Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, has persevered in monitoring management and cost issues related to at least $32 billion of U.S. funds earmarked for Iraq reconstruction despite political pressure that threatened the very future of his office. The efforts of the staff he led since 2004 have probed, audited, spotlighted and helped ferret out inappropriate and potentially wasteful activities among both public and private sector participants in the rebuilding effort. SIGIR's 73 audit reports and 65 project assessments have led to five arrests, four convictions and seizure of millions of dollars in U.S. assets.

According to Congressional figures, the office is providing American taxpayers a fourfold return on every dollar it has spent to do its work. As a result, the interests of U.S. taxpayers are protected and the integrity and skill of those American engineering and construction firms attempting to rebuild a war-torn country despite daily life-and-death risks gain their deserved respect. SIGIR's mission is now expected to continue through 2008 in the wake of bi-partisan legislation that was passed by Congress and signed into law in December.