INDCJournal: "Ghost Soldiers" Compromise Operations, Endanger Iraqis and Americans <br><br><b>(UPDATE: Khalid "Relieved")</b>

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January 22, 2007

"Ghost Soldiers" Compromise Operations, Endanger Iraqis and Americans

(UPDATE: Khalid "Relieved")

Posted by Bill

Members of General Khalid Juad Khadim's staff light a pyre in the late evening hours.

Something quite strange even for Fallujah happened here Saturday when the occupants of three civilian vehicles stopped at the home of Iraqi General Khalid Juad Khadim, then marched into the residence and stole weapons, money and gold. What made the theft especially odd is the fact Khalid's personal security detail of 15 armed soldiers stood by and watched, doing nothing.

The identity of the burglars is as yet a mystery, but the raid may have been linked to controversy swirling around Khalid after a British newspaper claimed he is the corrupt beneficiary of large-scale thefts of supplies intended for the Iraqi Army, including fuel and weapons, as well as the pay intended for "ghost soldiers," imaginary Iraqi soldiers listed on a military unit's roster.

The Times of London article claimed corruption throughout the Iraqi Army chain of command and accused Khalid, who was also described as having been "ousted" of having "suspected ties to Shia militias." The latter allegation has circulated before the Times article appeared and was voiced to this writer by an Iraqi civilian and a Marine officer with no prompting other than mentioning the general's name. Other marines caution that such allegations are common yet difficult to verify, often based on thin speculation.

Contrary to the Times account, Khalid was not removed and is still in command of the Iraqi Army's Second Brigade, currently stationed in the Iraqi Training Camp adjacent to Camp Fallujah. Khalid has vigorously denied the allegations, but American military officials contend that overall theft of supplies and ghost soldiers in the Iraqi Army are both real and in part responsible for the deaths of American and Iraqi soldiers.

Many American personnel, including former Military Transition Team (MiTT) members advising the Iraqi Army in Fallujah, vehemently complained about fuel, supplies, weapons and pay stolen by higher echelons of the Iraqi Second Brigade of the First Iraqi Army (IA) Division, as well as IA officials up the chain of command. Current members of the MiTT, however, declined to comment.

A former MiTTer described how "ghost soldiers" result in both American and Iraqi deaths by compromising security operations in Fallujah.

"Let's say there are 500 soldiers reported on staff; there will really be only 300, but someone up the line will report 500 and pocket the extra pay," said the former MiTT member who insisted on anonymity. Having fewer actual soldiers available for patrols and other missions exposes both Iraqi and U.S. soldiers to more lethal attacks by insurgents, he said. The reduced manpower allows insurgents "freedom of movement" to both stage attacks and plant Improvised Explosive Devices, the number one killer of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and police.

"There's always some level of corruption going on, and that's one thing, but when it's getting people killed, it's unacceptable," he angrily explained.

Another Coalition officer not attached to a MiTT cited what he termed reliable intelligence on another Iraqi general at the Division level whose base pay is vastly exceeded by the $30,000 per month he makes from the corruption. The officer noted, however, that officials must sometimes recognize "the lesser of two evils" as the general in question is "effective and gets the job done."

But it's hard to see how effective a senior officer would have to be to justify such a level of embezzlement. Perhaps half of the Iraqi Army in Fallujah, primarily the "Jundi" soldiers at the bottom of the pay scale, haven't been paid in months. As a result, 160 soldiers in the Iraqi Third Battalion recently walked off the job because of missed salaries. The supposed number of soldiers in the battalion was about 700, yet the loss of 160 reduced the unit's real strength by half. Fuel and equipment shortages greatly influenced by corruption also hamper operations.

Asked who is responsible for stopping such corruption, U.S. officials here point to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. Because U.S. control of the Iraqi government bureaucracy has been phased out to let locals take the lead, American military personnel working with the Iraqi military have little ability to resolve such pay issues.

Realistic American officials expect and tolerate some degree of corruption in the young bureaucracy, but the Iraqi Army embezzlement is so widespread that at least one active duty Marine officer, Lt. Col. James Teeples, went on the record in the Times' article. Before Jan. 8, Teeples commanded the Marine MiTT advising the Iraqi Army in Fallujah.

"I know there are problems with other division commanders and I know there are problems with folks up at the Ministry of Defense," Teeples told the Times. "So it's not simply just this one brigade commander. If it were an isolated instance like that, they [the army] would probably be doing much better in Iraq than they currently are."

The comments voiced immediately after his departure have spun the relationship between current MiTT team members and the Iraqi Army staff into chaos.

General Khalid refused an interview request and declined to provide a written statement. U.S. MiTT team members who requested anonymity said Khalid denies the charges and plans to file a formal complaint through the U.S. military and State Department.

Khalid and members of his staff lit an unusual pyre in a metal garbage can behind his quarters late Saturday; many assumed that he was burning documents. In a later twist, the general left Fallujah for Baghdad with a well-armed security detail early Sunday morning.

Despite the publicity and the general's stated intent to challenge the accusations, no officials from the Iraqi Army or Ministry of Defense have yet traveled to Fallujah to investigate the claims.

UPDATE: Iraqi First Division Maj. General Tariq Abdul Wahab Jasim today stated that he has "relieved" Khalid.

UPDATE: "Base pay" salary figure of Iraqi Army general officer redacted to ascertain accuracy.

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Posted by Bill at January 22, 2007 12:03 AM | TrackBack (10)

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Comments

The tradition of marching units in formation for review was born out of "ghost soldiers". The Iraqis might want to look into that -- though I don't doubt there's a way around it.

Posted by: Robert Crawford at January 22, 2007 08:19 AM

Bill, good story and only the tip of the iceberg. I recently returned from Iraq where I was the MNC-I LNO to the Iraqi Ground Forces Command at Camp Victory. If BG Khalid is who I think he is, it might be worth your investigation to find out what happened when his brigade recently relocated from one camp to another around Fallujah. The reports I heard were that his PSD raped their old base with the help of the life support contractor. What is criminal is that we keep supplying these knuckleheads when they are robbing us blind. If we are footing the bill - which we still are, despite the billions in oil revenue that the Government of Iraq has available - then we (the Coalition and US Forces) ought to get a say in who is in charge. We are not investigating these guys enough and until we make an example of a couple there is nothing to encourage the others to stop it. Until the average soldier has confidence in his Army's leadership then we will continue to have AWOL problems and so forth. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: Travis Robinette at January 22, 2007 08:24 AM

The tradition of the officers keeping dead men on the payroll, and pocketing their salary, was accepted in the British Army until the 1700s. When it was abolished, the officers protested that it was accepted as part of their pay, and for a time the officers' salary was supplemented by the pay for three infantrymen per company. The supplement was formally called "dead pay," as I remember.

Posted by: David Hardy at January 22, 2007 01:55 PM

Pocketing the pay of ghost soldiers was rampant in the ARVN during Vietnam. Yet another lesson not learned by our brilliant leaders.

Posted by: Sam Thornton at January 22, 2007 01:59 PM

Bill, ask around see what the plausibility is that the "ghost" units are paramilitaries and death squads. (Al-Sadr's and such)
Support for those might be payback for acceptance as an officer.
Quid Pro Quo.
And the money would be "clean" as in actual government payroll, for militia membership, paramilitary activities, and death activities.
That explanation would go a long way towards explaining how tenacious the paramilitaries have been in the face of purported heavy support for suppression by Maliki's government.
Heck, they could go further than merely paychecks, but even as far as ongoing recurring death benefits paid for by the government for deaths incurred during paramilitary or death squad activities.

Posted by: J'hn1 at January 22, 2007 02:02 PM

Whats really sad here is how are we to tell the people of Iraq corruption is wrong when we have people in our congress that are up to their ears in it. Rep Jefferson found with $90,000 in his freezer gets himself reelected with this hanging over his head! Thats sending a real good message.

Posted by: learner at January 22, 2007 02:24 PM

in speaking with a soldier returned from his second tour, he told me that graft and corruption were part of the reason Saddam's soldiers were feared in the past -- the kickback up the ranks from the enlisted, to the NCOs, to the O's -- right up the chain -- was how soldiers made their salaries, unfortunately, it left the poorest and lowest ranking soldiers with nothing to live on -- so when they went to towns and into homes, they stole, robbed, burglared, kidnapped... it's how they made a living. That culture of "entitlement" has been one of the hardest things to break in the IDF. It's rampant in the Iraqi ministries as well... you can't get anything done without giving money to people JUST TO GET THEM TO DO THE JOBS FOR WHICH THEY ARE PAID. it's part of the culture.

Posted by: You Must Be Kidding at January 22, 2007 03:32 PM

Bill, if MG Tariq says he has relieved Khalid then that is likely what happened. MG Tariq is one of the most honorable and warrior-like Iraqis that I ever worked with. He used to command the 1st Brigade of the 1st IA Div through Fallujah and in Al Qaim. The Iraqi Army would be much better off if there were more officers like MG Tariq. He worked for about 7 months as the IA G7 or training officer. The only reason he took a staff job was for a heart condition. When the call came to take over 1st IA Div he went without hesitation.

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