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Army Awards Lucrative Iraq Contract to KBR
WASHINGTON - Defense giant KBR Inc. was awarded a contract potentially worth $2.8 billion for support work in Iraq as U.S. forces continue to leave the country, military authorities said Tuesday.
"Giving KBR this contract while denying them award fees for their enormous problem of accidentally electrocuting soldiers amounts to rapping them on the knuckles on one hand while handing them a multibillion dollar deal in the other," said Tiefer, who is also a member of the independent Commission on Wartime Contracting. KBR was notified of the award Friday, a day after the company told shareholders it lost about $25 million in award fees because of flawed electrical work in Iraq.
The company was charged with maintaining the barracks where Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, a 24-year-old Green Beret, was electrocuted in 2008 while showering. The company has denied wrongdoing, and investigators said in August there was "insufficient evidence to prove or disprove" that anyone was criminally culpable in Maseth's death.
The uproar over his death triggered a review of 17 other electrocution deaths in Iraq and widespread inspections and repairs of electrical work in Iraq, much of it performed by KBR.
Dan Carlson, a spokesman for the Army Sustainment Command, said the new contract is for one year, with an option for four more. KBR will handle logistics support, transportation mission, and postal operations.
KBR has long been the military's largest support contractor in Iraq, providing troops with everything from mail and laundry to housing and meals. The new award was made through a revamped contract structure intended to foster competition among companies.
"The award demonstrates that the government recognizes KBR's ability and expertise in delivering high quality service in challenging contingency environments," KBR said in a statement.
Charles Tiefer, a professor of government contracting at the University of Baltimore Law School and a vocal critic of KBR, called the award an "outrage" because of the company's record in Iraq.
"Giving KBR this contract while denying them award fees for their enormous problem of accidentally electrocuting soldiers amounts to rapping them on the knuckles on one hand while handing them a multibillion dollar deal in the other," said Tiefer, who is also a member of the independent Commission on Wartime Contracting.
Last October, the Defense Contract Audit Agency criticized KBR for having more employees in Iraq than were necessary. The excess, the agency said, was unnecessarily costing U.S. taxpayers.
KBR said it had reduced the size of its work force in Iraq consistent with guidance from U.S. military commanders. The company also fired back at the audit agency for its "heavy-handed intrusion" into the military's complex logistics process.
Carlson said Army Sustainment Command is working closely with commanders in Iraq to make sure the contractor work force is properly sized to support pullout operations in Iraq.
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12 Comments so far
Show AllI understand that KBR is not particularly popular with the troops, screwing up more than electrical work. How much doesn't anyone want to bet some cash changed hands to get this company with such a record of fucking up a new multi-billion contract?
This stinks.
Gary
"There never was a good war or a bad peace."
-- Benjamin Franklin
The Army Sustainment Command doesn't care about the troops. I stick by my mantra that whenever a political decision seems absolutely idiotic, money is likely changing hands behind the scenes.
Joe
The old revolving door spins again. It would be interesting to see whom KBR hires as special consultants after receiving this award.
q
It is funny how America's elite journalist establishment is always talking about corruption in parts of our empire we are trying to tame without ever turning their eyes to the rampant corruption which is so obvious in everything we do at home and abroad.
Does this mean that more soldiers will be electrocuted in the shower?
NO! It means the Dick Cheney's personal wealth will increase a few more million$.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Proof 11 Trillion and one of how incredibly stupid and self-destructive the Dimocratic Party is.
New Boss same as old boss....
Will our senators ask Obomber why this outfit has been hired again?
Outrageous. Unacceptable. When will the American people say stop? Wars, war-makers with no inclination or incentive to stop, war profiteering, corporations controlling how our money and how much of our money is spent on useless and endless wars, corporations + military + government relationships with blatant conflicts of interest, no accountability, invading soveriegn nations, killing our own, killing civilians, killing children, bombing the living daylights out of people and places, destroying futures, devastating societies and their environments for the forseeable future ... and our country(U.S.) and these corporations are doing all of this in the name of democracy?(I think not) If this is democracy, if this is what democracy brings, then I suggest, we(our entire nation) stop, step back, reassess, rethink what it is we aspire to.
peacekeepertwo: Fix the problem. Don't Fund fund the Iraq, or Afghan Wars, no war no money going to KBR.
Like I have said before, Imagine if KBR had been supplying George Patton at the Battle of the Bulge during WWII, we would all be speaking German now.
Gee..., when I was in the Marine Corps we cleaned our own barracks, did our own maintainance, and had mess/galley duty, ...and we all got regular military pay for it. It was part of our job to be able to take care of ourselves, ...and we did, ...at zero extra cost. I mean what did we do anyway but hang around most of the day. Does anyone think all of our troops are fighting 24/7? Of course not, most of them probably have nothing to do at all during the day.
But this is nothing new for all of you here. In this more reasonable group of thinkers, you all know this is for money and to be able to double our presence in these countries we've invaded without being accountable for the numbers, and a cheap and obvious trick to pull the wool over the eyes of lambs.
Private contractors, the mercenaries, and the people they attract, do not belong in military service. They swear no oath and get paid way too much money.
Of course all this is moot, because the only function of militaries in this world, should be to help people, and never kill them. Wouldn't it be nice if all the soldiers turned into carpenters and farmers to make this a better world, instead of a violent and cruel one, ...helping their brothers and sisters.
Greed and selfishness, ...will we ever see how it destroys our hearts and very souls.
Love and charity, ...will we ever see it is the only path to our personal and corporate salvation. 99.9999% of all the species that ever inhabited our planet has gone extinct, but in God's open hand, Love is forever, ...if we choose it to be.