WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department has consistently failed to properly monitor defense contractor DynCorp International's $2.5 billion, five-year-old effort to train Iraqi police, a government audit found on Monday.
Stuart Bowen, the U.S. government's special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said the State Department has exercised "weak oversight" of DynCorp's contract, failing to watch over the money being spent on the training program.
"As a result, over $2.5 billion in U.S. funds are vulnerable to waste and fraud," according to the report released by Bowen.
The report said State Department officials have repeatedly stated that they recognized long-standing problems and would improve management and oversight of the contract, but have "fallen far short."
In a letter released along with the report, State Department official David Johnson called the audit's key findings "unfounded."
Training Iraqi security forces, including police, has been an important element of U.S. reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
U.S. forces have been in Iraq since an American-led 2003 invasion to topple President Saddam Hussein, and gradually over the years returned security responsibilities to the Iraqis as new army and police forces were trained.
DynCorp International is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. The report did not judge whether or not the company's training of Iraqi police has been a success or a failure.
The report can be found on the Internet at http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/10-008.pdf#view=fit
(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Will Dunham)
