POLITICS: Halliburton Wins Again, page 1
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Topic started on 6-2-2005 @ 11:44 PM by soficrow
Halliburton subsidiary KBR was just awarded a U.S. Navy "Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Construction Contract (MACC)." Halliburton, once headed by US Vice-President Dick Cheney, is being investigated for alleged accounting frauds worth millions of dollars. On February 3, the Army said it will not withhold payments to Halliburton, despite the alleged fraud. Halliburton more than doubled its defense contracts from $3.9 billion in 2003 to $8 billion in 2004, to become the sixth largest defense contractor to the USA. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Halliburton didn't break into the top 100 defense contractors until the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.




i-newswire.com
The Southern Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFACENGCOM) announced today that KBR is one of four contractors awarded a U.S. Navy Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Construction Contract (MACC) to repair northwest Florida Navy facilities damaged by Hurricane Ivan. KBR was also selected as the contractor for the initial task order on this project. KBR is the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL).

KBR is a global engineering, construction, technology and services company. ...Halliburton, founded in 1919, is one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the petroleum and energy industries.



"Halliburton, once headed by US Vice-President Dick Cheney and heavily involved in projects in Iraq, is being investigated in "America for alleged accounting frauds involving millions of dollars."
Halliburton in London


"In a departure from normal policy, the Army said yesterday it will not withhold future payments to Halliburton... The decision comes months after Army auditors recommended withholding 15 percent of payments, about $60 million a month, from Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc., the largest government contractor in Iraq.

The government has set aside $9.3 billion to pay KBR for troop support in the Middle East...

"Once again, the Bush Administration is putting Halliburton's interests above those of the taxpayers," Waxman said in a written statement. "Halliburton is busting the Army's budget, yet Administration officials continue to ignore rampant overcharging and the recommendations of their own auditors." "

Army Waives Rule Despite Audit Reports


"The Halliburton Co. edged United Technologies to become the sixth largest defense contractor in 2004, according to the Defense Department. ...Halliburton moved from No. 7 to No. 6 in 2004, more than doubling its defense contracts from $3.9 billion in 2003 to $8 billion in 2004. It only broke into the top 100 defense contractors when the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, according to analysis by the Center for Public Integrity."

Halliburton doubles its defense contracts




Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


The Halliburton-Cheney connection is legendary, and subject to much criticism. The missing and unaccounted for funds remain a scandal.

But Halliburton is benefitting yet again from US taxpayers' hard earned money.



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
BUSINESS: Over $10 Billion In Iraq Contracts for Halliburton
Does Halliburton get favored treatment?

[edit on 6-2-2005 by soficrow]


reply posted on 7-2-2005 @ 05:04 AM by CazMedia
Ohh the fear of Halliburton....BS

Some backround on Halliburton,
www.halliburton.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">http...://www.halliburton.com/news/archive/2004/article_101004.jsp

Hallibruton has been supporting the millitary for over 60 years....

We began providing support to the U.S. military during World War II -- building warships -- and continued that support in the Korean and Vietnam wars, when we built port facilities and airports. We helped provide humanitarian assistance in famine-stricken Somalia and logistical support in the Balkans. We also provide military support in Uzbekistan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kuwait, Jordan and Turkey.


Lets look deeper shall we?
www.halliburton.com...
from the horses mouth.

Senator John Kerry has suggested, though never explicitly stated, that the Bush administration has an improper relationship with Halliburton, the company where Dick Cheney was chief executive from 1995 until he left in 2000 to run for vice president.
Hmm notice the word SUGGESTED, instead of other more concrete allegations of this, gee I wonder why? Perhaps because he couldnt actually substantiate most of this?

Mr. Cheney's critics concede that there is no concrete evidence that he has pulled any strings on Halliburton's behalf.
Hmm, sounds like an admission that they cant substantiate their claims.

On the question of Mr. Cheney's income from Halliburton, officials of the Bush-Cheney campaign said that before entering office in 2001, Mr. Cheney bought an insurance policy that guaranteed a fixed amount of deferred payments from Halliburton each year for five years so that the payments would not depend on the company's fortunes. The officials also said he had promised to donate to charity any after-tax profits he made from exercising his stock options. These steps are not unusual for corporate executives who enter government.
Not unusual for corp execs that enter government eh? THEN WHATS THE BEEF HERE? Im certain we could dig up similar linkages between democrats too...big whoop.

To avoid conflict of interest, the service (gao) said, any official with a continuing interest in a company should include the relationship in public financial disclosure statements, a step Mr. Cheney has taken.
Nuff said, he disclosed...again big whoop, like the rich players dont know and do business with other rich players....how many players of this caliber do you think tha avg country has around in government or the private sector anyway?


Who gets contracts....
at the time the war was starting
www.opensecrets.org...


Even before the war in Iraq began March 20, the Bush administration was considering plans to help rebuild the country after fighting ceased. According to news reports in early March, the U.S. Agency for International Development secretly asked six U.S. companies to submit bids for a $900 million government contract to repair and reconstruct water systems, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in Iraq.
Hmm that would be 6 different companies here, not one.
Now indeed, the president DID restrict the bidding to only companies in countries that aided the war effort, which is the right thing to do as the other countries werent willing to put their lives on the line to deserve a chance at the profits potential of rebuilding. Too bad France.
This site also lists contracts awarded so far at that time, which company, how much they donate to whom (Rep/Dem), and what the contract was for....a reminder, this is just the start of the war effort and the contracts at that point....many more have come down the pipe since then. I wont take up space posting what my link will allow you to read yourself, but notice that out of 9 contracts listed at that point 5 went to Rep sponsors and 4 went to Dem sponsors (where the companies support went)
But oh yeah...ONLY EVIL BUSH BUDDIES GET CONTRACTS RIGHT?

On the NO BID ISSUE

there are frequent references to our "no-bid" contract to support the U.S. soldiers in Iraq. The fact is that after a fully competitive and open bid process we were awarded a contract in 2001, well before the war in Iraq, to provide logistical support for U.S. soldiers wherever they might be deployed.
As shown above there have been and are others bidding and getting contracts. BUT ITS OK TO PUT THE ANTI-BUSH BLINDERS ON!!

Hmm imagine that, COMPETITIVE OPEN BID CONTRACTS....

ok but what about the no-bids,

KBR did receive, at the outbreak of the war, a sole-source contract issued under urgent conditions to quickly restore the flow of Iraqi oil. But what you will not often read is that the independent General Accounting Office has since reviewed the contract and reported that it was "properly awarded ... to the only contractor [the Defense Department] had determined was in a position to provide the services within the required time frame given classified prewar planning requirements." And you will almost never read that profit margins on these contracts are extremely low and that the oil contract was replaced early this year by one that was competitively bid.
So the GAO determined after an investigation that the contract was properly awarded to the company that capasity to deliver what was being called for.
Did you also read the part where they were competitivly out bid (replaced) for the contract later on?

MORE you ask about the no bid contract?


In March 2003, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton's construction and engineering subsidiary, received from the Pentagon what is called a sole-source contract, meaning it was awarded without bidding, to restore and operate Iraqi oil wells. The contract, which was classified when it was awarded just before the invasion of Iraq, could be worth as much as $7 billion.
Hmm a CLASSIFIED contract...now why would they do that?


Halliburton contracts awarded in the last six months have been won in competitive bidding. But the administration has said it would have been impractical to have open bidding on the oil wells contract since Halliburton already had an established position in Iraq and since making the contract public before the invasion would have compromised this country's war plans.
Hmm so Halliburton was alleady in position to deliver service in Iraq...thats quite a jump on the competition which would require time and effort just to catch up.
ALSO
Revealing these plans would have COMPROMISED the invasion if revealde BEFORE the conflict...NO DUH!!!! Watching the companies that do business with the GOV or the MILLITARY can reveal alot about what they could be up to.

Ohh but they are bad for doing this...are they?

The nonpartisan investigative Government Accountability Office, formerly the General Accounting Office, agreed with the administration's assessment. It reported in June that the Halliburton subsidiary had been the only company ''in a position to provide the services within the required time.'' David M. Walker, who as comptroller general is chief of the G.A.O., told a House committee that the no-bid contract was justified ''given the war in Iraq and the urgent need for reconstruction efforts.''
Again they seemed to be the only company with the capasity to deliver....yet you bash them for being a world leader AMERICAN company that leads in its field?
BOO HOO.


reply posted on 7-2-2005 @ 06:43 AM by RANT
Originally posted by JoeDoaks
Halliburton should have become a major embarrassment but has not. Not only is it more of the same it appears that Halliburton has become emboldened. Countless Halliburton rip-off stories have floated for years yet the company grabs more and more with no apparent ill effects. Even Nixon wasn't this arrogant.


I'd say you're spot on there considering the disconnected tirade immediately following your post.

And on and on we go.

Even the most measured and pointed critical view of a hand in fist corporate/government embarrasment (as offered by Soficrow) is now guaranteed the wrath of a public groundswell in reversed criticism and dismissal of all sins via the "shotgun defense."

Unless I'm missing some nuanced point, I can easily see how everything both soficrow and cazmedia said could indeed be true about the situation.

First of all, it's not like soficrow said Halliburton was the devil at all. But neither do they walk on water as implied in the conditioned defense to which we've grown accustomed.

But if there is any bit of warrant to the scandal or increased scrutiny (which I'd hope all open minds would agree there is), dismissing it entirely only serves, empowers and emboldens the most corrupt elements of an otherwise well intentioned contractor and government.

I mean why do we even have Army auditors otherwise? They say something's off. Some people complain, and behold the people scream FREE BARABBAS!

I applaud you Soficrow for having the guts to even ask the critical questions in this topsy turvey backlash world we currently find ourselves.


reply posted on 7-2-2005 @ 09:42 AM by Jamuhn
Perhaps the investigation of fraud has something to do with this? Halliburton Set Up for Corruption

It's amazing how this news is swept under the rug, and to think this was made public a long time before the investigation was under way. Where's the outcry?


reply posted on 7-2-2005 @ 10:06 AM by Dr Love
Originally posted by The Vagabond
I've been saying this repeatedly. Iraq was not for oil. Americans aren't stealing from Iraq. A bunch of rich old farts from PNAC are stealing from America!
This was is a raid on the US treasury, plain and simple. They are taking tax dollars that would have built roads or repaid the money stolen from our Social Security fund, and they're giving it to Halliburton instead. I can't even imagine what the PNAC crew needs with tens of billions of dollars though. I'm afraid to wonder.
The really really fringe paranoid freakish conspiracy theorist voice in my head is saying that they're diverting government funds to build a second non-national government, including military forces. I can't prove that of course. I'm just being paranoid.


Vagabond, you are absolutely right about them stealing from the taxpayers. As far as your second point goes, let me redirect your thinking. They steal from this obscene pool of money that we, all taxpaying Americans, break our backs to provide. What they use that money for is to keep the shadow government installed in power. This shadow govenment then facilitates the stealing of money by these companies. It's a vicious cycle that is never going to end. This shadow government has been in power in this country for a long time now. John F. Kennedy was not one of them and was therefore eliminated. Alot of the money they steal is used for political capital. Money is the only power in this world.

Peace
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