[Ninong]

When will they give up?

Karl Rove was right, here's additional proof that liberals hate our troops. When will they finally realize that they don't control anything anymore. Republicans are in charge of everything now and, by God, they're going to steal while the stealing's good. Who knows what might happen in the next election. Make hay while the sun shines, ya know, and all that good stuff.

Twenty eight Democratic U.S. Senators, led by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), are calling for a formal Department of Defense investigation into what they described as “alarming” reports of fraudulent, wasteful and abusive practices by Halliburton in providing food to U.S. troops in Iraq.

In May, despite concerns by the Army's own auditors about billing practices, the firm received $72.2 million in performance bonuses for its work in Iraq. The bonus was the largest ever received by the firm.

Halliburton has billed the government more than $10.5 billion to date under a contract to provide aid for the military in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

In a letter to Rumsfeld released Wednesday, the Senators cited testimony received at a Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) hearing Dorgan chaired June 27, at which a range of abuses by Halliburton were cited, including:

• Serving food to American troops that was outdated by as much as a year or contaminated by bullets and shrapnel. When the food’s condition was called to the attention of Halliburton supervisors, witnesses said, workers were instructed to use it anyway.

• Serving 10,000 meals but deliberately billing the government for at least 20,000 meals, every day at one dining hall, at one base.

• Instructions from Halliburton managers that workers were not to speak to government auditors

“We trust you will find this testimony as alarming as we do,” the Senators wrote. “The testimony demands an immediate and full investigation.”

Witness Rory Mayberry, a former food production manager at Halliburton subsidiary KBR, testified that troops were given food that had expired as much as a year earlier. He described a scene in which, after a convoy was ambushed, he and other employees were instructed to remove the bullets and shrapnel from the food supplies and serve them to U.S. soldiers.

Halliburton also charged the U.S. government for tens of thousands of meals that were never served. Mayberry testified that Halliburton managers instructed employees not to speak to government auditors, and punished those who did by sending them to more dangerous camps.

“Our troops deserve to eat their dinner without worrying it is spoiled or contaminated with bits of shrapnel,” Dorgan said. “Halliburton was given a sweetheart deal here, and they’ve done nothing but take advantage of it. I implore Mr. Rumsfeld to look into this matter immediately.”

Senators signing the letter, in addition to Dorgan included: Carl Levin (D-MI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Max Baucus (D-MT), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), John Corzine (D-NJ), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Mark Dayton (D-MN), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Charles Schumer (D-NY).

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/28_sen...nqui_0713.html

[schrocat]

Cheney goes out of his way and uses his employee discount card to get all this "stuff" for us and this is how he is rewarded!

The outrage.

[Ninong]

Let us not forget that Halliburton was chosen for all of these no-bid contracts because they were the only company with the requisite experience and qualifications to do the job, according to the people in charge of handing out such contracts. And now that they have even more experience, I'm sure they will be the only company considered for any future military adventures during the next three years.


P.S. -- If, God forbid, something awful should happen to Karl Rove, he could always find a spot at Halliburton. Maybe they could make him Vice-chairman or something.