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02/02/2004 Archived Entry: "This is what privatization gets you."
This is what privatization gets you.
Thanks, Halliburton. Thanks, KBR. You suck at your jobs. How the fuck do you make so much money at it?
The first official Army history of the Iraq war reveals that American forces were plagued by a "morass" of supply shortages, radios that could not reach far-flung troops, disappointing psychological operations and virtually no reliable intelligence on how Saddam Hussein would defend Baghdad.
Logistics problems, which senior army officials played down at the time, were much worse than have previously been reported. While the study serves mainly as a technical examination of how the Army performed and the problems it faced, it could also serve as a political document that could advance the Army's interests within the Pentagon.Tank engines sat on warehouse shelves in Kuwait with no truck drivers to take them north. Broken-down trucks were scavenged for usable parts. Artillery units cannibalized parts from captured Iraqi guns to keep their howitzers operating. Army medics foraged medical supplies from combat hospitals.
In most cases, soldiers improvised solutions to keep the offensive rolling. But the study found that the Third Infantry Division, the Army's lead combat force, was within two weeks of being halted by a lack of spare parts, and Army logisticians had no effective distribution system.
"The morass of problems that confounded delivering parts and supplies — running the gamut of paper clips to tank engines — stems from the lack of a means to assign responsibility clearly," the study said.
Replies: 3 people speak up
"How do they make so much money at it?" Why, they make money the old fashioned way... they STEAL it, until they get their hands caught in the cookie jar.
From the same NY Times (Feb. 2):
"WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 — The Halliburton Company said Monday that it would repay the government for overcharges estimated at $27.4 million for meals served to American troops at five military bases in Iraq and Kuwait last year, but the company did not admit to any wrongdoing.
Pentagon officials declined to give details about the specific allegations except to say the matter was under review by Pentagon auditors.
The auditors' allegation of a $16 million overcharge at one base in Kuwait was first reported Monday by The Wall Street Journal. Pentagon officials said Monday that the company had also agreed to repay the government $11.4 million for meals served at four other bases.
The latest disclosures came after two other disagreements between the Pentagon and Kellogg Brown & Root, a Halliburton subsidiary that has several major military contracts for work in Iraq and Kuwait."
Posted by Xan @ 02/02/2004 11:16 PM NY
And yet, the public, largely distracted by football games, Janet Jackson's boob, and the search for jobs, is amazingly complacent about being screwed over by this administration and its cronies.
"The government got screwed over by Halliburton? Bummer. Glad it's not my money..."
Yeah... the boobs are in front of the TV, not on them.
Posted by Charles2 @ 02/03/2004 01:39 PM NY
Where's the accountability?
We got caught so we'll return what we screwed you out of.
OOPS!!!
The only ones getting screwed more than the general population are all the poor sods Buscist sent over there to be sacrificed for a personal vendetta he got to work on as soon as he took office.
Anyone seen Iraq War Uncovered?
El Residente (I Love that term by the way) should be impeached.
Him jumping on the idea to have the White house aka Him appointed commitee to review intelligence is so blatantly dictorial and yet it appears it's gonna fly (more than chickenhawk supreme ever did!) Why is he NOT being impeached?
Posted by Joni @ 02/03/2004 09:21 PM NY
