Halliburton defends no-bid Iraq contract

[Newsjock]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20031025_77.html

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Oct. 25 — The head of Vice President Dick Cheney's former employer, Halliburton, is asking employees to contact newspapers and lawmakers to counter Democratic criticism of the company's no-bid contract in Iraq.

In an Oct. 17 memo entitled "Defending Our Company," Halliburton's president, Dave Lesar, said he was offended by the criticism but cautioned employees to be positive in their letters.

... Among Lesar's suggestions for the letters to newspapers:

"Halliburton makes our troops more comfortable in a difficult environment by bringing shelter, supplies, clean uniforms and mail from home."

"Halliburton is proud to offer its global resources at this critical time in the Middle East."

"Halliburton has successfully helped to restore needed services in Iraq that will help bring some sense of normalcy for those who have suffered losses."

more

[lcordero]

1. Those statements can be taken as out and out lies

because the complaints that have been making it to the news is about contractors being pretty much AWOL(that means no shelters being built), soldiers having to rely on care packages from home(and you great people from DU;) ), I already saw one report of a female soldier washing her uniforms by hand so Halliburton is still AWOL, and soldiers being lucky that they even get mail that is months old.

[Palacsinta]

8. No-bid contract?

Is this addressed? Isn't the "No-Bid" part of the contract part of the protest, along with the lousy service?

[saigon68]

11. DEAR PUBLIC THANKS A LOT

The Pina Coladas are really great here and the sun on the beach is fantastic.
So is the Prime Rib.

Thanks to the 500% markup we can afford this evry month.

Sincerely---- the Halliburton (2LL'S) Stockholders and Staff;
At the Casa Grande Resort, Cancun, Mexico.


WE (the taxpayers) ARE SUCKERS.

[uhhuh]

2. I like this

"Halliburton is proud to offer its global resources at this critical time in the Middle East."

They forgot to include that they do this at a 500% markup.

[Avalon Sparks]

3. I knew it...

I saw a letter from a Halliburton employee in the Houston Chronicle on 10/19 and one in the Dallas Morning News on 10/21. Here they are:

{I started a thread about the Houston Chronicle letter that day because it was so unbelivable)

Houston Chronicle 10/19:

Gratitude due Halliburton

Halliburton has been in the press under critical scrutiny of late.

The fine way Halliburton is meeting the need of providing a support system in a timely manner is something to think about.

There was a reason when the Iraq war began that the Department of Defense asked Halliburton to implement its wartime emergency plan that was approved under the existing and competitively bid contract.

Halliburton is uniquely qualified to serve the Armed Services.

Gratitude and appreciation are in order.

Arvadia Oglesby, law department, Halliburton, Houston

Unfreaking Believable! Yeah the reason is Dick Cheney! They want us to thank them for sucking up all our tax dollars.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/outlook/2163586


Here's the one from the Dallas Morning News 10/21:

Halliburton doing good


I get so angry reading all of the negative stories on Halliburton. I am very proud to work for this company. The following are some of what we're doing in Iraq:
• Transporting 500 million gallons of water.

• Delivering 92,000 pieces of mail.

• Doing laundry for more than 100,000 troops – and that involves water, power, detergent and wastewater management. Over a year, this is 73 million pounds of laundry.

• Feeding 95,000 troops in 57 dining facilities.

• Cleaning up, since May, more than 45,000 barrels of oil in Iraq and restoring the infrastructure resulting in the export of more than 36 million barrels of oil.

• Helping to create jobs and a functioning economy.

I am very proud to work for this company.

Mary Hubbard, executive secretary, Completion Products, Halliburton Energy Services, Carrollton


http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/letters/stories/102103dnedituesdayletters.74b6.html


:puke: :puke: :puke:

[thebigidea]

5. do you suppose Halliburton writes the letters for their people like DOD?

[Noordam]

4. New Link

the ABC link is dead. Funny about that.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Halliburton-Memo.html

[Flubadubya]

10. The ABC link works just fine.

:shrug:

[lebkuchen]

6. Deployed military have been complaining about the mail for months

It's probably a mistake for Halliburton to come out of the closet and admit they're the culprits for screwing the mail system up so badly. Rarely a week goes by when a deployed soldier isn't complaining about the mail service.

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=18098


Long-lost mail

I was mailed two boxes of supplies more than three months ago. I have yet to receive them. This was the third shipment from the same company, and I received the first two in three weeks or less. Our address has remained the same since April, so moving camps is not an issue.

I since reordered the supplies, and I received that shipment in less than two weeks. I have confirmed that the original order was actually mailed with receipts from the post office. I have asked members of my command and the people who deliver our mail, and no one has any idea how to figure out what the deal is.

Is there a way to track mail and how does a box mailed in September get delivered before packages shipped in June and July? I also know people who have received packages with items missing. Can anyone explain how this stuff happens?

Chad Everhart
Kuwait

[Wickerman]

9. I can vouch for that

My nephew had at least a dozen packages that never reached him. One was a collection of letters of support from my daughter's entire school. It was a massive undertaking - she did a terrific job of organization and she is only in 5th grade. I was really proud of her, even though she and I both believe the war was wrong. She is heartbroken that he never recieved the letters. Fuck Haliburton ad Fuck Dick Cheney.

[lebkuchen]

13. Consider doing this...

Send your post, which would make a wonderful "letter to the editor" w/no changes except perhaps for the last sentence (though I agree, Cheney is an ), to

[e-mail]

and reference the ABC article in the original post above.

Here's "Stripes" letter writing policy. I think the deployed troops would appreciate reading such a letter coming from a US civilian. This is the kind of support they need. I've been doing likewise.

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=557

[Wickerman]

18. Thanks, that is an excellent idea and one I aim to follow up on

I am a vet myself and I am pissed.

[lebkuchen]

19. I wouldn't ask anyone to do what I haven't done already

and I'm writing another one this weekend. Reinforcements needed.

Your letter would bring comfort to those deployed who have taken the risk and written themselves. They need civilians to come to their aid in letter format.

[Flubadubya]

7. Declassify the contract....

Make it public. Give this goldbricking company the scrutiny it REALLY deserves, then we'll see if it can stand the light of day.

I fear we'll find a humongous cockroach! :spank: :scared:

[goforit]

12. Ofcourse!!!........Haliburton is above ALL laws!!!

Get use to it!!!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skittles]

15. yeah, I saw one of those letters in the Dallas Morning News

two days later there was a great reply letter saying NO ONE SAID YOU'RE DOING A BAD JOB; JUST THAT THERE WAS NO BIDDING ALLOWED.

[leesa]

16. Interesting how our 'unbiased' media always calls complaints

against the Bush Crime Family "Democratic" complaints. I think the complaints from soldiers about the lack of equipment and supplies are very likely a mixed bag of people

[Bandit]

17. plan that was approved under the existing and competitively bid contract.

If this were a fact no one would be complaining. They were awarded contracts without competative bidding and so were a few others, and coincidentally those companies are Huge GOP contributers.

[cliss]

20. Dave needs to add:

"Yes, it's true, Hallitosis is the host with the most". We will be there for our troops, rain or shine, and provide them with a nice uniform which will hopefully fit. One size fits all, you know".

Oh, and let's not forget: we'll charge you $2,680.00 for each uniform, and $17.60 per letter delivered.

It's risky business over there, you know.

[Solly Mack]

21. troops more comfortable? for to laugh

What bullshit

what utter and complete bullshit

My husband hand washes his uniforms when he can...which isn't often. I..that's me, myself and I......send him replacement t-shirts, underwear and socks...halliburton doesn't give him shit.


a non-profit organization buys replacement boots for (some) soldiers....and that organization isn't the DoD or Halliburton.

parents/spouses are buying the bullet-proof vests needed for combat

running water is still a problem

"shelter" is a bombed out building made habitable BY the soldiers NOT Halliburton...

and some soldiers still live out in the open...some in tents...and some in make-shift hovels.

My husband relies on me..and the kindness of others for the majority of his supplies...he barters/trades/buys with/from Iraqis for the rest....and NOT Halliburton...

go sell that lie elsewhere...I KNOW better

and..out of 64 letters sent to Iraq, he has only received 4...I number them..so I know. I have to now put letters in his boxes just to make sure he gets them