There were actually two segments that aired this past weekend on Link TV (March 4, 2007). One titled “Iraq for Sale” and the other “Iraq’s missing billions”. Both spoke at length with international journalists embedded in Iraq with our troops and the people selected by Bush and his talking heads to effectuate his democracy there.  All people interviewed came to the same conclusion, the Bush Administration and the government of Iraq is as corrupt as can be. I must say that I concur.

Let me just highlight some of the no bid contracts supposedly awarded for the reconstruction of Iraq of which you will see that KBR/Halliburton are the two most egregious offenders.

1. KBR awarded $7 billion dollars to provide food, laundry, and housing for our military. This is the first time that such was handled by private enterprise.
2. Halliburton awarded over $6 billion dollars, the first go around, for reconstructing the oil infrastructure in that region. More to come.
3. Parsons awarded $5.3 billion dollars and another $1.9 billion dollars for training of the Iraqi police.
4. Trans Atlantic Corporation was handed a $21 million dollar contract for private security.

These are not all of the corporations that participated in this corrupt system used by the Bush Administration to pay back people who had contributed to their various campaigns leading up to Bush being awarded the oval office over Al Gore. Do you call this free enterprise? I do not!

Alan Grayson, attorney for the Whistleblowers, spoke candidly about the number of cases brought against the Bush Administration for misconduct of this war with Iraq. He recounted over 80 such cases of which 3 have been tried and released. The Bush Administration has sealed the other 77 and nobody is allowed to speak further about them. We are not talking about a few thousand dollars here, but tens of billions of dollars whereby the Bush Administration facilitated abuse by suspending provisions for competition. In addition to that, the Bush Administration has given all US contractors immunity under the new Iraqi law, which insulates them in their money thirsty quest. All contracts awarded are cost plus whereby each corporation calculates how much things may cost, pads in another 30 percent or so, and then tabulates the profit of 25 percent in each deal. Most contractors make as much as doubling their money. Who ends up footing the bill for this bold misconduct? The American public pays, in the form of taxes.

Ben Carter, former KBR/Halliburton Water Purification Specialist said he was extremely concerned about the contaminated water used by our troops. He stated, on the record, that KBR/Halliburton wants profit and no responsibility. Specifically Mr. Carter said that of the 67 facilities constructed for our troops to shower in, and/or drink from, 63 of those were not sanitary at all. He mentioned that numerous pathogens could be found in those water samples and that the troops are unaware of this dire situation which can be linked to serious health issues and even death. Is this befitting for those courageous people who have given their very lives for Bush’s selfish cause?

Kuwait has been used as an orientation spot/residence for the civilian people affiliated with KBR/Halliburton’s numerous projects. KBR/Halliburton selected a posh hotel with three pools, private beach, jet ski rentals, two first quality restaurants, and anything else available at their fingertips. For Superbowl parties these same people had flat screen televisions flown over from the USA along with fresh chicken wings and kegs of beer. While these people were treated to the life of Riley our troops reside in moldy tents with barely enough food supplies to get by. I ask the question again, is this fair and befitting for our gallant and valiant troops?

Another example presented by Mr. Carter was the lease agreements for KBR/Halliburton employee automobiles. Commonly selected automobiles were GMC’s Hummer, Cadillac’s Escalade, and Ford’s F350 Truck. All were top of the line in their sector. From this example he outlined how a $7,000 per month lease was standard fare for personnel there. Astonishingly enough that adds up to $82,000 per year per person. Those same automobiles could have been purchased for $45,000 each. Instead they came at a cost to the American public of over $750 million dollars.  Mr. Carter mentioned that there are no parts available in Iraq and even if they (parts) could be found there is nobody who can fix them, thus KBR/Halliburton just buy them new automobiles and explode the cars/trucks that no longer work. Does anything about this scenario strike you as disingenuous or outright wasteful? Is certainly does me.

Any ideas who is protecting KBR/Halliburton? Any ideas who may have aided them, and others like them, in the coordination of these multi-billion dollar deals? I say Cheney with the blessing of President Bush. In addition to no bid contracts there were never any hearings in congress on this sensitive topic. Why not? Is this not the moral equivalent to insider trading? Why has this Administration been so secretive about their dealings, so staunch in their efforts to cover-up these misdealings? Easy, they want to continue to mislead the world and the American public about their intentions in Iraq. I ask this of the media at large; why not quit pandering to this corrupt, devious, and manipulative Administration? Why are you (the media) not following the clues (money trails, etc.) to their logical ends and exposing this Administration for what they are (liars and cheats)? Why not ask the tough questions that America and the world has the right to know the answers to?    

Dr. Ali Fadhil, an Iraqi journalist, told the interviewer on Link TV that the entire Iraqi government is corrupt on every level. He added that the reconstruction monies that this Administration promised are gone, squandered; work that had begun has not been adequately maintained leaving this once pristine country in rubble. Hospitals are still working from crude generators under unsanitary conditions and without clean water or proper medications. The people and children of Iraq are dying and wrought with disease, long forgotten in Bush’s quest to reign supreme over this oil rich state. Bush and his cronies have set Iraq up to fail, to collapse, according to Dr. Fadhil. Dr. Fadhil said there is no security in the war zone and alas no real solution to this problem, but he mentions that the US needs to withdraw and at the soonest possible juncture instead of the latest. Dr. Fadhil is a realist, he feels that as the US withdraws the civil war and death toll will continue. More people may die in the short term, but that this civil war will bring about the necessary solutions for this war torn region and is ultimately the price they pay for the United States ill-fated invasion that Bush terms Iraqi Freedom. Their (the people of Iraq) freedom will come as the US moves out and allows the people of Iraq to control their destiny and begin the long healing process that this war ravaged upon them.

I ask how many more lies and broken promises do we have to swallow while they (Bush and his cronies) profit from this war like none before? I say not another moment. The time to act is NOW! I beseech you to write or call your congress people; inviting them to hold inquiry into these no bid contracts, to hold Bush and his Administration accountable and responsible for raping and pillaging the people of America, responsible and accountable for plunging us into the deepest, darkest debt whereby other countries have us over the barrel and beholden to them. We can no longer afford to sit idle. We, the people, must begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

Reference:

Link TV, Sunday, March 4, 2007 segments Iraq for Sale and Iraq’s missing billions; interviews/documentary

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