buy my very own M-60?
Yep, Nathan, as long as the republican led administration can award weapons contracts to 22 year old, wet behind the ears thieves, who supply 40 year old rusty ammo, I don’t think we have much to worry about, let alone staying behind locked doors. Then again, neither do the terrorists the Afghanistan army is supposed to be shooting at using the same ammo.
I do suspect, though, the Afghanistan army does have something to worry about when 40 year old ammo explodes in their face. Having been a munitions man in the Air Force, I do know quite a bit about explosives, of which gunpowder belongs. All explosives that old, including gunpowder, get brittle, and subject to go off with less shock than originally designed.
Great procurement oversight at the Pentagon, ain’t there? So just where does the buck stop?
Hey Nathan, phffffft!!
I happen to own weapons, am ex-Army, a liberal, and am firmly convinced that the only place you need a machine gun is in the military.
But then, I know you are enamored with the sound of gun fire, so, so be it.
Just stay away from me.
VT, I’d temporarily posted as Don’t get…, caught nic swithcin!
Dennis,
So what weapons do you own then?
If you want to make this a conversation on “need” I am interested in why you “need” the weapons you claim to own?
JM Walker,
What exactly does “a Republican led administration” have to do with this contract?
I think we can all say the contract was bad, but trying to blame it on Republicans?
How partisan can you possibly be?
We are fighting in behalf of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq. Shi’te vs Shi’te militia civil war
worse president ever —- leadership by example — ammo buyer said hey if Bush can help his neo con asshole buddies I should help mine
also Nathan blow it your Popeye pipe will ya ….
I agree with Nathan, this is not the result of a Republican led administration, it is a result of a Bush led administration. Ceiling of newly built building falling, our soldiers getting electrocute while taking showers, getting rashes and sick from clothes washed in contaminated water by government contracted firms.
Billions missing. weapons missing, no it is not because of an “R” beside the name, it is solely Bush’s cabala.
Tiahrt is the one who appropriates the money. I wonder how he thought giving contracts to an 18 year old was a good idea.
Doug,
Can you show me how Tiahrt was involved in this contract?
Writerdog,
You seem to be a bit more irrationally affected by your Bush Derangement Syndrome today than usual.
Everything is Bush’s fault!
Did you stub your toe today? That must be Bush’s fault too!
Is the Iraqi troops running around with 40 yr. old ammo while the insurgents use much newer Saddam era ammo?