Iran, China exploit U.S. military surplus

[Canuck_Buck]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military has sold forbidden equipment at least a half-dozen times to middlemen for countries -- including Iran and China -- who exploited security flaws in the Defense Department's surplus auctions.

The sales include fighter jet parts and missile components.
In one case, federal investigators said, the contraband made it to Iran, a country President Bush branded part of an "axis of evil."

In that instance, a Pakistani arms broker convicted of exporting U.S. missile parts to Iran resumed business after his release from prison. He purchased Chinook helicopter engine parts for Iran from a U.S. company that had bought them in a Pentagon surplus sale. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, speaking on condition of anonymity, say those parts made it to Iran.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/16/military.surplus.ap/index.html

.......

[younggun308]

"Pentagon Surplus Sale"?


Does that mean I can get my chaingun for $15,000?

[alsaqr]

This kind of stuff has been going on for many years. Seems like the Pentagon hasa list of "preferred buyers." These are the only folks who are allowed to buymajor items in quantity from the Defense Re-utilization Management Office (DRMO). You cannot go to a DRMO and bid on a used military truck. Most of that stuff is sold in huge lots without bid to wholesalers who areconnected. Many of these guys are foreigners. They could care less who they sell it to. Another fine case of your taxpayer dollars at work-against you.

[Canuck_Buck]

How is itthat this kind of sell off happens at all ?

[alsaqr]

"How is itthat this kind of sell off happens at all ?"

It isa total failure to properly manage the surplus property system. No one is managing the military inventory and a lot of new stuff gets disposed of. The DRMO system has historically been corrupt.Remember thevery big flap about US troops in Iraq not having proper protective vests.In 2005a company was hired to shred a lot of stuff at Anniston Army Depot. They shredded pallets loaded fullwith protective vests.

[alsaqr]

Hey Canuck:

A good link:

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,117681,00.html

[Aught Six]

This is the bureacratic side of things in the Pentagon. People have been calling for better management oversight withthese surplus sales for years, but I supposethe DoD's rationale is that it has more important things to do. Perhaps it's true, although I imagine that the paper pushers nowhere near military operations could be whipped into shape if upper management wants to do it.

They need to liquidate some of this stuff through the CMP, IMHO...