Those who blow whistle on contractor fraud in Iraq face penalties

DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National Writer

August 24, 2007 12:24 PM

One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted.

Or worse.

For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.

There were times, huddled on the floor in solitary confinement with that head-banging music blaring dawn to dusk and interrogators yelling the same questions over and over, that Vance began to wish he had just kept his mouth shut.

*snip*

There's an unspoken rule in Baghdad,'' he said. ''Don't snitch on people and don't burn bridges.''

For doing both, Vance said, he paid with 97 days of his life.

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