US Central Command in Qatar says some US soldiers are being questioned about the alleged theft of part of a multi-million dollar haul of cash found in Baghdad.
Lieutenant Mark Kitchens said that they believed money was taken last Friday, 18 April. He declined to say how many soldiers were under investigation by the US military, or how much money had allegedly been stolen.
The US military said members of the 3rd Infantry Division stumbled on more than $650m in cash during an action to stop looting. The money was stashed in a building whose windows had been bricked up to provide a hiding place.
Lt Kitchens said unit commanders involved in the discovery of the cash had noticed some of the money was missing during the search operation.
'All money found is the property of the Iraqi people,' he told reporters. 'The riches of the nation of Iraq, whether money, oil or art, belong to the people and we intend to ensure they get it.'
The US military has been criticised for not doing enough to protect valuable artefacts in Baghdad's main museum.
Yesterday, US officials said they had charged one former Fox News employee and were investigating some returning journalists after seizing 15 paintings, gold-plated guns and other items taken from Iraq and smuggled into the United States.
