▁got ▁there ." ▁ ▁A ▁report ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Special ▁Ins pect or ▁General ▁for ▁Ira q ▁Re const ruction ▁found ▁w ides p read ▁" fra ud , ▁in comp et ence ▁and ▁confusion " ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁occupation ' s ▁handling ▁of ▁bill ions ▁of ▁dollars ▁of ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁money ▁and ▁American ▁funds ▁given ▁for ▁reconst ruction . ▁Ins pect or - general ▁Stuart ▁Bow en , ▁Jr . ▁noted ▁that ▁only ▁ 4 9 ▁of ▁ 1 3 6 ▁planned ▁water - ▁and ▁san itation - related ▁projects ▁will ▁be ▁completed . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁U . S . ▁federal ▁o vers ight ▁inspect ors ▁found ▁that ▁" in ▁a ▁sampling ▁of ▁eight ▁projects ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁declared ▁success es , ▁seven ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁operating ▁as ▁designed ▁because ▁of ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁elect rical ▁fail ures , ▁lack ▁of ▁proper ▁maintenance , ▁apparent ▁lo oting , ▁and ▁expensive ▁equipment ▁that ▁lay ▁idle . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁has ▁sometimes ▁admitted   ... ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁reconst ruction ▁projects ▁have ▁been ▁abandoned , ▁delayed , ▁or ▁poor ly ▁constructed . ▁But ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁inspect ors ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁projects ▁officially ▁declared ▁as ▁success es — in ▁some ▁cases , ▁as ▁little ▁as ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁latest ▁ins pe ctions — w ere ▁no ▁longer ▁working ▁properly ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Ira q ▁bought ▁electric