Our Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently (August 2007) told Congress that the Defense Department has lost track of nearly 200,000 automatic rifles (AK-47) and pistols. Additionally that 250,000 pieces of body armor and helmets can't be accounted for either. The report also says a review of 2007 property books shows continuing problems with missing and incomplete records.

Wonder where your billions of tax dollars are squandered? Much more important, how would you like to be one of our dedicated soldiers staring into the business end of an AK-47 knowing that your Defense Department's ineptness (or does it go beyond that?) is responsible for ensuring that the enemy acquired these weapons. But then I don't think our soldiers are too surprised. There has been an ongoing pattern of ineptness from day one that they, more than any of us, are keenly aware of. Pretty sickening, isn't it?

And now I read, from an Associated Press release dated Aug. 12, that Italy's anti-Mafia investigators have unearthed a $40 million alleged secret arms deal involving the shipment of more than 100,000 weapons into Iraq. The probe reportedly discovers that Iraqi government officials are involved in the black-market transaction.

One shouldn't be too concerned about Bush's hype that Iran is supplying our enemies (plural) with weapons. Why should Iran supply arms to the Iraqis. Our Defense Department and a thriving black market are filling that role quite adequately.

As a final note, according to this same GAO report, the United States has provided $19.2 billion to train and develop the Iraqi security forces and the Defense Department has now asked for another $2 billion to continue training and equipping Iraqi troops. How would you vote?

Theodore Theodorsen