The Nation : $11.5 Million in Army Spy Funds Missing

Despite a four-year search, the Army has been unable to trace $11.5 million improperly spent on spy operations throughout the world in the early 1980s, according to a study by United Press International. Army officials have initiated steps against seven people to recover $150,000 in lost or stolen funds, and an eighth could face criminal prosecution for shredding key documents during an internal investigation, UPI said. Military officials said the Army’s routine destruction of accounting records, on orders from top commanders, has forced auditors to reconstruct expenditures from bank documents, informal receipts and contractor records. UPI said records show that the $11.5 million was among $170 million that the spy units improperly tapped from outside accounts to pad their budget.