Top Democrat: Halliburton Violated Multibillion Dollar Iraq Contract

[radfringe]

IRAQ: Top Democrat: Halliburton Violated Multibillion Dollar Iraq Contract
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14250
December 9th, 2006

Halliburton Corp., the oil field services company once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, breached the terms of its multibillion dollar contract to provide US soldiers logistical support in Iraq when one of its subcontractors outsourced security work to Blackwater USA, according to new documents released Friday by Congressman Henry Waxman.

In a December 7 letter to outgoing defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Waxman alleged that taxpayers have been paying sky-high prices for Blackwater's services, which were not authorized under the terms of Halliburton 's contract with the US Army. Waxman said he could not ascertain the exact cost of Blackwater's work, because the Army has refused to respond to questions about the deal for the past two years.

Waxman contends Halliburton was fully aware that its subcontractor ESS Support Services, food supplier to the military, hired armed guards employed by Blackwater to provide security for its convoys.

--SNIP--


Melissa Norcross, a Halliburton spokeswoman, denied that Blackwater was retained by ESS under the terms of Halliburton 's LOGCAP contract with the military. She said Blackwater was one of its subcontractors but that its work was strictly related to Halliburton 's Middle East regional office, and was not associated with any government contract.

Waxman disagreed.

He released documents that disclose how Halliburton violated the terms of its multibillion dollar Iraq contract by participating in a multilayered scheme that concealed the company's use of armed Blackwater guards.

[jefferson_dem]

1. And so it begins! Thanks Rep. Waxman!

:patriot: :applause: :patriot:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Make them pay back every dime

and more--for damages!

[Peace Patriot]

Yup. Repayment, with interest--and damages! All around. Bush, Cheney,

Rumsfeld, et al, confiscate personal war profits. Their oil giant buds, dun for price gouging, and secret meetings (and look into pulling their corporate charters). All military contractors, across the board, seize profits and assets, according to their level of complicity and theft. Diebold/ES&S, more fraud, more confiscation for the public good.

Get our money back. That's the ticket. Then put Al Gore in the White House, where he belongs, and get us the hell off oil. Five year plan. And we're free of all these bastards. Let China defend Saudi oil interests, not us--if they are so stupid as to continue with an oil economy.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Here We Go Sportsfans...

Henry's got Chenney by the crashcart! This scam isn't in the million, but billions, and Waxman knows it, he just needs to get the paperwork to prove it...and methinks he got it.

For those hopping up and down about impeachment, here's where oversight and the power to investigate comes into play...both good and bad. The good is Waxman will be able to expose a lot of the fraud and corruption...calling many before his committee and referring others to the Justice Department as all the frauds...from the lobbyists to the inside "fixers" to Crashcart himself will be implicated in all the war profiteering...and this is how it will be portrayed. If you think people have little tolerance for us "traitors" who spoke out against this misadventure, let's hear all the howling when it's disclosed how much money has been pilfered and who did the pilfering. A simple political impeachment would let a lot of these scum get away or give them immunity and avoid justice being served.

The bad is this regime will now stonewall...exert executive privilidge or outright ignore subpoenas and hope to tie this thing in court throughout 2007 and well into 2008. Keeping this as a criminal investigation means Waxman's investigation will have more teeth and won't "run out the clock" due to the '08 elections.

Go Henry Go!!!!

[wakeme2008]

4. I am confused...

I can understand WHY Halliburton would have to pay for security for moving supplies around Iraq. IMHO this should be paid for by the US Govt. It sounds like they layed the original costs to add profit on top of profit. Then that part would be wrong.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Presumably the contract didn't allow Halliburton to outsource

the security, but they did anyway, and then billed the gov't for it on a "cost-plus" basis. This is a not uncommon scam with gov't contracts.