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September 5, 2008 6:16:33 PM CDT

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State Dept.'s Inspector General Quits

Posted Dec 7, 07 5:40 PM CST in Politics 

(Newser) – The State Department’s inspector general will step down next month, ending a tenure marked by controversy and allegations of conflicts of interest, the Washington Post reports. Critics accused Howard Krongard of impeding the Blackwater investigation, a charge he vigorously denied. He recused himself from the probe when it became public his brother sat on the company's advisory board.

In his resigination letter, Krongard said he was proud of his accomplishments but criticized the bitter "rancor and distrust" in Washington. Current and former State Department officials also accused Krongard of blocking an investigation into charges of fiscal mismanagement during construction of the $736 million US embassy in Baghdad.

Source Washington Post

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A portion of the new U.S. embassy under construction is seen from across the Tigris river in Baghdad, in this May 19, 2007, file photo. (AP Photo)   (Associated Press)
Howard Krongard, the State Department's inspector general, is shown in this undated file photo.   (AP)
In a file photo, contractors working for Blackwater USA take part in a firefight in 2004 in the Iraqi city of Najaf. Howard Krongard was accused of impeding an investigation into Blackwater abuses. (AP...   (Associated Press)
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Bush administration  • State Department  • Blackwater  • Iraq appropriations  • US embassy in Baghdad  • Howard Krongard


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