Congress investigates inspector general

WASHINGTON — A congressional committee has opened an investigation of the State Department's inspector general, alleging he blocked fraud investigations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including potential security lapses at the newly built U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Also under scrutiny is whether Blackwater USA, the private security firm banned this week from working in Iraq over the killing of civilians, was "illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq," according to a letter to IG Howard Krongard obtained Tuesday.

The Democratic-led investigation accused Krongard of trying to protect the White House and the State Department.

"Your partisan political ties have led you to halt investigations, censor reports and refuse to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies," said a letter from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Based on charges from a number of current and former senior investigators who worked for Krongard, the letter also questioned whether he adequately investigated illegal labor-trafficking allegations involving the Kuwaiti company that was building the embassy in Baghdad.

Ralph McNamara, the former deputy assistant inspector general for investigations, said Tuesday that he came forward with the allegations against his former boss because he was concerned that State Department employees would be at risk when working in the new embassy.

He described damage from a rocket attack on a building that was supposed to withstand the impact. He said investigators wanted to look into charges that the walls were not built to the required thickness or concrete consistency, but they were blocked from pursuing it.

Krongard issued a statement Tuesday saying, "The allegations, as described to me and in certain media reports, are replete with inaccuracies including those made by persons with their own agendas."