Don't forget Halliburton...
So in case we've all forgotten, I thought I'd post a reminder.
Back at the beginning of the Iraq 'war', no-bid contracts were improperly given out to companies friendly to the administration. Halliburton was one of the companies particularly favored by the administration. Against policy, members of the administration recommended Halliburton for the contract, the Pentagon admitted.
Now, despite warnings against using Halliburton (KBR) for the contract because of "significant potential for abuse and over-billing" the contract was awarded.
Apologists for the administration and Halliburton have said that Halliburton was the best choice for the job anyway.
Well let's look at that. What did the government, and therefore the taxpayers, got for their money.
- Dirty kitchens and food for the troops. A problem that it ignored and failed to fix even after repeated requests from the government.
"Halliburton serves dirty food to the troops
Dec. 13, 2003
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 2003 (Summary of Agence France Press Article) - The Department of Defense repeatedly warned Halliburton's subsidiary, KBR, that its food and the kitchens where it is prepared are "dirty," NBC News reported. A Pentagon report found that KBR's promises to clean up its food and kitchens "have not been followed through." The report found that KBR kitchens contain "blood all over the floor," "dirty pans," "dirty grills," "dirty salad bars" and "rotting meats ... and vegetables" in four of the military cafeterias the company operates in Iraq, reported NBC, citing Pentagon documents."
- Loss and misuse or outright theft of billions (that's right, billions with a 'B') of dollars.
"Pentagon auditors have concluded that Halliburton Co. failed to adequately account for more than $1.8 billion of work in Iraq and Kuwait, said a newspaper citing a Pentagon report. The amount represents 43 percent of the $4.18 billion that Houston-based Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root unit* has billed the Pentagon to feed and house troops in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported."
- Overcharged and overspent.
Investigation of Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority finds unwarranted overcharges of U.S. taxpayers
30 June 2004
WASHINGTON, June 30 (HalliburtonWatch.org) - An investigation into the U.S.-controlled Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) of Iraq found that it failed to adequately control over $9 billion in international aid, including Halliburton's hotel costs in Kuwait. The CPA controlled the governing processes of Iraq from May 2003 to June 29, 2004. Stuart Bowen, the CPA's inspector general, released the report one day after the CPA was disbanded and authority for the Iraqi government was handed over to Iraqi citizens. Bowen's report said the CPA participated in Halliburton's overcharges by failing to stop unauthorized personnel from staying at a Hilton in Kuwait City that was supposed to be used only by senior government officials. Halliburton charged the government $2.85 million for hotel costs, even though cheaper housing arrangements were available. For example, one CPA official lived at the Kuwaiti Hilton for almost $700 a night. The company also charged $191,000 a year for laundry services.
The dirty kitchens story is just one of dozens that show Haliburton and it's subsidiaries did substandard work at the expense of our soldiers.
Haliburton also lost, wasted or skimmed a whopping 43% of the money it billed the government!
And the Republicans have protected the company from regulation and policing.
On another note, the administration and it's puppets (like FOX News) like to rattle on about how Cheney no longer works for Halliburton and has no more connection or stocks in the company.
While technically true, this is not the whole story. Cheney holds 433,333 Halliburton stock options. Those stock options have gained in value, earning Cheney around $7.5 million! As well, he continues to earn a deferred salary from the company.
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*Now, in case you didn't catch it, I'll explain the reason I posted earlier about the Bush family's collaboration with the Nazi's. Here's a quote from the article linked in that post.
"Bush's partners in the secret web of Thyssen-controlled ventures included former New York Governor W. Averell Harriman and his younger brother, E. Roland Harriman. Their quarter-century of Nazi financial transactions, from 1924-1951, were conducted by the New York private banking firm, Brown Brothers Harriman."
These are the same firms, though the partners Kellog and Root have been added and aquired by Haliburton.
Interesting connection don't you think?
The Bush family's partners in war profiteering and Nazi collaboration are the same company formerly headed by VP Cheney, and now war profiteering in the middle east and worldwide.
Back at the beginning of the Iraq 'war', no-bid contracts were improperly given out to companies friendly to the administration. Halliburton was one of the companies particularly favored by the administration. Against policy, members of the administration recommended Halliburton for the contract, the Pentagon admitted.
Now, despite warnings against using Halliburton (KBR) for the contract because of "significant potential for abuse and over-billing" the contract was awarded.
Apologists for the administration and Halliburton have said that Halliburton was the best choice for the job anyway.
Well let's look at that. What did the government, and therefore the taxpayers, got for their money.
- Dirty kitchens and food for the troops. A problem that it ignored and failed to fix even after repeated requests from the government.
"Halliburton serves dirty food to the troops
Dec. 13, 2003
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 2003 (Summary of Agence France Press Article) - The Department of Defense repeatedly warned Halliburton's subsidiary, KBR, that its food and the kitchens where it is prepared are "dirty," NBC News reported. A Pentagon report found that KBR's promises to clean up its food and kitchens "have not been followed through." The report found that KBR kitchens contain "blood all over the floor," "dirty pans," "dirty grills," "dirty salad bars" and "rotting meats ... and vegetables" in four of the military cafeterias the company operates in Iraq, reported NBC, citing Pentagon documents."
- Loss and misuse or outright theft of billions (that's right, billions with a 'B') of dollars.
"Pentagon auditors have concluded that Halliburton Co. failed to adequately account for more than $1.8 billion of work in Iraq and Kuwait, said a newspaper citing a Pentagon report. The amount represents 43 percent of the $4.18 billion that Houston-based Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root unit* has billed the Pentagon to feed and house troops in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported."
- Overcharged and overspent.
Investigation of Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority finds unwarranted overcharges of U.S. taxpayers
30 June 2004
WASHINGTON, June 30 (HalliburtonWatch.org) - An investigation into the U.S.-controlled Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) of Iraq found that it failed to adequately control over $9 billion in international aid, including Halliburton's hotel costs in Kuwait. The CPA controlled the governing processes of Iraq from May 2003 to June 29, 2004. Stuart Bowen, the CPA's inspector general, released the report one day after the CPA was disbanded and authority for the Iraqi government was handed over to Iraqi citizens. Bowen's report said the CPA participated in Halliburton's overcharges by failing to stop unauthorized personnel from staying at a Hilton in Kuwait City that was supposed to be used only by senior government officials. Halliburton charged the government $2.85 million for hotel costs, even though cheaper housing arrangements were available. For example, one CPA official lived at the Kuwaiti Hilton for almost $700 a night. The company also charged $191,000 a year for laundry services.
The dirty kitchens story is just one of dozens that show Haliburton and it's subsidiaries did substandard work at the expense of our soldiers.
Haliburton also lost, wasted or skimmed a whopping 43% of the money it billed the government!
And the Republicans have protected the company from regulation and policing.
On another note, the administration and it's puppets (like FOX News) like to rattle on about how Cheney no longer works for Halliburton and has no more connection or stocks in the company.
While technically true, this is not the whole story. Cheney holds 433,333 Halliburton stock options. Those stock options have gained in value, earning Cheney around $7.5 million! As well, he continues to earn a deferred salary from the company.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
*Now, in case you didn't catch it, I'll explain the reason I posted earlier about the Bush family's collaboration with the Nazi's. Here's a quote from the article linked in that post.
"Bush's partners in the secret web of Thyssen-controlled ventures included former New York Governor W. Averell Harriman and his younger brother, E. Roland Harriman. Their quarter-century of Nazi financial transactions, from 1924-1951, were conducted by the New York private banking firm, Brown Brothers Harriman."
These are the same firms, though the partners Kellog and Root have been added and aquired by Haliburton.
Interesting connection don't you think?
The Bush family's partners in war profiteering and Nazi collaboration are the same company formerly headed by VP Cheney, and now war profiteering in the middle east and worldwide.
posted by Tachyon at 17:04
