Friday, July 13, 2007

Guards steal $282 million from a bank in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: In an astonishing heist, guards at a bank here made off with more than a quarter-billion dollars on Wednesday, according to an official at the Interior Ministry.
The robbery, of $282 million from the Dar Es Salaam bank, a private financial institution, raised more questions than it answered, and officials were tight-lipped about the crime. The local police said two guards engineered the robbery, but an official at the Interior Ministry said three guards were involved.

Both confirmed that the stolen money was in American dollars, not Iraqi dinars. It was unclear why the bank had that much money on hand in dollars, or how the robbers managed to move such a large amount without being detected.

Several officials speculated that the robbers had connections to the militias, because it would be difficult for them to move without being searched through many checkpoints in Baghdad. More on the story.

2 comments:

airJackie said...

SPB here's the 411 on that story.
A soldier who was in Iraq Green Zone where the robbery took place said it is impossible for the robbery to take place without US help. Now remember this is American money and Congress is being asked to release more money to Iraq. The stolen money is what is used for soldier both US/Iraq and contractor payments and the Iraq government. This robbery was done so the US taxpayers could replace it. This is all about getting more American money it has nothing to do with a robbery. If anyone did get in the bank the walls surrounding the Green Zone would have stopped the exit.
It's now so easy to blame Iraq for everything yet we stay the course. Bush says progress is being made what he was really saying is the White House is doing with with robbing the United State Treasury.

Anonymous said...

......and what about the gallons and gallons of oil being stolen ever day?