Was anyone listening to Randi talk about KBR food issue?

[SmileMaker]

We need to make large posters to spread the word about this shockingly DISGUSTING abuse of our soldiers and tax dollars. Shame on Bush and his filthy friends!

Does anyone have a link to this story?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. YES! IT was disgusting. KBR was serving them left over food after

picking bullets and debris out of it. Using expired food that was over a year old! Support the troops? What a crock!

[efhmc]

2. Need a link so we can put it on the front page.

I see that it has been done.

[drm604]

3. Here's a link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/27/AR2005062701727_pf.html

[Sydnie]

5. It was from the hearing yesterday

"Bunny" Greenhouse talked about how KBR did the economic specs for a contract then was awarded that same contract even though past practice was to have one firm do the economics then exclude them from bidding on the job. Since no bidding took place, KBR got the contract after they, themselves, set the economic parameters. "Bunny" Greenhouse is the procurement officer for the Army Corp Of Engineers.

Then two guys representing a fuel transportation company (the name escapes me - Lawton Otis maybe?), Mr Watter (I think that was his name) and Mr. Butters. They told of how they were charging 18 cents a gallon for the fuel they were delivering while KBR was charging the US $1.30 a gallon. They talked about being ambushed and arriving at a base with dead and injured yet the KBR employees were told not to give them any assistance at all. They had emails to prove those charges. They were treated this way because their contracts were with Iraq for fuel for consumers rather than fuel for KBR efforts. They were asked at least once to bring extra consumer fuel to calm the citizens when fuel was delayed at one point. KBR told them that it would help keep the fighting down to keep the citizens happy and without gas lines at their fueling stations. They talked about how the equipment for the fueling stations (provided by KBR) was not current technology and often didn't work as intended. This company had to purchase addition pumps and generators to do the work that the KBR equipment could not.

Then Rory (don't remember his last name) testified that he was in the food service for KBR. How he would be told to use food that had been kept in refrigerated trucks. As long as there was fuel to keep the trucks running, the food stayed good. Once the fuel ran out, they (KBR) refused to refuel the trucks to maintain the refrigeration. The food would sit in these trucks for day and then be served to the troops. He also talked about having food that had been in trucks that had been attacked. They were instructed to check the food for bullets and shrapnel and then serve it to the troops. Meat that was spoiled, food that was outdated, food that was contaminated.

The whole hearing just made you sick! It should replay on C-SPAN at some point this week. I know they replayed it this morning. It's worth watching.

[Synnical]

4. WaPo: Democrats Criticize Payments to KBR

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/27/AR2005062701727_pf.html

Pentagon auditors have questioned more than $1 billion in costs by contracting giant Halliburton Co. for its work in Iraq, a number several times higher than previously disclosed, according to a report by congressional Democrats.

The report, based on Defense Contract Audit Agency documents and a briefing by DCAA officials, details $813 million in questioned costs on a Halliburton contract to provide logistical support to U.S. troops and $219 million on a no-bid contract to restore Iraqi's oil network.

<snip>

Speaking by video, Rory Mayberry, a former food production manager at Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., told Democratic lawmakers how Halliburton charged the government for as many as 10,000 meals a day it never served. He also said the company paid unusually high prices for its food, fed food as much as a year beyond its expiration date to the troops and ordered employees not to talk to U.S. government auditors.

"For trucks that were hit by convoy fire and bombings, we were told to go into the trucks and remove the food items and use them after removing the bullets and any shrapnel," he said.

more at link

[w8liftinglady]

7. The text of the investgation

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050627140010-82879.pdf

[nomatrix]

6. From Randi Rhodes message board

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050628/pl_nm/iraq_halliburton_dc

[me b zola]

8. Thanks for the heads up, I'm on the west coast so I'm listening now

I was thinking earlier today about how to frame the message for freeway blogging to get the message out that our men & women are dying in Iraq for these corporate contracts.

Just in case you missed it, here's the link for the transcript to 'Private Warriors', a PBS documentary about the privitization of the war.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/etc/script.html