Senators Say KBR Should be Punished

Senators Say KBR Should be Punished
January 27, 2009
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Two senators say the Army hasn't acted fast enough to fix electrical problems in Iraq.

They also said punishment should have been given a contractor they said allowed shoddy work to be done at U.S. facilities, leading to the electrocutions of U.S. troops.

Democratic Sens. Bob Casey from Pennsylvania and Byron Dorgan from North Dakota said Tuesday that Houston-based contractor KBR Inc. should be punished for allowing improper grounding of electrical wires in facilities it was maintaining.

Last week, The Associated Press reported the 2008 death of a soldier, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, who had been classified by an Army investigation as a "negligent homicide" caused by KBR and two of its supervisors.

An Army spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. An Army commander has said an electrical code was being created and wiring inspected in Iraq.


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