Report: 'Corruption protected by senior members of the Iraqi government remains untouchable'

Left: Iraqis line up to buy kerosene. The report said "corruption is a major problem" in the Oil Ministry and contributes to the shortage of refined oil products.

Supplies and medicine in strife-torn Baghdad's overcrowded hospitals have been siphoned off and sold elsewhere for profit because of “untouchable” corruption in the Iraqi Ministry of Health, according to a draft U.S. government report obtained by NBC News.

The report, written by U.S. advisers to Iraq's anti-corruption agency, analyzes corruption in 12 ministries and finds devastating and grim problems. "Corruption protected by senior members of the Iraqi government remains untouchable," the report sad.

One potential problem is in the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, according to the report.

The report said that "the prime minister’s office has on a number of occasions intervened on cases involving political supporters."

Read the rest at MSNBC

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