Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes - FY2013 (Released in Feb 2012)
Once again "mission accomplished" was announced, and the Iraq War was declared over in 2011. U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan in 2013, yet Pentagon spending continues virtually unabated. More than 200,000 private contractors, hired by corporations with Pentagon money, carry on what is now called "overseas contingency operations." The system is rife with abuse and fraud - including contract payments diverted to fighters of all persuasions. It's not about "national security." It's enormously profitable to thousands of corporations.
"War! What is it good for?
It's good for business."
- Billy Bragg, "North Sea Bubble"
TOP "WAR SUPPORT" CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN 2002 - 2011
VENDOR CONTRACT
KBR (spun off Halliburton in 2007) $41 billion
"misc. foreign contractors" $39 billion*
Agility $9 billion
DynCorp $7 billion
Kuwait Petroleum Corp. $5 billion
Fluor Intercontinental $5 billion
Workers hired for driving, construction, food, etc.; 80% are not from U.S.; few worker-safety rules apply
SOURCE: Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, August 2011, wartimecontracting.gov
*billions of dollars with no accounting detail uncovered in the study
"At least $31 billion, and possibly as much as $60 billion, has been lost to contract waste and fraud in America's contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, August 2011, wartimecontracting.gov
TOP MILITARY CONTRACTORS - FY 2010
1 Lockheed Martin $11 billion
2 Northrop Grumman $8 billion
3 Boeing Company $5 billion
Combined lobbying expenditures 2010: $44 million
SOURCE: washingtontechnology.com; opensecrets.org
"Pentagon contracts awarded without competition topped $140 billion in 2010, up from $50 billion in 2001."
Center for Public Integrity, iWatchNews.org
GETTING IN ON THE PENTAGON MONEY STREAM
(a sampling)
COMPANY 2001 CONTRACT 2010 CONTRACT
BP $360 million $1,000 million
FedEx $210 million $1,400 million
Dell $65 million $4,300 million
Kraft $150 million $370 million
Pepsi $60 million $220 million
Combined lobbying expenditures 2010: $45 million
SOURCE: Nick Turse, "Fedex and Pepsi Are Top Defense Contractors", alternet.org; lobbying: opensecrets.org
