Kerry wants answers on contractor awarded millions in contracts after delivering faulty ammo.

[wisteria]

This is terrible and it shows how our soldiers lives are being put at risk needlessly and how our money is being wasted because there is a lack of major oversight.


http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/kerry-demands-answers-on-contractor-2008-04-10.html">link


"Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says the Bush administration owes “Congress and the American public some answers” in the case of a 22-year-old man who secured nearly $300 million in federal contracts and allegedly delivered faulty ammunition to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

“Faulty contracting procedures and deficient safeguards are no excuse for putting troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in greater danger,” said Kerry."

[karynnj]

1. I saw the NYT story on that - it was repulsive

I liked this comment,

"“The Bush administration needs to explain how and why this mistake occurred not once, but 50 times, and what steps they are taking to make sure that it never happens again,” Kerry said."

Here's a link to the NYT story - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/world/asia/27ammo.html?scp=2&sq=Afghanistan+AEY&st=nyt

This shows how well they checked the company out:
"But to arm the Afghan forces that it hopes will lead this fight, the American military has relied since early last year on a fledgling company led by a 22-year-old man whose vice president was a licensed masseur.
With the award last January of a federal contract worth as much as nearly $300 million, the company, AEY Inc., which operates out of an unmarked office in Miami Beach, became the main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan’s army and police forces."

[wisteria]

2. That is quite a story in the NY Times.

I can't believe the government has not suspended all business with this company. They are going to allow them to fill already agreed upon orders. I have to wonder if these orders are being filled in China.

Thanks for the link.

[Inuca]

3. This is a mind-boggling story

and I have to wonder how much of the fault can all be laid in the administration lap and how much is a deeper rooted Pentagon problem of mindless bureaucracy and sheer stupidity. And of course the likely graft.