Reckless post-war spending causes corruption

The ravages of modern warfare are too often compounded by ill-conceived and expensive post-war reconstruction projects that fuel a "feeding frenzy" of corruption and profiteering, according to a UN-funded report. The report, citing graft from Liberia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to Lebanon and Afghanistan, said the overwhelming international response after wars was simply to pump large amounts of money into rebuilding programmes without proper control.
"What is difficult enough to try to manage in times of peace becomes even more problematic in post-war situations where the sheer scale of works...and the weakness of public oversight create opportunities for the corrupt of historic proportions," it said.
"This results in a 'feeding frenzy' and a free for all in which the interests of the victims of tragedy are frequently swept down the river," added the report, compiled by anti-corruption organisation Tiri for publication on Monday.
Too often, foreign contractors were brought in at vast expense to carry out work the local population could do more cheaply, with the money going directly into the local economy.
The report made no reference to current events in Iraq, which faces a huge task in rebuilding roads, bridges, factories and power and water services destroyed during the US-led invasion and by an insurrection in the months since.
But it cited repair of the Iraqi electricity grid after the 1991 Gulf War which was carried out by locals after the UN's initial proposals were rejected as being too expensive.
"Five billion dollars and 4 years were not needed. Iraqis simply did it on their own," wrote Tiri co-chairman Jeremy Carver.
Carver noted that modern warfare now tended to focus on destruction of the local infrastructure like electricity, roads and water supplies which then had to be rapidly repaired once hostilities ended.
The report noted widespread corruption in reconstruction works in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Liberia, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon and Sierra Leone among others and called on the international community to review its approach.