A second report found "significant challenges remain that put at risk" the U.S. military's goal of strengthening Iraqi security forces by transferring all logistics operations to the defense ministry by the end of 2007.

A third report concerned the Provincial Reconstruction Team program, in which U.S. government experts help Iraqis develop regional governmental institutions.

"The unstable security environment in Iraq touches every aspect of the PRT program," the report said.

The Pentagon cannot account for 14,030 weapons -- almost 4 percent of the semiautomatic pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and other weapons it began supplying to Iraq since the end of 2003.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 4, 2006
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