|
 |
||
|
Latest Stories
Recent blog posts 
|
July 22, 2008 - 6:17am.
I just read an article in last Saturday's NY Times that began: "Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents...During just one six-month period — August 2006 through January 2007 — at least 283 electrical fires destroyed or damaged American military facilities in Iraq... It seems that these pals of Bush and Cheney who get 'no-bid' contracts and are making millions of dollars by overcharging don't even want to give the taxpayers and more important, the troops, decent work. The story goes on to tell of a recent death of a soldier who was taking a shower and was electrocuted because things were not properly grounded. I have done a lot of electrical work around my house and though still a novice, know very well that where electricity and water may come in common it is best to install a $3 GFI outlet. Apparently the electric company doing the work didn't. This is just one more example of why Bush and Cheney should be tried for murder. The buck stops with them, and so should the noose. Reach of War A blog looking at daily life inside Iraq, produced by The Times’s Baghdad bureau.
Capitol Hill Blue's columnists, blogs and reader comments Capitol Hill Blue is an independent, non-partisan news site that belongs to no political party and subscribes to no political or philosophical point-of-view. Our columnists are welcome to their opinions but readers should understand that their views do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of this web site. We also welcome comments to selected opinion columns and in our popular ReaderRant discussion forum. Please remember, however, that we believe in civility on this web site and comments may be reviewed, moderated or removed if we feel they contain obscenities, racism, bigotry, anti-Semitic remarks or attack other posters. Our goal is reasoned discussion on issues facing this nation and we do not feel that goal is served by personal attacks and by seeing how many cute adjectives you can attach to an elected official or politician's name. Copyright © 2008 Capitol Hill Blue
|
User login
 |
Technorati Tags:
I'll bet its more than just
Submitted by ekaton on July 22, 2008 - 11:48am.I'll bet its more than just a lack of GFI's.
What? We ALWAYS ground circuits to water pipes don't we?
I'll bet you a buck the contractor hired subs who hired subs who hired subs who made a buck-fifty an hour and had never touched a wire before.
Of course any "investigations" will find KBR not guilty of any kind of negligence.
-- Kent Shaw
I have to agree with you
Submitted by woody188 on July 23, 2008 - 1:40pm.I have to agree with you Kent. Last I knew we were bringing in cheap South-east Asian laborers to rebuild Iraq. Meanwhile, Iraq suffered from 60% or more unemployment. Were that to occur here, I might be attacking my occupiers as well. It is ignorant to think bringing in cheap contract labor wouldn't upset the local population. But that was precisely what happened.
From Woody's provided
Submitted by ekaton on July 24, 2008 - 9:48am.From Woody's provided link:
"A Tamimi manager says the company pays an average salary of one Saudi riyal ($3) a day and grants leave once every two years. The contracts are awarded by Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), a subsidiary of Halliburton,"
So these guys get $3/day for doing laundry, for example, that KBR charges $99 a bag, done with filthy grimy water. There is no comment I can come up with to express my disgust at the enormity of fraud going on in Iraq.
"If it weren't for this service support we would have needed at least 20,000 more troops."
And laundry would be $1 a bag, and instead of spending $10 BILLION a month in Iraq we'd be spending ONE billion, and people wouldn't be getting electrocuted.
"Under a new Iraqi investment law, foreigners can own companies in full and export all the profits."
What more is there to say?
-- Kent Shaw