It's Lying ... and It's Murder

http://counterpunch.com/smith05072008.html

How KBR Electrocuted US Troops

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Sunday’s New York Times carried another story of lies, deception, and fraud that resulted in death by electrocution of at least twelve soldiers and marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. These deaths did not come while the soldiers were on patrol or by unexpected encounters with downed “hot” wires. These “accidents” happened in facilities used as base camps for U.S. units, camps that were to have been completely refurbished – including the wiring – under terms of a $30 billion no-bid contract awarded to the one-time Halliburton subsidiary KBR (formerly Kellogg-Brown-Root).

The deaths reportedly all were the result of shoddy workmanship in the grounding of electrical sources, both in permanent structures and in machinery when in use. The problem is not new: in 2004, Army units in theatre were alerted concerning the potential for accidental electrocution. American electricians working for KBR in the war zone observed and notified KBR and even the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), the office that monitors contractor performance, of numerous instances of poor workmanship by undertrained and underpaid Iraqi and Afghan “electricians.” According to the Times, nothing was done to remedy the problem because DCMA has neither the staff to monitor whether the specifications of a contract are being met nor “subject-matter experts” with the knowledge to inspect electrical wiring to insure all safety issues are resolved.

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That’s where the record is now. But there is more to come as Congress is holding hearings on contracting irregularities, corruption, bribery and war profiteering. The Defense Department’s Inspector-General has an enquiry of his own in progress. But unless Congress and the IG include in their investigations the influence that the KBR forgeries had on delaying subsequent maintenance and inspection schedules (as the logs would be taken as accurately reflecting what had been done) that might have corrected deficiencies, the real evil in this saga – that no one, not even those whose forgeries materially contributed to the deaths of 12 soldiers will be held accountable – will not be excised.

This is not simply corruption and fraud but a question of deaths for which specific individuals can and should be held accountable in a criminal court. Moreover, in these deaths, there is not even the excuse of the “fog of war” as appears may be the case in Pat Tillman’s death. Many deaths were at fixed installations, the rest involved large generators. Contractors had pledged to provide “life support” services in return for $30 billion, but there was from the beginning no possibility that the Pentagon could exercise proper oversight as – according to the just-resigned Agency head, Keith Ernst – the DCMA had no “technical capability to exercise oversight.”

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Don’t look now, but that Mad Hatter world seems to have ascended the rabbit hole and now is in full swing about us. And its inhabitants seem determined to stay for as long as they can. But what else can one expect when national identity is based on war – the ultimate madness?

Tea, anyone?
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There's also the VERY curious matter that he was shot and went to his knees and then was shot again with a 3-round burst IN THE FOREHEAD, when the hostiles where up on the ridge of the canyon and never actually delivered a whole lot more than "harassing" fire, not actually ever even striking any of the vehicles.