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Ear to the Ground

Fecal Matter in Soldiers’ Water? Sure, Says Senate

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Posted on Jun 20, 2006

Senate Republicans shot down a measure that would have enacted oversight on the practices of private contractors in Iraq. As a result, companies like Halliburton are free to continue doing things like exposing U.S. soldiers in Iraq to water contaminated with fecal matter. The Nation has the details.

The Nation:

The Nation—After all the reports of corporate crimes and contract abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan—including the recent revelation by Halliburton Watch that Halliburton and its KBR subsidiary knowingly exposed thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq to hazardous levels of unhealthy water from the Euphrates River, including human fecal matter—the Senate was offered an opportunity on Tuesday to restore a measure of Congressional oversight to the process by which tax dollars are distributed to private corporations and the activities of those corporations in regions of the world that are supposed to be of critical importance to the United States.

As part of the Senate debate over the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007—the Pentagon budget—North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan proposed a simple amendment “to establish a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and to fight the war on terrorism.”

The amendment was rejected.

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By Jud, June 22, 2006 at 1:27 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The water was produced (i.e. purified) by the military.

Read the report

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By William Day, June 21, 2006 at 1:57 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I am a retired Government Contract Specialist, with many years of soliciting, awarding, managing, and auditing government contracts. The Halliburton contract is probably the least desirable type contract authorized under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), called cost type contracts, because the advantage under this type arrangement is always with the contractor, not the government. (The contractor’s fee, added after costs are calculated, is generally the profit.) Why? Because the contractor charges the government what it costs to perform under the contract. As such, there is little incentive for the contractor to control costs and can, if the contractor is crooked, “hide” tremendous amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse and reap that as extra profits. (A can of soda, for example, could be billed at $5 a can, with all the hidden costs, probably fraudulent, added in.) Secondly, I would wager that there is little actual management and oversight under the Halliburton contract and audits are probably minimal. Results (i.e., discrepancies, fraud, waste, etc.) of any audit will probably be “hidden” under the guise of “National Security,” a favorite ploy of this administration. Thirdly, the contract is probably rife with unauthorized payments, over payments, double billing, etc. And again, probably not reported even if found. Finally, it is highly doubtful that there was significant justification, for a long term, sole source contract as required by the FAR. In sum, the Halliburton contract is probably just a bundle of paper, not worth what it is printed on. My final comment is a little off the subject, but I would say that anyone who thinks Cheny, a retired Halliburton employee currently drawing compensation from that firm, had nothing to do with the award is living in another world. The American people are being fleeced big time, and I really mean BIG TIME! The Republicans know this and that is exactly why they are blocking any meaningful oversight of these contracts. Their blocking show where they are aligned: on the side of corruption!

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By faith, June 20, 2006 at 5:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Unbelieveable !  Why isn’t this information published and exposed in every newspaper and tv news story !  What is the matter with the congress?  To continue to allow companies, such as Halliburton (recall: no bid contracts) to provide water to our troops with fecal matter is beyond immoral.  It heinous.  It is traitorous.  Whose side are they on?  Certainly not the troops.  Doesn’t our government care about the health and welfare of these kids sent to fight a dirty war?  Absolutely heartbreaking.  Moms unite.  We can’t allow this ridiculous group running the country to continue.  Vote for democrats, vote for impeachment proceedings and vote to mandate federal laws which require Halliburton, the military, etc. to pay damages for such tolerances.  Remove the qualified immunity clauses protecting the government from damage suits caused by the contamination.

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