Military Facing Budget Gap with Halliburton -- WSJ

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050201/ts_nm/arms_halliburton_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

<snip>

According to the article, in December Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root unit, which provides food, mail, telephones and other basic services to U.S. troops in Iraq (news - web sites), submitted an estimate to the Pentagon (news - web sites) for expected spending in the year starting May 1, based on a list of Army requirements.


The company said its costs for the year could exceed $10 billion, the newspaper said.


But the Army has budgeted just $3.6 billion to support the KBR-provided services during the same period, the newspaper said.

<snip>

Gen. George Casey told the Wall Street Journal that the difference had been reduced to closer to $4 billion. "To say that we're not worried would not be true. Someone has made some assumptions that have driven the costs through the roof," he told the newspaper.

[tom_paine]

1. So, Halliburton will just steal the money from somewhere else

With the gracious assistance of their Imperial Friends.

[rooboy]

2. The idea of someone stealing six thousand million dollars...

is mind boggling. By the way, how much money was at issue in the so-called Whitewater scandal?

[NYC]

6. I think that was $100,000.

Halliburton contracts have doubled. I read that a few days ago.

[papau]

8. it was a loss of money and a few thousand tax deduction - plus bank

favors to get a loan that was repaid - unlike Bush million dollar forgiven loans in S&L scandal.

[NYC]

9. The S&L scandal was the biggest theft from the American taxpayers

until Bush, Jr. took office.

(And I do mean "took".)

[aikido15]

3. Am I reading this right? Halliburton is still employed...

after getting caught filtering money through the Cayman Island Bank to do business in Iran because of sanctions...like isn't that illegal or something? Unethical to be sure if not illegal.

[Tesla]

4. I'm sure glad Iraq

is a Democratic nation now. We're losing ours.
Welcome to the United States of Haliburton.
They do whatever they want and we pay for it.
MUST BE NICE!!!!!



I

[cthrumatrix]

7. that's what I thought.... and our corrupt politicians look the other way

[jmcgowanjm]

11. Hell, Judith Miller is still employed by the NYT

And guess who's making the Big comeback according
to that lying whore (How much $ has Miller been getting
from the WH?)

Bombshell
Last night's little quote from The Queen of All Iraq wasn't
just about the usual Miller-bashing, it was actually a
bombshell revelation. Here we have a New York Times
reporter going on the record saying that according to a
source, the Bush administration was in talks with Chalabi
about a position in the new Iraqi government. So, in one
neat little package we learn that the Bush administration
backs Chalabi and has significant influence over
appointments in the new government, once it
exists.
Isn't this important?

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_01_30_atrios_archive.html#110719020644895080

[billyoc]

16. Not just employed,

but Halliburton is the only company that is even *eligible* for employment in this area(military support) because of their "special ability" to provide such services. IOW, war profiteers for life. :eyes:

[davhill]

5. First

Someone made an over optimistic estimate

[leesa]

10. Yes, we know. Let's give them another bloated contract like we did last

time this made the headlines.

[Azathoth]

12. Halliburton's fingers got caught in the closing purse strings

Apparently no one told them to ratchet down their obscene overcharging, since Iraq is no longer going to be quite the free-for-all money-pump that it once was.

[indepat]

13. The likely assumption is this cash cow will be milked and milked until dry

[AzDar]

14. Didn't it also come to light during the campaign-that-wasn't last year

that Crashcart had not TRULY divested himself of all his Halliburton stock? Where's the outrage???

[Azathoth]

15. I'm not sure if he still owns stock in the company

but Halliburton was paying him "deferred compensation" after he took office.

[Supersedeas]

17. 4 Billions is a little worrisome...time for FOX to wave the support the

Defense Contractor....errr....support the troops Flag.

[no_to_war_economy]

18. no food for US troops

US faces 4-billion-dollar budget gap for feeding troops in Iraq: report

Food, housing and other services for US troops in Iraq (news - web sites) will cost four billion dollars more than the Pentagon (news - web sites) anticipated in its 2005 budget, a US newspaper said, citing figures from Halliburton, the parent company of KBR, which provides the services.

KBR manages some 80 sites in Iraq. In the last quarter of 2004, the army had a troop-support tab of 18 million dollars a day for the mission in Iraq, the daily said.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050201/pl_afp/usiraqmilitary&cid=1521&ncid=1478

[Ripley]

19. Blackhole over there.

Notice how they never anticipate the exorbitant costs? I guess they'll just ask for more good Christian charity from Americans and expect us to send Care packages of Spam.

Doesn't matter that the looters swindled 9 billion. Let them eat bugs.

[Ezlivin]

20. Damn! Even Napoleon knew better than this

He said that "An army marches on its stomach."

If we can't learn from Napoleon, we're doomed. ::shrug::

[blueheeler]

21. Too bad

They were not allowed to vote and get a voucher :evilgrin:

[AllegroRondo]

22. Does that include the meals KBR charged for but never served?

[illflem]

23. Maybe they should

re-invoke the food for oil program to feed the troops.
Give them all ration cards...

[Emboldened Chimp]

24. More looting of the US Treasury (read: our money) courtesy

of Halliburton and Big Dick Cheney.

[notadmblnd]

25. it costs 18 million dollars a day to feed 120,000 people?

what are they eating?

[harlinchi]

27. How is this cheaper and more efficient?

Chaney was asked how to improve military performance and efficiency after Gulf War I. His answer: use my future company to provide services and supports normally provided by PFC'S and SPC's. I don't understand how paying 100 and 1000 times the rate of a PFC to a contractor who CAN REFUSE TO DO THE MISSION is helpful. Where are the savings? Where's the efficiency when a contractor can 'call in sick' at the expense of our troops getting their load of MRE's or worse, ammunition?

[illflem]

29. That comes out $150 per head per day

wonder if includes the tip?

[high density]

26. Time to call up Aramark or HMSHost

If it's good enough for our college kids and highway plazas, it should be good enough for our troops.

[plasticsundance]

28. Hey ... all is okay

The US Congress will just pass another supplemental budget bill on top of the 80 billion Bush will already have to request for Iraq for the first part of 2005.

Ah! Don't you guys get it? Just keep printing money. <sarcasm>

Then when everyone finds out there still isn't money for the food, the Congress will make a symbolic inquiry, but nothing will change, and all remains SNAFU under the Bush regime.

[reprobate]

30. Someone should remind Halliburton of the French revolution

And the many formerly wealthy personages who made fleeting acquaintance with Doctor Guillotine's famous progeny.

And it couldn't happen to more deserving people.

[harlinchi]

31. I understand the French revolution scared our Founders...

So much that it is cited as one of the reasons for the existence of the Electoral College, can't have 'mob rule', you know!

[w4rma]

32. The French Revolution was based on & came *after* the American Revolution.

The electorial college was in place well before the French Revolution.

[kuozzman]

33. MIlitary facing wide budget gap with Halliburton; Overruns of $4Billion

In related news: Halliburton Poised For Q1 'Upside Surprise'
http://www.forbes.com/markets/economy/2005/01/31/0131automarketscan13.html

Thread title story:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=15

[tk2kewl]

34. Q1 'Upside Surprise' ??

You suppose thats where the missing $9B went?

[aquart]

35. Privatizing the military. Bad idea?

You bet!