WP:Dems Criticize (Halliburton) Payments:Auditors Question $1B Iraq Costs

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Criticize Payments to KBR
Pentagon Auditors Question More Than $1 Billion in Iraq Costs, Report Says

By Griff Witte
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 28, 2005; Page D01


Pentagon auditors have questioned more than $1 billion in costs by contracting giant Halliburton Co. for its work in Iraq, a number several times higher than previously disclosed, according to a report by congressional Democrats.

The report, based on Defense Contract Audit Agency documents and a briefing by DCAA officials, details $813 million in questioned costs on a Halliburton contract to provide logistical support to U.S. troops and $219 million on a no-bid contract to restore Iraqi's oil network.

The Defense Contract Audit Agency found an additional $442 million in Halliburton charges that were "unsupported," meaning the company had not provided enough documentation to justify the cost, the report said.

Among the costs that Pentagon auditors questioned were $152,000 in "movie library costs," a $1.5 million tailoring bill that auditors deemed higher than reasonable, more than $560,000 worth of heavy equipment that was considered unnecessary, and two multimillion-dollar transportation bills that appeared to overlap.

Halliburton spokeswoman Cathy Mann defended the company's performance, saying in a statement that many of the questioned costs have already been resolved and that the report amounted to "a gross mischaracterization of the true facts."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/27/AR2005062701727.html

[Loreths]

1. 100 years from now...

people will look back on this administration as one of the most corrupt that ever graced America.

[shraby]

2. It won't take a hundred years.

Just a new administration to uncover all the evil.

[LightningFlash]

3. What a disgusting pack of raving liars.....

There's nothing about this Halliburton contract that was legal. Congress knows it.....

This is the outfit who thinks plundering other countries is legal...

http://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V12/7/dreyfuss-r.html

[OneBlueSky]

4. when Cheney leaves office (if he's still alive), he'll return . . .

to Halliburton as CEO, and get a huge salary and bonus for massively increasing the company's profits at taxpayer expense during his tenure as VP . . .

I dunno . . . somehow that just doesn't seem right . . . :shrug:

[LightningFlash]

5. What the hell happened with their billion plus dollars!???

Are these guys just finaggling money away like Jack Abramoff just did? Is Ray McGovern correct about Halliburton just selling the USA out?

:shrug:

[DisassemblingHisLies]

6. Sure sounds like it.

I'm watching the C-Span video now. The Republicans wanted nothing to do with an investigation of Halliburton's price gouging at taxpayers' expense. According to what Rep. Waxman said, the total figure of the waste comes to $1.4 billion.

I'm listening to Bunny Greenhouse testify. She is the former chief contracting officer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She's very impressive. The USACE was in the pocket of the WH. KBR & Halliburton were given quite a free hand into the treasury cookie jar.

[OneBlueSky]

8. "A billion here, a billion there, . . .

pretty soon you're talking real money" . . .

(I think Barry Goldwater said it, but I'm not sure . . . might have been Everett Dirkson or someone like that) . . .

[Daphne08]

7. Isn't this taxpayer money?

I deeply resent the fact that so many Americans are having a difficult time financially while all these top dogs are making off like bandits!

[BeHereNow]

9. As Bush said...

"Who cares what you think?"
Disgusting, isn't it?
Our "homeland" is a smoldering heap of
economic ruin, failing health services, schools,education and
everything else that constitutes a decent civilization while the
people who destoyed it have more wealth than ever.
May they burn in hell for what they have done.
BHN

[AlCzervik]

10. we should try and get a constitutional amendment prohibiting war

profiteering