Mega-Scandal in Iran: $35 Billion in Oil Money Missing from State Coffers
In a shocking report, the chief auditing office of the Iranian parliament says that tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues from 2006-2007 have vanished.
In what appears to be the biggest case of corruption in Iran, and perhaps in the Middle East, the Tehran-based Shahab News reported that the chief auditing office of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) has revealed that close to $35 billion of oil income from the financial year 2006-07 is missing.
According to Iranian law, this money should have been paid by the government of President Ahmadinejad into Iran’s central bank. Once there, the government can request the withdrawal of funds for projects, depending upon the approval of the Majlis. However, the new investigation shows that the government never paid the money into the central bank, and no one knows what has happened to it. Although it has not yet been proven, many suspect that the money has been used to finance corrupt activities of politicians surrounding the president, or the president himself. After all, it is very unlikely that this could have happened without his knowledge.
This is a serious allegation, as this amount constitutes almost half of Iran’s total oil income for that year.
To make matters worse, this is not the first time since the start of the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that money has been used without the Majlis’ knowledge. One other famous case took place during the 2007-08 financial year. It was revealed later that $2 billion was used to import gasoline, without any consultation or approval of the members of the Iranian parliament.
It would be an understatement to say that President Ahmadinejad had a rocky relationship with the previous Majlis, whose term ended on May 27. Members were so fed up with the president’s efforts to sideline them that they tried to reduce his presidential term on two separate occasions. Although they failed, such an undertaking had never before been attempted in the history of the Islamic Republic.
As well as Ahmadinejad, the other person whom former Majlis members held responsible for their frustrations was Majlis speaker Gholam Ali Hadad Adel. This powerful Iranian politician, whose son is married to supreme leader Khamenei’s daughter, except on one famous occasion continuously defended Ahmadinejad from the Majlis’ complaints.
The new Majlis, which was sworn in on May 28, decided to take no chances. Realizing that the president is unlikely to change his ways and that they cannot change him, members decided to do what is second best, by choosing a new Majlis spokesman. He is none other than Ali Larijani, Iran’s former top nuclear negotiator. Larijani also happens to be a powerful political rival to the president. He ran against Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential elections.
The election of Larijani could pose several problems for the president. First and foremost, the relationship between the two is not good. In November 2007, he resigned from his job because of Ahmadinejad’s uncompromising attitude towards the nuclear program. This made Larijani’s efforts to find a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program more cumbersome. Eventually Larijani gave up because he could no longer work with him.
Now that he is back in another important political post, it is likely that he will use it to boost his image, and to try and weaken his rival, in order to bolster his chances of election as president. This is already apparent. The news regarding the missing $35 billion came out on the day Larijani was sworn in as speaker.
One year is a long time in Iranian politics. One of Larijani’s weaknesses has been his lack of experience in management of domestic affairs. Unlike Ahmadinejad, he has never been mayor or governor. His new post is likely to strengthen his position domestically. If he plays his cards right and manages to convince Supreme Leader Khamenei that he would be a more suitable replacement for Ahmadinejad, then the international community may find Iran of 2009 an easier country to talk with.
Meir Javedanfar is the co-author with Yossi Melman of The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the State of Iran. He runs Middle East Economic and Political Analysis (MEEPAS).
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91 Comments
1. DahktaD:35 BILLION…missing. What, is this some sort of surprise? They are the most ethically challenged people in the world, on whom we have spent hundreds of billions to the point we are approaching a massive recession, and they want forgiveness for outstanding loans.
May 29, 2008 - 9:58 am 2. Mega-Scandal in Iran: $35 Billion in Oil Money Missing from State Coffers....... - Benzworld.org - Mercedes Benz Discussion Forum:[...] then the international community may find Iran of 2009 an easier country to talk with. Pajamas Media
May 29, 2008 - 10:09 am 3. Ron Bingham:DahktaD,
This is about Iran not Iraq!
May 29, 2008 - 10:11 am 4. Alex:DahktaD – what? You must be speaking about Israel, not Iran.
May 29, 2008 - 10:12 am 5. Hassan Ranjbar Phd.D:Well, the missing $35 Billion was to support Hezbollah, Hamas and Ahmadi Nejad’s circle of thieves from Sepah while most people in Iran are struggling to put bread on the table, however a small group of people are living in multi million dollar homes and driving most expensive cars with their kids living aboard in mansions. Last year Iran gave $12 Billion so called loan to Syria to buy arms and update their war machines. Lack of decision making in US agencies has given Iran regime more power in the past few years and they are well aware how US is or is Not enforcing policies.
May 29, 2008 - 10:21 am 6. j.p:maybe a few billion was put into attaining a nuclear bomb?
May 29, 2008 - 10:25 am 7. Paul R. Bear:What? Iran’s government is corrupt? Say it isn’t so. Best thing the world could do would be to cut them off and sanction the crap out of them. Won’t support war with them, since Coalition troops in Iraq are like hostages to any conflict with Iran.
May 29, 2008 - 10:30 am 8. Fred Scottman:Enjoy-Paul R. Bear
Look for some of the missing $35 Billion money in Syria, Canada, UAE and several other nations where many of Iran’s mullah and political figures are buying real estates left and right. Don’t forget some of the money was used to fight US in Iraq and Afghanistan too. US is so caught up with red tapes and paper work that soon we will see mushroom clouds somewhere in the states. What will it take to wake up our politicians from La La land??
May 29, 2008 - 10:32 am 9. Woody Carson:Well, Well perhapes they should look in Bush’s
May 29, 2008 - 10:32 am 10. JeffD:and his pal’s bank accounts, that would be my first and only guess.
Amadjinedad is likely using the $35 billion to fund 151 nuclear devices ( and a nice vacation).
May 29, 2008 - 10:33 am 11. hass:LOL!!! $35 BILLION dollars, eh?
I REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY suggest you check the figures again because that’s more than half of Iran’s oil income … not something which goes into some savings account and sits there.
Morons.
May 29, 2008 - 10:35 am 12. Punjab Mahjalli:$3 billion of it was spent on Ahmadinejad’s beard maintenance. Can you blame him for wanting to look good?
May 29, 2008 - 10:35 am 13. Hamed Abadi:We sure did not see any of the $35 Billion spent in Iran, lots of poor people, child labor not to say other bad things that Islamic Republic of Iran should be shameful
May 29, 2008 - 10:37 am 14. Yosemite Sam:Woody Carson:
You are a moron.
May 29, 2008 - 10:43 am 15. Ardeshir Dolat:Indeed the missing money has gone to the terrorists. Ahmadinejad is not into accumulating wealth. He still lives in the same humble house in Narmak west of Tehran. Having said that, the Mullahs, Ahmadinejad, IRGC and their affiliated terrorist groups are preparing and investing for a long war with the ‘infidels west’ even long after their regime has fallen. The 35 billion is only a fraction of what the terrorist IRGC has stashed away through various agents accounts. Most of the money should be traceable though if saved in bank accounts around the world. But I believe a large sum of US dollar bills are stashed away just like the way Saddam had millions of US Dollar bills stashed away. The way to combat this is to redesign all the Dollar bills??
May 29, 2008 - 10:46 am 16. Andoman:My bet is they used the money to buy oil futures to artificially increase the oil prices.
May 29, 2008 - 10:47 am 17. Alien:DahktaD, what did we spend on Iran? I did not get this one. Although, you are very much correct on the notion of the Iran government (not people) being the most corrupted and, yes, ethically challenged.
May 29, 2008 - 10:51 am 18. Conan:Well I wonder what the going rate is for a Nuke Bomb program? Umm I would guess what..$25 billion with the rest as bribes to get what they need from willing fools.
May 29, 2008 - 11:02 am 19. TK:With a leader like Ima-Demi-god and the hooded gang of Islamofascists who can be surprised? Maybe Obama can make them like the west and the Christian world….in his dreams.
we are all pissed because we are not in on it!
May 29, 2008 - 11:02 am 20. John Warren II:Didn’t the pentagon (Rumsfled and Dov Zkheim) publically announce that it lost $1.2 TRILLION, on September 10, 2001, one day before 9/11? How lucky for them that 9/11 wiped that news away?
There’s only one important question concerning the attacks, did the US gov’t allow/participate in 9/11?
The answer to that query would explain the illegal wire-taps, suspension of habeas corpus, banning of books like “America Deceived” from Amazon, detaining of dissenters in fences miles away from events, and multiple wars based on lies.
How can the gov’t be innocent in 9/11 when we have caught it lying so many times (WACO, Ruby Ridge, no WMDs, USS Liberty, Operation Northwoods, Gulf of Tonkin, Pearl Harbor, ETC.)?
In law, if you determine a person lies ONCE during his testimony, it can be assumed that he lied in the remainder of his testimony. How come we do not hold the gov’t to the same standard as it holds us to?
The gov’t lied to us about Iraq and more Americans have died there than in 9/11. If the gov’t lied about Iraq then why is everyone so reluctant to believe that the gov’t lied about 9/11?
Final link (before Google Books bends to pressure and drops the title):
May 29, 2008 - 11:02 am 21. PD:http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0
It certianly wasn’t spent on the education of the Iranian people. If they educated the Iranian people they wouldn’t be in charge anymore that’s for sure.
I’ll bet it was most likely used supporting radical groups fighting in Iraq and for Illegal Nuclear arms development. Most of the cash probably went to Russia and and North Korea for assistance with Nuclear tech and for procuring parts beyond their capability to produce.
The little Ahmadinejad reminds me of a mini Hitler more and more every day. He needs to be crushed like a bug in the kitchen before he’s allowed to start his war.
May 29, 2008 - 11:03 am 22. Karl E.:Why is anyone surprised? This is not the first time massive amounts of money have disappeared in Iraq. It has happened before by the truck loads. This has turned out to be the most stupidly managed war/conflict in American history. Poorly managed from the top, i.e. GW and his top managers/advisors. The sooner we get out the better. And I am sad to say I voted for GW twice.
May 29, 2008 - 11:05 am 23. Mark:Check Bush’s bank account??? Stupidest comment I’ve ever seen posted anywhere. Woody, go back to the Daily Kos blog and stay there please. You’re killing the IQ average of this one.
May 29, 2008 - 11:07 am 24. ha ha ha:Remember, 72 virgins cost alot of $$ in today’s $$
May 29, 2008 - 11:13 am 25. jonstewartstwin:they must’ve learned from the US… we have several billion $$ unaccounted for in Iraq…
May 29, 2008 - 11:13 am 26. woody is an idiot:woody, do you really think bush stole the money or are you just pretending to be that stoooopid?
May 29, 2008 - 11:14 am 27. john warren II is a moron:Is your hat made of tin foil or aluminum?
Did you survive Guyana?
May 29, 2008 - 11:16 am 28. MLStoianoff:If thieves have their hands chopped of in Moslem countries for the theft of a loaf of bread, what gets chopped off for stealing $35 billion?
May 29, 2008 - 11:17 am 29. Mark:Mr. Warren,
Feel free to join Woody.
May 29, 2008 - 11:17 am 30. Kaz:Karl E, John Warren II – guys – pull your heads out. Karl, already someone else was corrected this is about IRAN not IRAQ.
idiots!
May 29, 2008 - 11:18 am 31. Beckster:John Warren,
Do you want the name of my psychiatrist?
May 29, 2008 - 11:19 am 32. Mark:Karl, the article is on IRAN, not IRAQ. Please find an atlas or globe and locate it.
May 29, 2008 - 11:21 am 33. Michael Cone:Amazing – the intelligence of some people who see “I”ran and immediately it becomes “I”raq and it’s Bush’s fault. Speak about blinded by hatred. And to top it off they are allowed to vote
May 29, 2008 - 11:22 am 34. Think:The Iranian government has nothing on the Pentagon:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml
More money for the Pentagon, CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales reports, while its own auditors admit the military cannot account for 25 percent of what it spends.
“According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions,” Rumsfeld admitted.
$2.3 trillion — that’s $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America. To understand how the Pentagon can lose track of trillions, consider the case of one military accountant who tried to find out what happened to a mere $300 million.
May 29, 2008 - 11:23 am 35. rotajo:Does anyone care enough to consider the carbon footprint (we combined) are leaving on this planet by having our computers on to respond to this story. Please support “Al Gore for President of Iran”.
May 29, 2008 - 11:25 am 36. patrick neid:The story could be totally bogus as a pretense to get rid of I’m a dinner jacket…..Either way I give a shit.
May 29, 2008 - 11:27 am 37. max malaka:The recipient is most likely Vladimir Putin in exchange for several “peaceful” nuclear devices that were “decommissioned” from the Russian Federation’s vast arsenal.
May 29, 2008 - 11:29 am 38. tomg:It is not possible that President Ahmadinejad has spent any of this money on new suits. He still wears the frumpled, baggy, thrift store clothes he was elected in…….
May 29, 2008 - 11:30 am 39. Mark:Karl E. – this is about IRAN not Iraq.
This could be nothing more than another way for Iran to buy time. Javedanfar states “… may find Iran of 2009 an easier country to talk with.” Lots of folks would like that to be the case and choose to kick the nuclear can down the road. However, it’s only a matter of time until Iran has nuclear weapons if we do nothing about it. Sooner or later the nuclear ambitions of Iran will have to be dealt with. Time waits for no man.
May 29, 2008 - 11:32 am 40. Mike:Do you own a Swiss bank account Ahmadinejad?
May 29, 2008 - 11:35 am 41. LSD:What shocks me is that there was a report that actually saw the light of day. -Larijani must represent a movement.
May 29, 2008 - 11:35 am 42. MarkFL:Karl E.:
Did you and Woody Carson go to the government school? Before making such insipid comments, read the article s-l-o-w-l-y so you may hopefully comprehend (I hope that word is not too big for you) what the subject of the article is about. Now, read it again or get someone to read it for you. Iran, not IRAQ, Karl.
May 29, 2008 - 11:36 am 43. Sense:thats nothing, The Pentagon cant find 150 billion from last year ….. our government is a joke
May 29, 2008 - 11:37 am 44. Kenneth:I just love some of the comments by the die hard liberals. They are so blinded with Bush hatred that they cannot tell the difference between Iran and Iraq. I almost feel sorry for them, To be so totally consumed with blinding hatred, Their lives must be really sad and pathetic. Now about IRAN and the missing money. I think it is going to help the insurgents in IRAQ and to the other terrorist that IRAN is funding all over the world. I used capital letters so the Bush haters will know what country I am talking about.
May 29, 2008 - 11:38 am 45. Al Gore for Iran 2009:Yes!! Go Gore! Anyway to get rid of him from this country would be welcome. Let him get their carbon footprint under control.
May 29, 2008 - 11:44 am 46. Bob Graham / Las Vegas:Iran still owes the USA for the oil companies it nationalized as I umderstand it, and so do many other mid-east countries . I do love the fact that the government of Iran can not find answers for the money though . It has always been the few very corrupt people at the top who start wars and expect us peons to do the dying for their country and OUR money which they steal . When the masses figure this out and wake up, things might get better for all concerned .
May 29, 2008 - 11:48 am 47. Boomer:Better check with the US Congress, they’re going to be mifed to have missed out on another opportunity to gettheir hands on some oil money.
May 29, 2008 - 11:51 am 48. Lawrence G.:Hey, maybe the big bad mean old oil companies have figured out a way to get cash without having to pay the theiving federal governemtn.
Iran’s government is very weak. It is in crisis mode and is funneling a lot of the missing money into programs that will allow the unpopular leaders to leave Iran and live abroad while still having a lot of financial influence in their war against liberal western style thinking.
May 29, 2008 - 11:52 am 49. Ardeshir Dolat:Did some of that money also go to the 50 reporters and journalists who dined with Ahmadinejad in New York in the same year?!
May 29, 2008 - 11:53 am 50. Mike:Ahmadinejad: No I own Swiss Army Knife.
Mike Wallace: Thank you Mr. Ahmadinejad.
M Wallace. CBS
May 29, 2008 - 11:54 am 51. tj:“35 BILLION…missing. What, is this some sort of surprise? They are the most ethically challenged people in the world, on whom we have spent hundreds of billions to the point we are approaching a massive recession, and they want forgiveness for outstanding loans.”
This could apply to the UN as well… but not Iran
May 29, 2008 - 11:56 am 52. BuzzGuava:Just a few remarks, and probably not the last by the look of it. John Warren II, Don’t be paranoid, the US did not attack themselves. Face it, Governments lie, people lie, and if you say you don’t, stop lieing. To be irresponsible and throw in little jabs like no WMD’s does nothing to help your case, but if you had mentioned the many documents captured during the intitial stages of the invasion of Iraq, proving that Russia, China and the French were undermining the santions by the United Nations, I might have held your opinion higher. The fact of the matter is that politics in general are filled with half truths and misleading comments to move people to action in one direction or another. The fact that our constitution has been rivited with amendments that take personal resposibility off of our hands and lets the government control every aspect of our lives only furthers the thoughts of conspiracy. We as a country are no longer innovaters and front runners because we are too afraid to speak out fearing that we might offend or we are too proud or stubborn to admit and correct their errors. It is far easier to blame and criticize. On that note I part with an open mind to any errors of thought that will come my way due to this criticism. Plus, I haven’t seen a response from woody to his many critics.
May 29, 2008 - 12:02 pm 53. Rob:Mark and Kaz…you are definately wasting your time explaining the difference about Iran and Iraq to some of these guys. It ranks up there with the Sunni and Shiite confusion of McCain.
May 29, 2008 - 12:05 pm 54. edh:“According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions,” Rumsfeld admitted.
Since that story was from 2002, I don’t think the Bush admin or the Iraq war is responsible.
May 29, 2008 - 12:06 pm 55. Brian in Raleigh, NC:You all are missing one vital possible organization that is the likely culprit…the UNITED NATIONS. Imagine how much bribe money it’s going to take to get Iran on some key councils.
May 29, 2008 - 12:09 pm 56. capnjohn:THINK, please do. If you paid taxes for 2007, you received a 1040 booklet. Read it! FY 2006 outlays for National defense were 19% of $2.655 Trillion outlays. How many years do you blame military for being stupid to run up such a stupid number you used?!!
May 29, 2008 - 12:11 pm 57. Robert Jacobs:Note that Shah of Iran had problem with corruption, which is indemic in Middle East. He hired Ross Perot’s firm to try to account for where all his arms were hidden. No problem, they never arrived. The money went into those convenient Swiss accounts. Ever read the story about how the Perot head guy got out of Iran? Push-me/Pull-me aircraft on road near Turkish border. Same way as an Army Colonel friend who escorted body of Colonel home and had his diplomatic passport seized leaving and US passport seized upon returning.
I lived in Iran for 2 years in late 70’s; left one month before Shah departed. Tell me things have changed with clerics in control!
Uh, Hello, did it ever occur to anybody that IRAN knows where it has used $ for Hizbollah, for arms, for Syria and for internal graft? Do we think that a truly independent audit would ever occur in IRAN? Did anyone notice that Ahmadinjad’s chosen
successor LOST yesterday? Not only lost, but lost to his competitor?
This is how it is done over there, just like the Russian Communists did it. When there are changes in power, you accuse those you are trying to make disappear with corruption and graft. We should take this report of $35B missing as an indication that there is indeed significant political turmoil – and look behind the curtain.
May 29, 2008 - 12:12 pm 58. Lester Mohammed:DahktaD. Typical liberal dribble. Follow the party line even if it makes you look foolish.
May 29, 2008 - 12:15 pm 59. merle:I think dinner jacket is saving it up for his face to face with Obama. He’ll be bribing Obama so that the U.S. doesn’t take them down (but dinner jacket is too stupid to know that Obama would never do such a thing, no matter what).
May 29, 2008 - 12:15 pm 60. Kosman:Iran, Iraq, whatever… Bush lied, people died!
May 29, 2008 - 12:24 pm 61. capnjohn:Since my comment was displayed 9 hrs on clock later, I assume the clock of blog is in vicinity of Iran. And if was half hour different plus time zones I’d know for sure. Have to have noontime when the sun crosses the meridian.
May 29, 2008 - 12:44 pm 62. Boca Condo King:Isn’t it life threatening to run a blog from Iran?
Dear BuzzGuava;
Please be careful as to what you post. Logical sensible and realistic postings may cause others heads’to explode.
Condo Comando
May 29, 2008 - 1:01 pm 63. cal:I dought this will ever make the Iranian News Papers.
May 29, 2008 - 1:06 pm 64. Brad:$35B – Lost? Oh no. Rest assured that they know exactly where the money has gone. Turmoil will ensue in Iraq. It has been predicted for years. Ahmadinejad has been stepping on the toes of those that elected and supported him for a while now. THAT is why we are not in a hurry to go to war with Iran. Stall, delay, don’t let this clown get nukes. The possible successors have a much better track record with the international community.
$2.3TRILLION MISSING By the PENTAGON?????!! Oh, no. Rest assured, again, that they know exactly where that money has gone. Here is the thing, cannot believe that the conspiracy theorists (aka liberals) missed this, that $2.3T is being used to fund the programs that keep the nation safe. WITHOUT GOING TO WAR!!! That is right. The things that this country will do to make sure that you and I are safe are simple. Play by the enemies rules, in order for the United States to do this, you have to do it under a veil of dark projects. It would not be a big deal, if we were not currently trying to raise a country of Unisex, tree-hugging wusses! Fight the fight the way the enemy fights. We did not win our independence by fighting the red coats in a “Gentlemanly” fashion by trading volleys. No, we took notes from the “Uncivilized” natives. It is the Terrorists that are using those strategies and religion. I say use their strategies and their religion against them. Dip our bullets in pig fat. THEN see how many suicide bombers want to take the chance of being shot by the infidels’ “Send you to hell” bullet!
May 29, 2008 - 1:21 pm 65. Brad:EDIT ^^^^^^^”Turmoil will ensue in Iraq” Should be IN IRAN!^^^^^^
Turmoil will ensue in Iran.
Freaking countries that close to one another should have more distinct names. Like those parents that have twins and name them “Holly and Molly”.
May 29, 2008 - 1:25 pm 66. KarlE2:Truly disappointed in KarlE1.
May 29, 2008 - 1:59 pm 67. Ardeshir Dolat:Another possibility is $35b is aimed at Israel in the shape of missiles to go off simultaneously as the Israelis bomb their nuclear installations.
May 29, 2008 - 2:00 pm 68. Yari National Group:After the revolution, first they confiscated most of properties in North of Tehran. Just like the Bolshevik revolution. All in the name of oppressed. However, the Mullah’s moved into them. Despite the fact, based on their own Islam, you can not conduct prayer in a confiscated property!
Then, they moved in and started to confiscate businesses. Then the banks and then the entire country. The Central Bank of Iran published a document that before Ahmadinejad, the Mullah’s have stolen $500 Billion Dollars and stashed it in Dubai and other parts of the world banks. Now, the number is much more.
The Mullah Mafia has it’s hand in everything that can make money. This $35 Billion is just an appetizer for thieving Mullah’s.
May 29, 2008 - 2:39 pm 69. hass:Wait … wait… you’re quoting an IRANIAN paper? I thought they had no freedom of the press there and everything was government controlled. So why are you quoting them?
May 29, 2008 - 3:26 pm 70. Fred:Blame it on the Bush Administration.
May 29, 2008 - 3:35 pm 71. Perspective:Here’s the thing – $35 billion, according to the report above, is HALF Iran’s oil revenue for the year. $35 billion is chump change when compared to the size of the US’s economy ($13 trillion annually? might be off, going by memory here).
If you want to compare this apples to apples, it would be like $6.5 trillion dollars going *poof* here in the US. THAT would be noticable. Even 1.7% ($300 billion) being “misplaced” is inexcusable, if true – but its still a long ways off from HALF.
May 29, 2008 - 4:05 pm 72. Ardeshir Dolat:hass(an),
There is no freedom of press for the outsiders. There sure is infighting going on within the mullah circle. This has come out because of your bosses fighting each other. You surely remember a little while ago when Rafsanjani, Ahmadinejad, Rezai, Hadad Adel and karoobi were all threatening each other with revelation of secrets they know!!?! Well, your bosses are goozpeach at the moment and more stuff should come out.
May 29, 2008 - 4:17 pm 73. John Samford:Didn’t the pentagon (Rumsfled and Dov Zkheim) publically announce that it lost $1.2 TRILLION, on September 10, 2001, one day before 9/11?
No, it was CBS as in Rathergate, Katie “Nice Legs no IQ” Curic and ‘it’s a slow day, make something up’ fame. This story falls into the latter category.
There are something like 3500 different accounting systems used by DoD. That missing money is nothing but accounting differences. About every 10 years since WW1 ( 1916 IIRC) sobody does another ‘expose’ on the missing money. They never tell the whole truth about it since then there is no juicy headline.
If you think it gives you a headache, pity the poor KGB agent that was responsible for keeping track of it.
It is SOP to use budget numbers to keep track of one’s enemies thoughts on strategic matters. The CIA not only has their own section for doing this, NSA and the Dept of Agriculture, Commerce, Health, etc. all pitch in.
I strongly suspect this whole story is what is called disinformation.
The NIE of last fall showed one important fact. The Mad Dog Mullahs fear 1st Tanks and the 3rd and 4th Infantry driving up to Tehran more then anything else in this world. They are not stooooopid and they know that the only thing that could stop an American Corp sized formation from dragging them out of their palaces and bunkers by their beards is the Democratic Party.
May 29, 2008 - 4:52 pm 74. dvd:So anything they can do that appears to give the Democrats another excuse to try and avoid war is being done. As long as it doesn’t interfere with their main objective, which is building enough nukes to seriously cripple America or force the USA to convert to Islam.
That is why we are seeing a spate of completely bogus stories out of the Mullahs and their supporters. Leading the pack of lies and baying the loudest is the “there will be a revolution sonn and the mullahs will be overthrown’ lie.
What is amusing is that in the next breath, that same moron will tell you that attacking the Mullahs will unite Iran. Hockeypuck!
Missing money in a non economy..?..oh my, what a shock. All power is concentrated in the hands of 3 looter groups, mullahs, socialists and oligarchs….frankly they are now engaging in an alighnment of looters, which is a classical predation story….about how all productive folks just drop out, and those doing the looting begin the process of self awareness and blame……all of them loose in the end, because they always protect their dis aggragated interests, until everyone who surround them finally WAKE UP! No surprise here, same script as saddam and the UN sharing iraqs largess into the un…..same ole crap. deelitist always revert to the mean of subsistance, when the dealings done.
May 29, 2008 - 5:07 pm 75. Obi's Sister:Wonder how long it will be before the unlucky auditors who uncovered this corruption simply disappear?
May 29, 2008 - 5:15 pm 76. Joe Buzz:Leftards cant be bothered by details like the difference between and “n” and a “q”. Words aqd facts are distractioqs! Feeliqgs are real!
May 30, 2008 - 5:36 am 77. harry:While so many of you are worrying about the truth of the matter be advised that the reporting of these scandals can be as just as scandalous. Those who claim liars are always liars must not discriminate between lies by the government from lies by the press. And those who believe the press always tells the truth, I have a bridge I can sell you.
May 30, 2008 - 7:20 am 78. Sue:I am shocked….SHOCKED, not, actually isn’t that what religion is usually about…money??
May 30, 2008 - 9:55 am 79. Mega-Scandal in Iran: $35 Billion in Oil Money Missing from State Coffers « Tizona’s Weblog:[...] The Pajamas Media View [...]
May 30, 2008 - 12:12 pm 80. Paper Tigers whine a lot » The Ethereal Voice:[...] From Pajamas Media….. In what appears to be the biggest case of corruption in Iran, and perhaps in the Middle East, the Tehran-based Shahab News reported that the chief auditing office of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) has revealed that close to $35 billion of oil income from the financial year 2006-07 is missing. [...]
May 30, 2008 - 3:21 pm 81. Michael Hiteshew:Why is the thief in the illustration portrayed as a white European male? Are the editors here too politically correct to portray a Persian Muslim running away with a bagful of cash???
May 30, 2008 - 7:03 pm 82. Brian H:Michael;
May 30, 2008 - 10:52 pm 83. Question to readers « Ww - Wolfville watch - Ww:That IS an Iranian. Some of them shave, you know!
[...] Oil money scandals [...]
May 31, 2008 - 5:25 pm 84. John Samford:“Michael;
That IS an Iranian. Some of them shave, you know!”
Actually, they don’t. Shaving will get you put in jail, where you stay until your beard has grown out to the point where the Muttawa (religious police) can grab a handful and pull on it.
Jun 3, 2008 - 2:58 pm 85. scandal blog:Painful? After a month or two in an Islamic jail, you won’t think so. Muslims have a way of elevating what is considered painful and what is an annoyance.
[...] ….. the matter be advised that the reporting of these scandals can be as just as scandalous. …http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/mega-scandal-in-iran-35-billion-in-oil-money-missing-from-state-coffers…Beltway Blogroll: The First Blog Scandal Of Campaign 2008… month into 2007 and the first blog [...]
Jun 3, 2008 - 4:06 pm 86. 35 Billion Dollars:[...] dollars. An egg in Zimbabwe recently cost 35 billion dollars. Or take Iran. Some 35 billion dollars in oil money went missing from state coffers. Or the Pentagon’s new fleet of Air Force refueling planes [...]
Aug 21, 2008 - 10:37 am 87. Oil Investment:John,
I think your missing the point of this post completely, It is not about culture nor religion. It is about abuse of absolute power.
$35 billion of oil income is missing under someone’s reign who should be held accountable.
Sep 25, 2008 - 3:31 pm 88. kalai:fon mi 012 2434614
Oct 12, 2008 - 7:34 am 89. ozgeorge:You want proof of who shot Neda?
Jun 29, 2009 - 5:01 pm 90. Rafsanjani…not a risk taker. « World System Analysis:Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOyc3On8CiE
[...] it all appears that Ahmadinejad is the bad guy. He might not be a thief (which he most probably is), but he definitely is a murderer and a sadist. And people who were once sulking him, now are [...]
Jul 7, 2009 - 1:49 pm 91. Sirus:John samford do you live under a rock?
Nov 11, 2009 - 8:41 amPlease go to YOUTUBE and search for (3 minute trip to Tehran)look frame by frame to see what iran/iranians look like.
Then google Aryan and read.the original Aryan nation is NOT Germany BUT IRAN…if you need more education let me know.