Graft Alleged in Iraq Oil Protection Effort

The lawmaker also intervened in supplying weapons to the battalions, at one point directing soldiers to transport more than 200 Kalashnikov assault rifles in civilian vehicles. Insurgents attacked the vehicles, killed two of the soldiers and took the guns, the report alleges.

Finally, Jubouri deployed some of the battalion troops to protect his homes, party headquarters and relatives, the report alleges.

Parker confirmed that each of the battalions has been short about 250 men on average. Asked whether the numbers represented men not showing up for duty or padded payrolls, Parker said, "A bit of both."

It was not clear how many battalions Jubouri is alleged to have embezzled money from. The investigating committee brought into being by Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari's office is seeking more investigation by the National Assembly to determine the amount of money allegedly commandeered.

Maliki said he did not know the exact amount of money allegedly embezzled by the lawmaker. "For sure, billions of dinars," or millions of dollars, he said. Rough estimates based on details in the charges suggest several million dollars would have been involved.

The allegations surrounding Jubouri reflect the difficulty that U.S. and Iraqi officials face as they grapple with a question that has persisted since British colonialists started developing Iraq's oil fields in the 1920s: whether to pay off or fight the tribes that attack the oil pumps and conduits in their territory.

Tribes often have attacked pipelines to force payment of protection money, to retaliate for being shut out of payments to rival tribes, or for other political or financial ends. Over decades Britain, successive Iraqi governments and now the U.S.-led coalition have opted to pay, enlisting the tribes as guards against attacks.

Many U.S. officers say some tribal recruits have proved among the finest soldiers in the oil-protection effort. Other Western and Iraqi officers and officials, however, say they suspect some tribal recruits of taking part in attacks on the very oil installations they are paid to guard.

The U.S.-led coalition has frequently shifted plans and aims for the tribal forces and given the projects varying degrees of oversight. At one point, Western security contractors subcontracted to the tribes for the pipeline protection.

The current phase of recruitment and training, begun in spring or early summer of last year, aims at turning the tribal fighters and other oil-protection recruits into a disciplined force and involves far more training, oversight and integration into overall security efforts than previous phases, Parker said.

"It's a method of tribal engagement," Parker said, adding, "It has been very challenging because some of them are part of the problem."

The idea is to convince the tribes that the oil they are protecting is the patrimony of the tribes and all Iraqis. "Bring them in, bring them into the Ministry of Defense, and turn them into proper battalions," Parker said. "These were wild men."

Staff writer Nelson Hernandez and special correspondent Omar Fekeiki contributed to this report.