Agriculture's Export Credit Programs

Delays in Accessing Records Relating to Iraq Gao ID: T-GGD-92-47 May 29, 1992

In investigating the Atlanta operations of the Banca Nazionale Del Lavoro and Iraq's participation in export credit programs, GAO experienced significant delays due to the reluctance of some government agencies to provide GAO with timely and complete information. (Under the law, GAO has full access to executive agency records to conduct audits and evaluations.) White House meetings in April 1991 addressed how executive branch agencies should respond to congressional requests for information on U.S.-Iraq policy before August 1990. Procedures were established whereby the agencies' general counsels would review all such requests, requesters would be allowed only to read some documents rather than receive copies, and alternatives to providing documents would be explored. In addition, the Department of the Treasury reported that at one of these meetings it was decided to prohibit note taking on the contents of classified documents. This testimony describes in detail the obstacles GAO faced at various government agencies and at the American embassy in Rome.



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