BUSINESS: Poised to Profit from Katrina: Halliburton, Houston Head the List

When I wrote this article, I simply was marvelling at how quickly the vultures gather. Now...

I see a huge conspiracy.

The key facts:

1. There was no coordinated evacuation BEFORE disaster struck, but now that the danger is over, forced evacuation is suddenly essential.

2. The emergency action plan for the area was scrapped, and nothing else was done.

3. Residents' eye witness accounts say the military, police, and National Guard were out in force during the worst of the tragedy - but did nothing - just laughed at the survivors, and did not help.

4. Refugees say they were forced from their homes when authorities opened floodgates to purposefully flood their districts. Other residents report that the levees were bombed.

5. $250 million from the SELA (Southeast Louisiana) Urban Flood Control Program was diverted to Halliburton via KBR's Iraq contract.

6. KBR got the contract to provide debris removal and "other" emergency work associated with US natural disasters, in July 2005.

* The reports and coverage are full of other damning information, self-contradictions from official sources, and backtracking - all of which provide additional grist for a conspiracy theory.


Now, it looks to me like the emergency action plan for the area was replaced by a strategy to render NO "beyond salvage," position Halliburton for another juicy contract, and likely, to justify moving the oil run to Houston, a geographically less suitable port for supplying the mainland.

It also looks like Halliburton's KRB was contracted to "clean-up" and level New Orleans - the contracts might be extended to landfill the city to sea level, and maybe, rebuild.

The survivors who chose to stay can't stay because NO needs to be considered ''completely destroyed,'' and depopulated for the land to be appropriated, so Halliburton and cronies can make hay. That's the real problem with my original thesis: I wasn't just defending the losers, I was defending losers who are in the way.


The questions I'm asking now are:

1. Just how much was the 'natural' opportunity tweaked, and how?

2. Did Carlyle Group broker the deal?

3. Does America accept the collateral damage?

4. Is this a crime against humanity, treason, or what?


Former FEMA Officials Speak Out
Planned Flooding?
levee was bombed by the Army Corps of Engineers
Poised to Profit from Katrina: Halliburton, Houston Head the List
New Orleans: Incompetence or Population Control?


[edit on 8-9-2005 by soficrow]

Originally posted by marg6043

By mexicans? not wonder they are coming in hordes through the border the prefer to work for "Honest" companies like . . .hum yeah, Haliburton.

Occurs they have that is where the money is. . . who wants a mostly poor black city like New Orleans when Texas is full of good corporates leadership.

Just wanted to point out how YOU played the race card first, Marge

Oh, yeah, you called Reagan and all republicans racists

But I got the warn. Did you have to email Nygdan personally, about your feelings being hurt? Or is he just on the lookout for any time the left side of an argument is beginning to lose face?

Funny how only SOME people are allowed to bring up race.
Anyone else gets a warn.

You implied that Reagan, Republicans, and Houstonians are racists, yet it's someone else who's being the bigot and labeling people.

I wasn't talking about Mexicans, if you actually look at my post. CEMEX is about the only competitor for Brown&Root on the world stage. But apparently, only Marge is allowed to question a company's behavior.

And your comment that New Orleans was allowed to suffer BECAUSE of its racial makeup is a racist accusation, pure and simple.

Funny that Nygdan didn't need to give you a warn.

Now watch me get warned for even mentioning this, how some people (not just liberals) can't even have an open discussion. Stifling debate is a victory for them.

Can we stay on topic please?

Either the original article or the 'new direction' outlined above will do.

dr_strangecraft


I have never said that they are racist, yes the nation under them has forgotten about the poor and needy in this country.

Is not lie that corporate power has taken over the country.

And as for Mexicans I always feel that they have the right to come to this country to better their lives just like all our ancestors did before the land was taken from the natives.

You have been the first person that has ever called me racist in my life.

Its even funny taking in consideration that I am spanish.

By the way I do not complain on other members because the post is all that is needed.

marg.

[edit on 8-9-2005 by marg6043]

Originally posted by marg6043


You have been the first person that has ever called me racist in my life.

Its even funny taking in consideration that I am spanish.

I don't understand. Do you think no one from your particular ethnic origin has ever been capable of racism?

Racism comes in all flavors.

I keep posting about CEMEX, a corporation, and you keep talking about immigrants. The two are not connected, except in your mind. CEMEX, is merely based in Mexico. It is a true multinational, and anyone, any american, can by stock in it. Just like Halliburton.

Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding from my part on the company in particular and a perhaps a misinterpretation of what I was trying to point out.

I guess it happens and taking in consideration that I have never been mistreated by you in any way before I was taken back by the racist comment.

It happens.

[edit on 8-9-2005 by marg6043]

Could this be important, do you think?

5. $250 million from the SELA (Southeast Louisiana) Urban Flood Control Program was diverted to Halliburton via KBR's Iraq contract.

6. KBR got the contract to provide debris removal and "other" emergency work associated with US natural disasters, in July 2005.

Remember - warnings were issued with great regularity that a) climate change was affecting coastal surges, b) New Orleans was in BIG trouble, and c) a catastrophe was imminent.

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
Did you have to email Nygdan personally

I received no email u2u or other communication from marg at all

Or is he just on the lookout for any time the left side of an argument is beginning to lose face?

Ask around to see how 'leftist' I am.

And yes this is off topic, the topic is Business are evil, or something.


[edit on 8-9-2005 by Nygdan]

That is the problem here Sofi, the whole deal is not particular of one party but both of them has been sold to higher interest.

Adding to the controversy regarding the Army Corps of Engineers diverting $250 million from the SELA (Southeast Louisiana) Urban Flood Control Program to Iraq and Halliburton reconstruction projects, is the revelation that FEMA outsourced hurricane recovery planning to the Baton Rouge-based consulting firm Innovative Emergency Management (IEM),

I guess the success of the Carlyle group is now extending to others wannabe smaller investment firms.

Funny that the first think that in an outraged of local government officials the fingers started to point to each other.

Funny how they refer to “Competitive contracts” when is not competition at all.

The subsidiary, Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc. of Arlington, Va., won the competitive-bid contract last July to provide debris removal and other emergency work associated with natural disasters.

Every politician in this country has been bought by any big corporation in that rules this country.

When an unexpected disaster happen then accountability is none existant.

Originally posted by marg6043
That is the problem here Sofi, the whole deal is not particular of one party but both of them has been sold to higher interest.

...Every politician in this country has been bought by any big corporation in that rules this country.

When an unexpected disaster happen then accountability is none existant.

How true.

And the problem is business - or more accurately, the laws governing corporate activity. Specifically, the law says corporations MUST put profits before people. If they don't, they're breaking the law.

...So our politicians are outsourcing emergency management. Now that's clever. ...and of course, defense of property is prioritized over the rescue of people. Flooding, levelling, and rebuilding for profit is prioritized over protecting culture, and saving family homes. Why? Because in this system, that's totally consistent with the law.

.

Well we can get rid of the influence "sellers" if we just get term limits for the people we send to Washington. Career politicians are killing this country and it is the corporations, unions and associations that keep them in power. Pass some serious campaign reform laws that keep the corporations, unions and associations from "buying" influence through soft money contributions, campaign contributions and other techniques that allow them to curry favor with politicians and get rid of the career politicians through strict term limits. Then the people can become the ones with the power again. Unless something like that is done then the entire concept of "of the people, by the people and for the people" is never going to return.

Originally posted by soficrow
I see a huge conspiracy.

It certainly is a huge conspiracy, to cross party lines and involve city, state, and federal governments:

The key facts:

1. There was no coordinated evacuation BEFORE disaster struck, but now that the danger is over, forced evacuation is suddenly essential.

Nagin's responsibility; didn't use the school buses, wanted Greyhound buses instead.

2. The emergency action plan for the area was scrapped, and nothing else was done.

Nagin, Blanco, and entire LA legislature

3. Residents' eye witness accounts say the military, police, and National Guard were out in force during the worst of the tragedy - but did nothing - just laughed at the survivors, and did not help.

A result of Blanco's order to refuse them food and water, so they would leave. Also, Nagin was unable to control his police force, resulting in mass resignations.

There is federal responsibility also, mostly due to an incompetent head of FEMA. But Blanco showed herself to be useless and Nagin was not much better. Initial efforts needed to be driven by them, since it is their state, not FEMA's.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Initial efforts needed to be driven by them, since it is their state, not FEMA's.

Uh huh. And state governors are responsible to release federal funds.

Gotcha. ;0

Thank you jsobecky for pointing out some of the more obvious things that happened and laying the responsibility where it belongs. Many on ATS seem to overlook the obvious in favor of pet theories & such.

That's the refrain of this administration:

It's always someone else, and it's for sure NEVER the Commander in Chief.

When NOBODY bears the final responsibility - that's when things screw up. As we have seen over and over again.

FYI - I don't solely blame Bush or the Republicans - I think the Dems are in it up to their eyeballs, and like the other old boys, for the past century - BUT Bus is the POTUS, so he is responsible. Period.

Originally posted by soficrow

Originally posted by jsobecky
Initial efforts needed to be driven by them, since it is their state, not FEMA's.

Uh huh. And state governors are responsible to release federal funds.

Gotcha. ;0

Once a state of emergency has been declared by POTUS, FEMA is notified to be on the ready. Then it is up to the governor to request aid. The feds won't just come marching in, because of the concept of state sovereignty.

In this case, Blanco wouldn't make the call, despite a letter from the feds urgently advising her to do so. She was afraid it would look like martial law had been imposed. When she finally changed her mind, valuable time had been wasted.

Originally posted by marg6043

Well I am Spanish not mexican but nerveless Spanish, so that makes me a Republican, ......

There are hispanics that are democrat marg, being hispanic doesn't make you a Republican. You are in whatever political party you are by choice, not by being born into it. Although it is true to the best of my knowledge that for example, most Mexicans tend to be Democrats and most Cubans tend to be Republicans.

[edit on 10-9-2005 by Muaddib]

Originally posted by soficrow
When I wrote this article, I simply was marvelling at how quickly the vultures gather. Now...

How quickly the vultures gather?....

I just how to wonder at the need of some people to just label others because they see things differently....

Originally posted by Muaddib

Originally posted by marg6043

Well I am Spanish not mexican but nerveless Spanish, so that makes me a Republican, ......

[edit on 10-9-2005 by Muaddib]

Actually I was Republican until the last elections, hard to believe he, he,.

But what I mean is that "That makes me a Republican hater" thats what I was trying to said.

Originally posted by jsobecky

In this case, Blanco wouldn't make the call, despite a letter from the feds urgently advising her to do so. She was afraid it would look like martial law had been imposed. When she finally changed her mind, valuable time had been wasted.

I heard she wouldn't cave in negotiations to let FEMA walk in playing hardball from the get go. It's also coming out all over that the FEMA troops were all over New Orleans from early on - just doing nothing, except laughing at the victims.

For whatever reason, the strategy played out as non-action and non-intervention - which IMO, was the plan all along.


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