It’s no secret that corruption is rampant across many functions of the Iraqi government, but one of the latest discoveries is particularly troublesome because it exposes a gaping hole in the country’s military at a crucial security moment for the war-torn nation.
Officials say an investigation has revealed the existence of 50,000 false names on the military payroll for Iraqi “ghost soldiers” who either did not exist or no longer report for duty, although the salaries were still paid.
The 50,000 names – which some officials have said are likely much higher - were said to include soldiers who had deserted or were killed in recent fighting, and the salary money is thought to have been siphoned off by corrupt officers.
The United States has spent billions of dollars trying to build up the Iraqi army, but security forces were caught off guard by an ISIS offensive that began last summer that has resulted in the loss of huge swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq.
It’s estimated that an entry-level soldier in the Iraqi army receives approximately $600 per month, meaning if the 50,000 figure is accurate, these “ghost soldiers” were costing the country’s treasury at least $350 million per year. Officials have said the payments have since stopped.
Rampant corruption in the Iraqi army is seen as one of the reasons why it has struggled to contain ISIS militants.
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