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AIG’s War Business Draws Criticism

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Posted on Apr 16, 2009
abcnews.com

A nearly blind amputee who suffered injuries in Iraq says he had to fight AIG tooth and nail with the aid of a congressman just to get a slightly improved artificial limb.

At least 30,000 private contractors have been injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the vast majority are insured by AIG. According to an investigation by ABC News, ProPublica and the Los Angeles Times, the insurance giant does about as good a job helping wounded contractors as gaming the derivatives market.

ABC News:

Woodson’s lawyer, Toby Cole, says he sees a pattern of AIG “delaying and denying” claims from contractors injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It’s difficult for me to think it’s anything but a concentrated effort just to ignore these guys,” said Cole.

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By Tom1492, July 7, 2010 at 6:31 pm Link to this comment

What a disgusting situation. To think that our men and women are engaged in violence to protect the worlds interests - right or wrong. Then to have fight bureaucrats for assistant. This outrages me, as I think this could be me, or one of my family members in this situation. Almost unemployable, disables and the pain of the war is replicated in their own country. Bad form! Bad Form!

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By Marcie Hascall Clark, April 19, 2009 at 4:41 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

PSmith
Your ranting about mercenaries, not this issue.
And your ranting to an anti war activist who is trying to make our government provide the medical and disability to all the lives and families it lied to and broke.
I feel very strongly about all the innocent lives that were taken in Iraq and other places.
It’s another issue is all.

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By Marcie Hascall Clark, April 17, 2009 at 3:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Only a fraction of the contractors working overseas on US Government contracts are in the line of work that some might consider to be bozo mercenaries.  Even so your still paying for their workmans comp.  Would you rather AIG and CNA pocketed it?

My husband was over there doing humanitarian demining work so they could get the power back up in “Post War Iraq”, for the same salary he always made doing the same work.

He was lied to and used to make it look like things were better in Iraq than they really were back in May-July of 2003.  We were all lied to.

Does he deserve to be treated like a criminal because he was blown up and is disabled?

We’ve been fighting the insurance company for almost six years with no help from the DoL, and no end in site.

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By GB, April 17, 2009 at 10:27 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Everything about cheney’s and the neocon’s (PNAC) war in Iraq and Afghanistan was a scam. Billions of dollars went missing without any legitimate attempt to figure out what happened. bush and cheney bankrupted our country, our world reputation, and disrepected everyone of those who served in this theatre thinking they were fighting the good cause. It’s too bad the “Support the troops” mantra that was the Republican fighting song only meant “step aside while we steal everything”.

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By Marcie Hascall Clark, April 16, 2009 at 6:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s not just AIG though they carry 90% of the Defense Base Act policies.
CNA and their lawyers are just as ruthless.
The taxpayer pays for the premiums, the claims, the legal fees, and even administrative fees.
The Department of Labor has allowed all of this to go on and there is no end in site.

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By msgmi, April 16, 2009 at 6:23 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

AIG, the center of gravity of Capitol Hill’s hubris.

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