Iraqi anti-corruption officials fired

BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government has fired anti-corruption officials who were installed by order of U.S. officials, The New York Times said.

The oversight teams were expected to bring Western standards of accountability to fight corruption in government ministries in the war-torn country, the newspaper reported Monday.

Each of Iraq's 30 cabinet-level ministries has an inspector general, who is supported by varying budgets and staffing, the report said.

An Iraqi former chief investigator recently told U.S. lawmakers that $13 billion in reconstruction funds from the United States has been lost to fraud, embezzlement, theft and waste by Iraqi officials.

Stuart Bowen, who leads the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction in Washington, said the inspectors general in Iraq were vulnerable because once they were created, the U.S.-led reconstruction effort provided little support and training.