We *Are* Exporting American Democracy!

Iraq's Finance Minister Ali Allawi told the British newspaper The Independent that at least $1 Billion, and possibly up to $2 Billion, is missing from their treasury due to... [*ta-daaaaa*]... massive corruption.

Corruption, both in the bidding for and the awarding of contracts, and in the administration of public offices, is one of the most frequent accusations made by Iraqis against their government and foreign firms operating in the country.

Some of the worst allegations of impropriety concern the purchasing of military equipment by the defense ministry under the previous government, including more than $230 million spent on 28-year-old second-hand Polish helicopters.

Damn -- these guys got their learn on, real fast.

Our administration has done a swell job teaching those folks how to bilk, cheat, plunder, defraud, fleece, bleed, chisel, defraud, gyp, hustle, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, swindle, victimize, extort, wring, gouge, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, betray, double-cross, and... of course... steal.