Editorial: Bribery in uniform

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 | 7:18 a.m.

In the Kuwaiti desert is an American base called Camp Arifjan that is now at the center of a massive bribery scandal.

Army officers at the camp who awarded about $2.8 billion in contracts related to the war in Iraq allegedly took millions of dollars in bribes. There are 83 criminal investigations into alleged contract fraud stemming from those deals.

Former Army Maj. John Cockerham has been charged, along with his wife and sister, for allegedly taking $9.6 million from contractors and in return handing them contracts for providing water and other supplies.

Three Army officers connected to the case apparently have committed suicide. One, Major Gloria Davis, told Army investigators she took $225,000 from a company in return for $14 million in contracts for warehousing and management services. Davis, who died last year, also pointed the finger at other officers.

Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has said a "culture of corruption" pervaded Camp Arifjan. A small group of officers, soldiers and civilians handled purchasing and subsequent reviews of the case found a series of problems. The small group was overwhelmed by the workload, did not keep good records and did not have proper supervision.

Civilian contractors who worked in Iraq told the Associated Press of inept management at Camp Arifjan that didn't care about costs. As well, they said there was no accountability for missing equipment.

The operation was set up in the Bush administration's rush to war, and it is indicative of how the war has been waged.

An independent panel studying the situation issued a report Nov. 1. It found the Army's contract workload has jumped 600 percent since 1990, yet staffing to handle the work has not increased. That has, according to the panel, "significantly contributed to the waste, fraud and abuse."

The Pentagon has promised changes, and it must deliver. Such fraud, especially during a time of war, is unconscionable.