Billions of dollars are missing in Iraq.

Where are they?

This 2-part audiocast is a shocker. I’ve listened to it several times.

Iraq has become a vast financial black hole.

Since the war began in 2003, the Americans have spent around $30 billion of their money – and at least $20 billion of Iraq’s own money – in rebuilding the country. But where has it all gone?

Mark Gregory has followed the money trail from Iraq to Washington via a kebab shop in Jordan.

He discovers that there have been allegations of fraud, mismanagement and corruption on such a gigantic scale that much of the money is now untraceable. …

The US-led administration, talking shortly before the return of sovereignty, offered a vision of a country in which the lights worked and clean water flowed from the taps.

But two-and-a-half years after the handover, many Iraqis say their lives are getting worse despite the vast sums allocated for rebuilding.

Mark Gregory explains how profiteering, corruption, bad management and the strength of insurgency have all paid a part in the failure to rebuild Iraq.

BBC results for Baghdad billions

Read a summary on the BBC website: Baghdad’s ‘missing’ billions