Hot Docs: Contractors in Iraq, Online Consumers at Risk, Georgia, and More

Contractors' Support of U.S. Operations in Iraq: Spending on contractors doing Iraq-related work made up nearly 20 percent of the total funding for U.S. operations in Iraq between 2003 and 2007, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO surveyed the $85 billion that the United States has paid to contractors working on military, security, reconstruction, and economic projects in Iraq during the first four years of the U.S. presence there.

Online Consumers at Risk and the Role of State Attorneys General: Internet fraud is on the rise, and many consumer complaints are not being addressed, says a report from the Center for American Progress and the Center for Democracy and Technology. The findings, based on consumer complaints reported to 36 states in 2006 and 2007, show that Internet-related complaints make the top 10 list in 24 states, but state attorneys general have launched relatively few cases in response. The Federal Trade Commission received 221,226 consumer complaints of Internet fraud last year, an increase from 2006 and 2005.

Georgia: Epicenter of Strategic Confrontation: With its aggressive military operations in Georgia, Russia is trying to demonstrate its power to other countries in the region and the West, Janusz Bugajski, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, concludes in a new analysis. He adds that the European Union and NATO must respond to the situation decisively.

The Decline in Consumer Use of Food Nutrition Labels, 1995-2006: Consumer use of the fat, calories, sodium, and cholesterol information on food labels has dropped 10 percent from 1995 to 2006, a report from the Department of Agriculture finds. One area—fiber information—saw a 2 percent increase, which may be a result of increased interest in low carbohydrate diets and whole-grain foods.

Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990: A Congressional Research Service report looks at the U.S.-Taiwan arms trade in recent years. Despite the lack of a formal alliance, Washington routinely supplies materials intended for Taiwan's national defense. Taiwan is a major buyer of such goods. In 2006, it purchased $1 billion in materials, making it the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. arms in the world.