Bush Administration Cronyism Has Jeopardized Iraq's Future and Put American Troops at Risk

Press reports have shown rampant abuse in the Coalition Provisional Authority where unqualified, politically-connected staffers were put in positions critical to the success of rebuilding Iraq. Qualified applicants with language skills and experience in post-conflict reconstruction were rejected in favor of unqualified cronies with close ties to the Republican Party. Today, Senate Democrats condemned the Bush Administration's record of mismanagement and cronyism in Iraq, and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid demanded answers from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld when he briefs Congress this Thursday.