Obama gives no bid contract to Haliburton. More 'change', right ? by AURaptor

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Obama gives no bid contract to Haliburton. More 'change', right ?

POSTED BY: AURAPTOR
UPDATED: Saturday, May 8, 2010 17:52
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Saturday, May 8, 2010 9:14 AM

America loves a winner!

By Tony Capaccio
May 6 (Bloomberg) -- KBR Inc. was selected for a no-bid contract worth as much as $568 million through 2011 for military support services in Iraq, the Army said.
The Army announced its decision yesterday only hours after the Justice Department said it will pursue a lawsuit accusing the Houston-based company of taking kickbacks from two subcontractors on Iraq-related work. The Army also awarded the work to KBR over objections from members of Congress, who have pushed the Pentagon to seek bids for further logistics contracts.
The Justice Department said the government will join a suit filed by whistleblowers alleging that two freight-forwarding firms gave KBR transportation department employees kickbacks in the form of meals, drinks, sports tickets and golf outings.
“Defense contractors cannot take advantage of the ongoing war effort by accepting unlawful kickbacks,” Assistant Attorney General Tony West said in a statement.
KBR, the Army’s largest contractor in Iraq, will review the litigation when it is received and “will continue to cooperate with the government,” company spokeswoman Heather Browne said in an e-mail. “Gifts of dinners, baseball tickets and similar items would violate KBR policies and KBR was not aware of these violations.”
KBR will continue to provide services in Iraq such as housing, meals, laundry, showers, water purification and bathroom cleaning under the new order, which was placed under a military contract KBR won in late 2001, shortly after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-06/kbr-to-get-no-bid-army-wor
k-as-u-s-alleges-kickbacks-update1-.html

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.....

Bones: "Don't 'rawr' her!"
Booth: "What? she'rawred' me first."

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 9:28 AM

WHOZIT

WHAT! NO WAY! That would mean Republicans were involved right? Was Bush there? Was he beaten? He was beaten right? You libs want to blame Bush, don't ya?

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 10:04 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Goddamned prick!

them all,

"I'm just right. Kinda like the sun rising in the east and the world being round...its not a need its just the way it is." The Delusional "Hero", 3/1/10

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 10:48 AM

DREAMTROVE

On the heels of accusation that hallliburton cause the oil spill by dodging safety regulations... Ouch.

..to be expected of course. It's not easy to change the infrastructure, otoh it's been 18 mos and he doesn't seem real interested in trying.

Oh, someone already said this undoubtedly, but meet the new boss,...

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 12:47 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
On the heels of accusation that hallliburton cause the oil spill by dodging safety regulations... Ouch.

..to be expected of course. It's not easy to change the infrastructure, otoh it's been 18 mos and he doesn't seem real interested in trying.

Oh, someone already said this undoubtedly, but meet the new boss,...

Buh....buh.... I recall Obama sayin', right before the election, that we were about to "fundamentally change" ....oh , never mind.

Bones: "Don't 'rawr' her!"
Booth: "What? she'rawred' me first."

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 2:05 PM

HKCAVALIER

So discouraging. Cataclysmic PR for Obama's base. On the other hand, Dream's right about the infrastructure. Y'know, maybe if Obama were to get rid of KBR, the only other contractor with sufficient knowledge and experience in the field might have other profoundly undesireable character flaws (heh, seems that in a "war effort" you're looking for the folks with the desireable character flaws--note to self: do not sanction war of any kind).

Seems like Obama's been running into that sorta thing since the election: he wants to change all these institutions, but the most qualified folks to run 'em are already in 'em. Seems President Obama should take a page out of Candidate Obama's book and go with the less experienced but more ethical choice, no?

All the same, very discouraging news.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 3:59 PM

DREAMTROVE

HK,

I think the real solution here is not another contractor but to reinvoke[this bracket needs to be here] the Quartermaster's Corps.

The Corp handled all of this before Bill Clinton handed it to Dick Cheney in the first no bid contract of this type in 1995. Yes, if this makes it look like Bush did nothing original, it's true, it's the same old team. I'm afraid that all of these "where's change I can believe in" stories are all leading to "it really is just the same old team with a new frontman."

Ps.
Argh! How many times do i have to tell it that when I typed reinvoke[sic] I meant reinvoke[sic] not reinvade

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Saturday, May 8, 2010 5:52 PM

FREMDFIRMA

As a former Quartermaster, I do feel kinda like I am having the last laugh here, especially since they were TOLD this would be the result and scoffed.

Look at the total mess, chaos and confusion of relief efforts when all you got is trigger pullers, and avarice-landen PMCs who will not risk their neck, short your troops, and are not truly accountable for it ?

You NEED people who can sort shit out, and you need them on site, in close coordination with the trigger pullers, or things get fucked up - even *IF* the trigger pullers do not realize the value of em and are antagonistic and disparaging...

Bet they wish to hell they had us back now, that for damned sure.

Never underestimate the value of *capable* Logistics, Administration, and Commo - more than any war toys, these are what will carry the day, but the problem is we pick our generals from the trigger pullers, and wind up with Hoo-Rahs like that asshole Steele (see also: Battle of Mogadishu) to whom such efforts are invisible and ignored - Gates is kind of a fluke, but a good one, but of course mostly ignored, not to mention they're all pissed at him for very recently smacking them in the face with certain ugly realities...

Anyhow, we told em that was comin.
*shrug*

-Frem

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