Since the US has taken it upon its checkbook to finance the war in Ukraine I have been bitching about the money that is being wasted with very little return.
I recently read a story about this conflict and the War Department’s lack of oversight.
More than $1 billion in weapons that were shipped to Ukraine have not been properly tracked by the Pentagon, a report from the Defense Department’s inspector general has found.
The report examined $1.699 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine that are subject to enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM), which includes Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, night vision goggles, AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and other types of weaponry.
The IG report found that the majority of the EEUM arms, nearly 40,000 weapons in total worth approximately $1.005 billion, have not been accounted for after being sent into Ukraine. Smaller, more portable weapons are subject to EEUM since they’re more likely to be smuggled and sold on the black market.
Robert P. Storch, the Pentagon’s inspector general, said there’s “no record” of inventories being taken. “It doesn’t mean they’re not there, or they’re not being used,” he said, according to The New York Times. “[But] because of their sensitivity, their vulnerability to diversion, or misuse, or the consequences of that, it’s particularly important to have this additional tracking and accountability in place.”
The US policy of pouring weapons into Ukraine has been done with very little oversight, and the shipments examined in the IG report are just a fraction of the over $40 billion in military equipment the US has provided or committed to Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year.
(antiwar.com)
This is a continuing problem and no one seems to care that this situation continues war after war.
This is what we get when we allow lobbyists and special interests run our foreign policy.
But let’s not worry about this…..better yet lets pretend the border is more important or cutting Social Security or Food programs.
You should be shouting from the treetops that your money is being mishandled in such a way….but sadly you will not.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
We are so close to being taken over by a totalitarian that a lot of us are losing confidence in our future safety –and of course regardless of how loud us pawns and peons scream, nobody hears.
A valid observation….but there is always hope that people will find some reason and commonsense. chuq
We “lost” hundreds of billions in Afghanistan, don’t forget that.
The military budget is totally out of control and has been for some time. At one point we were spending more on the military that Russia, China, and all of Europe combined, if I remember correctly, and the Pentagon was still clamoring for more.
We still spend more the top 5 below us…..it just keeps getting big and more wasteful and the budget conservs could care less. That is the truly sad fact. chuq
very little return?
I strongly disagree. For just 3% of the pentagon’s total budget three-quarters of the entire Russian military has been obliterated. Excuse the pun, but that’s an INCREDIBLE bang-for-the-buck! (and all while not bringing NATO into it)
As long as Russia continues to have an inexhaustible supply of rockets, drones and artillery they don’t need very much of an infantry and tank force. 3/4 of Russian forces destroyed is very impressive but very
meaningless toward Ukraine victory to remain independent.
They are running low on all that weaponry…..China and North Korea seem to be supplying weapons in return for oil…..Russia has a lot of oil and is getting wealthier by the day. chuq
I was mainly speaking about the return on the cash we waste in Ukraine and Israel. chuq
Lack of accounting on the part of US is an indicator of our severe incompetent inattention. Ukraine’s government has a long history of $ corruption that rivals even China and Russia and even the Mafia.
THat is so true….the reason they Ukraine did not make into NATO is the corruption that has not been cleaned up and is getting worse as long as this conflict goes on. chuq
The UK has just given Zelensky another £2 billion in ‘Aid’. None of that wil be accounted for, I have no doubt.
Best wishes, Pete.
I read about that this morning. Sorry you guys get caught in this stupidity. chuq