Noah Shachtman
Security

M.I.A.: 190,000 Guns Given to Iraqi Forces

The Pentagon "cannot ensure that U.S.-funded equipment has reached Iraqi security forces," according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Not only did Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) fail to "maintain a centralized record of all equipment distributed to Iraqi forces before December 2005." But there’s "a discrepancy of at least 190,000 weapons […]

Guns1
The Pentagon "cannot ensure that U.S.-funded equipment has reached Iraqi security forces," according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Not only did Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I)
fail to "maintain a centralized record of all equipment distributed to
Iraqi forces before December 2005." But there's "a discrepancy of at least 190,000 weapons between data reported by the former MNSTC-I commander and the property books," too.

Although the former MNSTC-I commander reported that about 185,000 AK-47 rifles, 170,000 pistols, 215,000 items of body armor, and 140,000 helmets were issued to Iraqi security forces as of September 2005,18 the MNSTC-I property books contain records for only about 75,000 AK-47 rifles, 90,000 pistols, 80,000 items of body armor, and 25,000 helmets.19 Thus, DOD [Department of Defense] and MNF-I [Multi-National Forces - Iraq] cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armor, and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces as of September 22, 2005.

(High five: DD)