Rolling Stone article The Great Iraq Swindle about U.S. funds getting misapropriated left right and centre in the supposed reconstruction efforts. (Link via Boing Boing.) KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary appears to take pride of place in the story which recounts some seriously fucked-up, surreal and exasperating scenes. My favourite:

"In perhaps the ultimate example of military capitalism, KBR reportedly ran convoys of empty trucks back and forth across the insurgent-laden desert, pointlessly risking the lives of soldiers and drivers so the company could charge the taxpayer for its phantom deliveries. Truckers for KBR, knowing full well that the trips were bullshit, derisively referred to their cargo as "sailboat fuel."

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Vlatka's work is featured in a photoblog today, you can see it here.

On a different topic she mailed:

overheard walking back from Chelsea, a woman with a gigantic backpack yelling very loudly on the cell phone, in a volume totally inappropriate for the street:

I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO GET WHAT I NEED! I'M WALKING LIKE A LIVING DEAD!