Halliburton Profits While Troop Protection Lags
A Pentagon audit has found that Halliburton, the oil services company once headed by Vice-President Cheney, may have overcharged the U.S. government as much as $61 million for gasoline delivered to Iraq under a no-bid contract. But at the same time, American troops are fighting without the most advanced protective equipment.
John Kerry issued the following statement challenging the Bush Administration's distorted priorities in Iraq:
“Halliburton is guilty of shameful war-profiteering, and they need to be held accountable. It’s dead wrong that Halliburton is bilking American taxpayers by overcharging the government $61 million for fuel while our troops on the frontlines are underfunded, overextended, and some have literally been left to buy their own body armor. Think about what $61 million could buy for our troops in need rather than lining the pockets of Halliburton executives. The Bush Administration should be ashamed that they bent over backwards for their biggest contributors while leaving American troops in danger. We need to get our priorities back in order. As president, I will fight the special interests, not coddle them, and I will make sure that no American soldier ever goes without the equipment they need to do their job.”
U.S. Soldiers serving in Iraq are facing shortfalls in equipment including 1) special body armor, 2) armored Humvees to protect against guerilla attacks, 3) advanced anti-missile systems for helicopters.
Body Armor
One-fourth of the 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are still waiting for the latest body armor. The Department of Defense says it will be the end of January 2004 before all the troops have been outfitted. $61 million would provide funding to purchase more than 40,000 sets of body armor ($1500 each). John Kerry has introduced legislation requiring the Department of Defense to reimburse family members who paid money out of their own pockets to provide the personal body armor that the government failed to deliver.
Armored Humvees
Only a few hundred of the military’s 10,000 Humvees are armored with steel and thick plastic windows to protect occupants against the guerilla warfare they are facing in Iraq. $61 million would provide funding to purchase more than 400 Humvees. ($150,000 each).
Advanced Anti-Missile Systems for Helicopters
There are 600 helicopters in Iraq, many of which do not have anti-missile systems technology. It has been reported that the Illinois National Guard helicopter that was shot down in Iraq killing 15 and injuring 21 soldiers did not have the most updated anti-missile system. $61 million would buy over 1500 anti-missile systems helicopters (or buy anti-missile systems technology for all the helicopters in Iraq between two and three times over).
http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/cat_policy.html
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