Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.’s

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

By JAMES RISEN
Published: May 4, 2008

WASHINGTON — In October 2004, the United States Army issued an urgent bulletin to commanders across Iraq, warning them of a deadly new threat to American soldiers. Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted.

The bulletin, with the headline “The Unexpected Killer,” was issued after the horrific deaths of two soldiers who were caught in water — one in a shower, the other in a swimming pool — that was suddenly electrified after poorly grounded wiring short-circuited....

Since that warning, at least two more American soldiers have been electrocuted in similar incidents. In all, at least a dozen American military personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq, according to the Pentagon and Congressional investigators.

While several deaths have been attributed to inadvertent contact with power lines under battlefield conditions, the Army bulletin said that five deaths over the preceding year had apparently been caused by faulty grounding, and the circumstances of others have not been fully explained by the Army. Many more soldiers have been injured by shocks, Pentagon officials and soldiers say.

The accidental deaths and close calls, which are being investigated by Congress and the Defense Department’s inspector general, raise new questions about the oversight of contractors in the war zone, where unjustified killings by security guards, shoddy reconstruction projects and fraud involving military supplies have spurred previous inquiries....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/world/middleeast/04electrocute.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

[Dogtown]

1. At least the Roman Empire

brought good roads when they went a-conquering.

[TomInTib]

2. "The Deadly Shipmate"

That's what the Navy calls 110volt current on ships.


But this business about shoddy construction and the lethal cosequences is really disturbing.

I would be so pissed off if I got killed because of some clown who couldn't even qualify for a stateside Electrician's License.

[babylonsister]

4. I believe KBR has been implicated in this; you know, that company

who has tripled first quarter profits?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3236144

Here's the KBR connection:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3235048

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Thanks for the additional info, babylonsister! nt

[uppityperson]

3. k&r

[Usrename]

6. I don't imagine things are any better for Iraqi nationals.

:grr:

[Eagle_Eye]

7. Our good old defense contractors at it again

Hillary Clinton is on top of this:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.02916:

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0508/050108rb1.htm

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is also on it:

http://maloney.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1627&Itemid=61

I don't see any republicans taking up this issue.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Thanks for the links, Eagle_Eye! nt

[tblue37]

9. War profiteering used to be considered equivalent to treason.

Now it's just considered good business.

[BearSquirrel2]

10. Where are the Truman style hearings????

My greatest fault with this newly Democratic congress is they haven't done both the most responsible thing and the most politically expedient thing ... INVESTIGATE!!!! Investigate waste and fraud by politically connected contractors.