Halliburton Hurt Our Troops—At a Cost of $1.4 Billion
Posted by Stephanie Taylor on April 23, 2007 at 05:49 PM
Last Thursday, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the cost of the Iraq war, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) spoke about his ongoing investigation of Halliburton, the corporation under contract with the Pentagon to handle Iraq war logistics like feeding our soldiers and supplying them with drinking water.
His testimony was a scathing indictment of how the Bush administration has hurt our troops by awarding "no-bid" contracts worth billions to Halliburton--and how Halliburton has put our troops at risk. For example:
"Halliburton allowed our troops in Iraq to shower, bathe, and sometimes brush their teeth with water that was tested positive for E. coli and Coliform Bacteria, and was more contaminated than raw water from the highly polluted Euphrates River."
A high number of bacterial infections among soldiers were later traced back to the contaminated water provided by Halliburton.
Halliburton also served the troops food that had spoiled or passed its expiration date. When convoys carrying food came under attack, Halliburton managers ordered employees to remove bullets from the food, and then served the food to unwitting soldiers and Marines.
Sen. Dorgan cited 19 other abuses, describing how Halliburton "charged taxpayers for services it never provided and tens of thousands of meals that it never served," and "sent unarmed truck drivers into a known combat zone without warning them of the danger, resulting in the deaths of six truck drivers and two soldiers."
Halliburton employees were ordered to burn brand-new $85,000 trucks on the side of the road, far from any hostilities, because they didn’t have the right wrench to change a tire--and because the trucks could be replaced on a profitable "cost-plus" basis at taxpayer expense. Halliburton charged taxpayers triple the price of hand towels, while having the Halliburton logo embroidered on each one.
Taxpayers have been charged $45 for a case for soda and $100 for a bag of laundry. Meanwhile, our troops are sent into battle without the armor and equipment they need.
According to auditors at the Defense Contract Audit Agency, as of June 2005, Halliburton had billed taxpayers $1.4 billion in questionable and undocumented charges under various Iraq contracts.
Don’t forget that Vice-President Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton--before he left to join George Bush on the Republican ticket in 2000. Cheney’s "retirement" package from Halliburton was worth more than $33.7 million.
Comments (30) «
The CEO's of haliburton must be tried for fraud and sent to prison for life. cheney must be required to pay back the $1.4 Billion stolen from the American taxpayers.
I am sick of cheney's arrogant behavior. It's the enron crap all over again. This time instead of screwing California, they are screwing the Nation. This is totally unacceptable.
IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY NOW!!!!!!!
There's another company that successfully keeps it's name out of the papers who is just as guilty as Halliburton. EDS (Electronic Data Systems), with a home office in Dallas, has been awarded nearly every electronic security contract; a vast system of Medicaid, Medicare and Veteran's Administration computer contracts among other agency contracts too numerous to name. Dick Cheney resigned from the Board of EDS to run as Bush's VP. Many of the "Rebuild Iraq" contracts are going to EDS - at least the no-bid ones.
EDS is the company started by Ross Perot, who sold it to General Motors. EDS went public while retaining many GM contracts, guaranteed first bidder.
EDS outsources it's help lines for the internal company software issues as well as supporting the major hardware vendors such as Gateway, Sony, etc.
I've wondered for years why the whistle hasn't been blown on this company who's sheets are just as dirty as Halliburton.
BJS
Someone should go to jail for infecting the troops.
If you haven't seen IRAQ FOR SALE, get a DVD of this movie that lays out a significant portion of the most corrupt of the War profiteers , and does so on a personal level.
DFA has links to the DVD at DFALink.com
The result of the water fiasco is that manny vets will return from Iraq carrying pathogens and parasites in their system they don't even know they have.
We need a GI BILL for Iraq Vets, funded by fines given to reckless profiteers and blatant thievery we track down.
You think that's all Halleburton has done? Look at all of Halleburtons employees and fmr. employees! Bush...Chaney...all of them benefit from this war. They planned from 2000 elections. Our countries been sold out! We need to stand up for our country and take the wool off our eyes and realize what's really going on. 9/11, Terrorists, all of it lies. If you knew what you did about President Bush now about lying about Weapons of Mass Destruction, torturing, invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 isn't it possible they staged that as well? They were the ones who fed us the information to begin with! Yes Saddam was bad..but we shoulda pulled as soon as we took it out and let them fight it out and dispute who gets the land we are in the middle of a Civil War. America isn't WANTED now. But we are there because of Oil, and money. We are being fed lies to fight wars Halleburtons profit!
Ever since 9/11 we have heard TERROR...Look at the news from that day, "Terror Strikes America", "Terrorism In America" and we didn't even know who did it yet! It was staged. The media is being told what to say because Halleburton has the money and resources to shut them up. WAKE UP AMERICA! Smell the roses...see the truth.
Someone should go to jail for infecting the troops.
Posted by SandyH on April 23, 2007 at 08:15 PM
that is a given! further, the demos in congress should muster the guts to bring forth legislation that places a surcharge on Halliburton to compensate the families of our finest who lost loved ones and/or to provide for those maimed for life? ... might i suggest 75%?
Bush, Cheney and Rove think they are above the law. They are only men and need to be taken to suit. A serious effort needs to be made to putting these people into prison. If it takes a million folks knocking on the whitehouse door then so be it.
Cheers
Pragmatic American, I live in Spring, Texas and have been a resident of the greater Houston area for many years, Your post at 8:49 was right on the money. And thx to Steph!
Thanks for all the great info folks!I`ll be looking on line to read up on still more dirt under the Bushes.Apparently, unless your a real thief you can`t be a Bush.This country would be a much better place without them.I would think this country would never want to elect another ever!We have a very naive public.
It cannot be a coincidence that Dubai was getting fast-track port ownership approval at the same time Halliburton was preparing to move its headquarters there. Weren't some of the 911 highjackers UAE citizens?
What have I been saying, all along! Actually, abuse by contractors has been going on for a decade or better. It's been a big open secret among the military, because of the big-wig politicians who've been protecting the contractors, because of campaign donations. (Another reason for campaign reform!)
It's just because of the cast-iron hubris of the Bushiato that it has become this blatant.
Halliburton and subsidiaries, need to not only be indicted, but lawsuits on the behalf of our kids needs to be instituted and reparations made.
Health surveys of returned Iraq "war" veterans need to be made, and even the PTSD and brain trauma kids who were kicked out on trumped-up less than honorable discharges need to be compensated.
"Cheney’s "retirement" package from Halliburton was worth more than $33.7 million."
i'd suppose ol' good hearted dick felt sorry for those killed and maimed that he donated heavily to those veterans and/or families of ... in light of never himself being a veteran yet having scored 5 deferments from any military service ... right dick?
Stephanie, shut up. Start talking about something you know about, not what some one has written. All your doing is yodling. Get into a conversation that you can discuss first hand with the subject. Anyone can do what you are doing.
Hey john, you only want to impeach, simply because Clinton was. It is pay back time, right. You couldn't be any more obvious.
The hatred and anger in america is a selfish hatred in america. your pushing the major energy companies out, Halliburton leaving the US is only the beginning. Yet you idiots still don't see it. The annual revenue that the US government gets from Halliburton in Taxes and other income will be lost in the upcoming near future. The company I work for are already discussing the same issue. But that is what you want, punish big business and or the oil companies. Go ahead. It will only be a matter of time, and then people will start saying "What happened?"
Hey Butte, Campaign contributions? I think you need to look at Billary and Obama, before you open your mouth on that one.
Denise, there was 21 hi jackers. 17 were Saudi.
Naive? yes Virgo, you are.
Hold Halliburton responsible for loosing "loved ones being lost in Iraq" makes about as much sense as holding the Boeing Corporation responsible for the World Trade Center being run into by airplanes. My god, the jeolousy and stupidity of the general public in the states, makes me realise many of you should be speaking arabic and reading the Quran.
blah blah blah. Like the Dems are going to make a difference. There are two major so called political parties in the US. Neither one is worth p-ssing on if they were on fire. All they do is point blame and say they can do it better, mean while us Americans at home paying the taxes that keep these free loaders in power are the real dummies. When is the people in the US going to quit supporting the criminal Reps and the Socialist Dems, and kick the government out. The Constitution says we can. I dont, care if it is the dems or the reps, they both need to go. People in American seem to accept that these freeloaders are going to live off us regardless. The US is headed for a major break down. Hopefully soon. I am ready, are you?
"Hold Halliburton responsible for loosing "loved ones being lost in Iraq" makes about as much sense as holding the Boeing Corporation responsible for the World Trade Center being run into by airplanes."
Posted by TexaninSaudi on April 25, 2007 at 03:35 PM
your analogy is a blind shot from the tx hip lost in saudi... boeing didn't do in the towers.
suggest you (re)read the "Halliburton Hurt Our Troops—At a Cost of $1.4 Billion
Posted by Stephanie Taylor on April 23, 2007 at 05:49 PM"
I don't have time to read propoganda. I live over in the Middle East. Maybe you should just come on and spit it out, you don't want bush because he is republican. Any democrat can pass on information that democrats wrote. The same goes for Republicans. Get on a plane and come over here. I think you will be quite surprised, that many of the things you have read in the papers and seen on tv is a big load of bs.
ANYTHING TO MAKE A SELL AT THE NEWS STAND.
Halliburton hurt our Troops was written by another Dem. You believe that crap, go ahead. It is a free country, for now anyway. America, "wake up". You have lost the plot. You are willing to tear down your nation over a D or an R at the end of your name or title. If you are that stupid, then America is not worth saving, because a country is made up of citizens, not political parties.
The Tex-ass-ian is at it again.
"Methinks thou dost protest too much" Will S.
What subsidiary of Halliburton are you working for anyway?
If you don't like the truth coming out, move to Dubai and stay there.
You think I protest too much? Actually I am just having fun.
I don't work for Halliburton. I work for the Saudi Government. They pay good money and they have always been honest with me.
I am not defending Halliburton, but I am questioning the tactics of the Democrats on this. They are only giving Halliburton a hard time because Cheney is associated with them.
But you speak of the truth, how much of these investigations did you do? Because if you are only repeating what you have heard or read, then you are just yodling too. Because everyone knows that the news today is more Editorial, than just reporting the facts. I don't need a so called educated reporter telling me how I should think. Just give me the unpolluted facts and I will make my own decission. I don't claim to know political subjects, but I do have eyes, ears and can make a decission myself, without having someone that want to raise my taxes, have me vote for him to keep him employed on my dollar.
Dubai is not bad either by the way. No income taxes, construction and business opportunities everywhere. Did you know that 31% of all of the worlds Construction cranes are in the Country of Dubai. It is booming over here. There is no political bickering either. So, yeah Dubai is a pretty good option. I just may do that. Thanks for the good idea. It is typical of a party person whether dem or rep, to say go there and stay there, because they go against the way you think. My opinion is one of 290 million americans. And, they are like a--holes, everybody has one. So even though you and I disagree, we are still americans for the time being, and I can say anything I want about the Criminal Reps and the Socialist Dems. As I said way back, they ain't getting my money and freedom. Because both is what they want, so they can hold you down, and they stay in power
I am no more at it again as the Dems are in Congress. Stiring Sh-t. Why not. Seems to be the thing to do.
I don't work for Halliburton. I work for Saudi Government. If you think that is the truth, you have about as much sense as a tree stump. The dems are against oil because it is related to Texas and Bush, and the price has gone up on your gas. But you still will not remark on the amount of autos on the road in the states with only one person in them. You won't because I am right,
Abu Graib needs a second look, too.
Several of the guards said they were only doing WHAT THE CONTRACTORS IN CHARGE OF THEM told them to do.
The contractors were likely Blackwater operatives, and should have NEVER been put in charge of military personnel.
It's an implication that got blown off at the time, but really deserves a second look.
"I don't work for Halliburton. I work for the Saudi Government. If you think that is the truth, you have about as sense as a tree stump."
Frankly, what you are saying about yourself is that you aren't believeable.
You are nothing but a minion of big oil.
Working for the Saudis is the same as working for Halliburton, as they are all in the same bed.
You're just pissed off because your free ride at the world's expense is being threatened.
As for Dubai, most dictatorships/oligarchies are free from political debate. The construction cranes will stop when the oil dries up in about 20 years, and the poor people in Dubai will revolt and start car-bombing the fancy buildings.
You are on the top floor of a burning building and refuse to admit it.
I really feel sorry for you.
Hey Butte.
Like I said early about three paragraphs up, I am having fun. And my job is in no way threatened. Actually it is even more secure, because you, well what ever you want to call yourself, has no idea how to reduce my pay and have no idea what the oil industry is about.
If you want to call me a minion of big oil, go right ahead. Names is not going to effect my bank account and you guys keep doing what you are doing. You put more in it every day. You are too selfish to help on conservation, so you will continue supporting the oil companies, you just don't realise you are doing it. If you think working for the Saudis is the same as working for Halliburton you are really wrong, IT IS VERY MUCH BETTER. Did you know that Saudi Arabia exports over 11,000,000 bbls of oil per day. Why don't you multiply that by the international price of oil. In other words Saudi makes over $600,000,000 per DAY. Takes your breath away don't it. Halliburton ain't no where near that. And, to top it off, my job is with the Saudi Government and I have clauses in my contract, so if it makes you feel better that my job is threatened, i will even agree with ya so you FEEL GOOD. So there, feel better now. 20 years from now, what happens in Dubai won't matter now will it. I will be retired, feet kicked up on my ranch and wonder what ole Butte is doing.
Don't feel sorry for me, I don't need it. There are other people that need it more than I so save it for them please.
Your last statement forced me to be a smart ass, because you played your hand just as I predicted. IF SOMEONE HAS MONEY IT IS WRONG BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY DOES. SO SINCE I HAVE MONEY IT SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY AND GIVEN TO OTHERS LESS PRIVELEDGED. THATS SOCIALISM COWBOY. Even others call it communism. So if that is what you support along with the rest of Dems go right ahead. You and your so called Dem Party can't get my money anyway, cause I have secured it else where. I was counting on you lot to think you were going to take over the world. Never underestimate the mind of a Socialist. They are sneaky, liars and lazy.
Dubai is not a dictator state, so you need to study just a little bit more on your world affairs too.
Enjoyed it, what else you got Butte?
It is amazing what you say about the car bombings in the Dubai Buildings. I am sure that is what you hope happens so you are not much different than Al Quaida. What ever it takes to get the money out of the pockets of more priveledged. The easy way out, like I said LAZY.
Also, you said earlier, "Free Ride at the world's Expense." You have only not read further up, but in case you don't care to trace back, I have been doing this for 30 years, there was no free ride. I worked 30 hrs shifts, and some even longer just to move up and gain promotions and to make more income for me and my family so we could have a better life, so it is not at the world's expense, but my expense.
The difference between you and me, Is I don't mind you quoting me on anything I have said. I stand behind it and back it up as 100% the truth anb even admit, I said it.
However, you lot, always play on someone elses research, and when the crap hits the fan, will crawfish under the closest rock and point the finger at others. Stand up for what you say and what you believe. If others don't like it, p-ss off. The reason you don't like me is the money, but also, I am proud of my accomplishments in this life, and am willing to stand behind it. I provide my family and myself a good living. It is for us because we paid the dues, not some republican, democrat or socialist. Have a good day and may your tomorrow be even better
Hey Butte, another thing,
If you think it is the world's enviornment paying for the success of people like me and the Saudi's, that is where all of you get so screwed up.
The Saudi's have one national income, Production of oil from the ground. They have no other industry. They supply this product to mainly the western world and the industrial world. So Saudi is only contributing to the so called Global warming about like a very underdeveloped country in Africa, Asia or South American. The Oil companies are only supplying a product that people like you demand is too expensive and is not cheap enough so you don't have to make a change to your life style. So what it comes down to, is every person that owns a car and uses Electricity in the States in contributing to Global warming MORE than the Saudi's. They are only providing the source of Energy that you are demanding. So blame yourself, not the Saudi's. And when you can find a better form of fuel for your cars and homes, then is strongly suggest in using it. But you better find it within five years because that is when I retire at 55.
LOL, you'd think Tex-ass-ian was in Egypt, he's so deep in "De Nile".
He kind of reminds me of a spoiled child, who throws tantrums because they don't want to hear something. I'll bet his co-workers really think he's a jerk.
I'm glad he's over there, because we already have a jerk like that in the White House and one is too many.
Well, your geography is getting better. Your getting closer. Now Egypt has a Dictatorship, so you are definately getting better. You musta studied last night. Denial, for what? I am happy as peas and carrots. You are the one in denial, complaining and wanting everybody kicked out of office just because of a Republican party. You said it on one of your other comments further back on a different subject on this sight. I WANT EM ALL GONE, DEMS AND REPS. Because they are idiots like you, not compromising when there are issues that need to be discussed. The Dems are absolutely no better than the Reps on compromising, after all isn't your maskot the Mule. Remember, "Stubburn as a Missouri Mule"
Don't really care what my co-workers think. They have to pull there load just like the rest and if they don't, plane and simple, they get axed. No time for free loaders, in government or the private sector. YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT TOO. I am glad I am over here, but I would rather be in Texas, but the leftist gorillas are starting to make a rise down there too, so I pulled stakes and came over here, so my life saving were protected. Cause as soon as they know I have some money stuck away, they will try to get it and give to someone that has not pulled their dues. The main thing, is you are happy thinking you are doing the right thing.
Be cool, Butte.
Hey did you see how fast the response was regarding Dean's Comments on the Veto of the Iraq Bill by Bush. Pretty Quick huh. Posted only minutes after the Veto. Wow, Dean works quick. Almost like it was written in advance. He sure thinks ahead, don't you agree?
Maybe time would be better spent while waiting on the Bush Veto which we knew would come, was spent on how negotiations were going to take place with the President to resolve the Iraq situation. All the money ole Dean makes for coming up with a smart ass remark instead of approaching the president in a yahooing manner. Keep it up Dean. You ain't foolin me.
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