Crooked companies and corrupt officials preying on weaknesses in the military acquisition system

In this Sept. 19, 2007, file photo, cranes tower over a construction site in Irbil, north of Baghdad. The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is pushing for a dramatic increase in the number of special agents who hunt down crooked companies and corrupt officials preying on weaknesses in the military acquisition system. The dependence on contractors in combat zones has created an environment ripe for contract fraud. Deals are made quickly, often with foreign companies, in countries where bribes are a routine of doing business.
(AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed, File)

In this July 9, 2005, photo, bags of rice purchased from the United States are moved by Iraqi workers at the southern Iraq seaport terminal at Um Qasr.