Iraq rebuilding effort is said to be faulty

NEW YORK -- The first official recounting of the $25 billion American reconstruction effort in Iraq describes a program hobbled from the outset by gross understaffing, a lack of technical expertise, bureaucratic infighting, secrecy, and constantly increasing security costs, according to a preliminary draft copy of the document dated December 2005 and obtained by The New York Times. It was assembled by the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and debated last month in a closed forum by roughly two dozen specialists from outside the office, the Times reported today. A person at the forum provided a copy to the Times, according to the newspaper. The office of the inspector general, which has been examining the rebuilding since early 2004, declined to comment on the report other than to say it was highly preliminary, according to the Times. ''It's incomplete," a spokesman told the newspaper.

Judge rules US must give IDs of detainees

NEW YORK -- A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Defense Department must release the identities of hundreds of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Associated Press. US District Judge Jed S. Rakoff told the government to provide the information in the form of unredacted copies of transcripts and documents related to 558 military hearings in which detainees were permitted to challenge their incarcerations. The judge gave the government until tomorrow to decide whether to appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. (AP)

Colorado

Officer who killed Iraqi is reprimanded

FORT CARSON -- A military jury of six officers yesterday ordered a reprimand for an Army interrogator convicted of killing an Iraqi general by stuffing him headfirst into a sleeping bag and sitting on his chest. Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr. also was ordered to forfeit $6,000 salary and was restricted to his place of work, worship, and barracks for 60 days. Welshofer, 43, had originally been charged with murder and faced up to life in prison. But on Saturday he was convicted instead of negligent homicide and negligent dereliction of duty. On the lesser charges, he had faced up to three years and three months in prison, a dishonorable discharge, loss of his pension, and other penalties. (AP)