HALLIBURTON/KBR- Veterans Exposed to Carcinogen Shed Light on Secret Iraq Contracting Deal

[Panaconda]

Veterans Exposed to Carcinogen Shed Light on Secret Iraq Contracting Deal
Friday 10 September 2010
by Mike Ludwig


A lawsuit filed by Iraq war veterans against a former Halliburton subsidiary over exposure to toxic chemicals is not the first of its kind, but it has brought new insight into the Iraq war by revealing that a contractor with close ties to the Bush administration was quietly granted legal immunity while securing oil supplies in Iraq.

Former Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) failed to notify US National Guardsmen that were exposed to a highly toxic and cancer-causing chemical while providing security for the firm early in the Iraq war. The guardsmen got sick, and thanks to a classified agreement, US taxpayers could pay the legal bills for the latest in a string of lawsuits against the massive military contractor.

Halliburton and KBR won a multi-million dollar contract in 2003 to rebuild Iraq's oil supply infrastructure shortly after the US invasion. KBR quickly began fixing the Qarmat Ali water plant, a site contaminated with sodium dichromate, a rust-remover containing the cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium - the heavy metal famously fought by Erin Brockovich.

Members of the Oregon, West Virginia and Indiana National Guards provided security at Qarmat Ali, and 26 of them filed a suit against KBR claiming the hexavalent chromium - and KBR's negligent and fraudulent misconduct - has made them sick.

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http://www.truth-out.org/veterans-exposed-carcinogen-shed-light-secret-iraq-contracting-deal63135#comment-220485

[pinboy3niner]

1. Good to see this getting more exposure

It's been all over small vet websites, with the stories spread further through e-mails in vet networks.

[Panaconda]

3. This story

tells a lot about things really work. It definitely needs more exposure, it certainly is not an isolated incident.

[TBF]

5. Not isolated at all -

this has been going on for many years. Agent Orange probably got the most exposure, but I'm not surprised that the practice has continued ...

[Submariner]

2. Republicans do NOT support the Troops

If Halliburton/KBR had an ethical leader that I feel I would be, and not that of the war profiteering yellow-bellied draft-dodging coward Dickie Cheney, then I would have taken all measures to prevent Troop exposure to Hex-Chrome, or electrocuting shower stalls, or fecal wastewater in the mess hall food supply, or laundry washed in fecal wastewater, to keep them healthy and in good condition for battle or other military support.

It doesn't get any clearer. The republicans are phony patriots out for a buck. Their allegiance is to MONEY....not people, and certainly not the troops.

I hope they have to take a lot of prescription drugs to sleep at night, and suffer all the painful consequences.

I only wish their was indeed a real flaming hell for the republican national tea-bagger party.

[maryf]

4. profit loss has to be avoided at all costs

even if workers get sick. K&R for exposure...