Workers hurt in Iraq sue (truckers sue Halliburton for convoy attacks)

[Barrett808]

Workers hurt in Iraq sue
Louie Gilot
El Paso Times
Monday, April 3, 2006

The fiery ambush of a fuel convoy in Iraq two years ago in which two area truckers were wounded, six private contractors were killed and American hostage Thomas Hamill was captured could have been prevented, a lawsuit alleges.

Truckers Raymond Stannard of El Paso and Eddie Sanchez of Silver City are among the 11 survivors of the convoy who, with the families of the six deceased truckers, are suing Halliburton and its subsidiary KBR for an unspecified amount in federal court in Houston.

Both truckers said new evidence unearthed by their lawyers, Lopez Hodes of Newport Beach, Calif., has changed their view of the incident.

"I thought it was a freak accident," said Sanchez, who is now a heavy duty mechanic at Phelps Dodge. "I kind of felt they wouldn't let us go out if it wasn't safe. It's a Fortune 500 company. I kind of feel betrayed."

Court documents filed in the lawsuit allege that officials with the military contracting giant knowingly sent the civilian truckers to Baghdad International Airport on a road where three convoys had been attacked the same morning and at least five had been attacked the day before.

(more)

http://www.borderlandnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060403/NEWS/604030346/1001

[aden_nak]

1. Get ready for some ugliness.

I am fairly certain (unless it was dealt with earlier) that an executive order prevents suing any company involved in the reconstruction of Iraq.

[pocket]

2. they chose to be war profiteers, so screw them

I hope they both lose somehow

[saigon68]

3. Mercenaries on the open road

Sucks to be them

I wonder how much they made?

[cantstandbush]

4. These lame Bushbots think of ways to screw the American taxpayer

anyway they can. One way or the other, the US government will reimburse Halliburton for any liabilities.

As far as the truckers are concerned, they made hazard pay while in Iraq so STFU!!!

[Mandate My Ass]

5. too for them bad bush gave blanket immunity via exec order

http://deepblade.net/journal/2005/05/bush-extends-us-legal-immunity-in-iraq.html

Executive Order 13303, first entered by the president on May 22,2003, is one mechanism the US has used to insure financial impunity for private US interests in Iraq. Please see some contemporaneous analysis of this policy of corporate anarchy and its effects here and here.

According to one of the references from these sources -- the Government Accountability Project,
Activities exempt from accountability The scope of the EO's mandate for lawlessness is limited only by the imagination. Section 1(b) shields value ``of any nature whatsoever'' if it ``aris from'' or is ``related to'' the ``sale or marketing of all Iraqi petroleum and petroleum products" or ``interests.'' That means all corporate activities with roots or any connection to Iraqi oil. It covers everything from extraction through transportation, advertising, manufacture, customer service, corporate records and payment of taxes. It covers compliance with contractual obligations involving Iraqi oil that industry enters with the U.S. government in post-war Iraq. The scope can be further expanded to virtually all oil-related commerce, by blending Iraqi oil with domestic supplies for any given commercial transaction. Since the EO also covers petroleum ``products,'' It includes commerce such as plastics in the petrochemical industry or anything else for which Iraqi oil becomes relevant.

[justice1]

6. Interesting responses

The wages of truck drivers are going down in the U.S. because Mexican drivers can do it cheaper. That's okay, because their just trying to support their family. However, the American isn't considered a family man, but a war profiteer.

[superconnected]

7. You gotta wonder about someone who turns something into

hate mexicans moment.

How obvious can you get.

[superconnected]

8. I hope these truckers find a way to win, or at least make it big public

news about what Haliburton is doing.

Sure they shouldn't have been there cashing in, but one of my favorite passtimes IS watching the right eat itself.

Dems can't stop them. We're too nice. They pretty much have to destroy themsevles from within.

[shadowknows69]

9. They should sue GW

for not providing a safe work environment for them.