Critic of U.S. Contract in Iraq gets Demotion (NYT/IHT)

[Up2Late]

(This could get ugly, I've already heard here interviewed, talking like she thinks this was due to Racism, She's African-American)

Critic of U.S. contract in Iraq gets demotion

By Eric Eckholm The New York Times

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2005
NEW YORK A top U.S. Army contracting official who criticized a large, noncompetitive Iraq contract with the Halliburton Company was demoted for what the army called a poor job performance.

The official, Bunnatine Greenhouse, is a 20-year veteran of military procurement and for the last several years had been the chief overseer of contracts at the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that has managed much of the reconstruction work in Iraq.

The demotion on Saturday removed her from the elite Senior Executive Service and reassigned her to a lesser job in the corps' civil works division.

Greenhouse's lawyer, Michael Kohn, called the action "obvious reprisal" for the strong objections she raised in 2003 to a series of corps decisions involving the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown Root, which has garnered more than $10 billion for work in Iraq and Afghanistan. "She is being demoted because of her strict adherence to procurement requirements and the army's preference to sidestep them when it suits their needs," he said in an interview Sunday.

<http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/28/news/army.php>
(more at link above)

[BlueJac]

1. That figures

[Trillo]

2. One set of rules for us

another for them.

[anarch]

21. that is the very definition of "privilege"

It's absolutely disgusting. The oil-thug junta that has stolen our country not only sees America as "above the law" when it comes to aggressively invading other sovereign nations, but they see themselves as above all of our own laws and regulations. And then punish anyone who calls them on it!

I only hope we can oust these criminals from our government before they decide that presidential term limits don't apply either...or before they just declare martial law, make their boy "president for life" or something, or just kill us all.

[Metta]

3. Democracy and justice, death by a thousand cuts.

Another fascist move to intimidate those of us of good consience.

[grytpype]

4. They don't even try to hide it.

Go against the Bush party line, get punished. Someone should compile all the incidents, there are dozens, in every branch of government.

[swag]

5. Also see WaPo article (and a kick, and a recommend)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082800881.html

In the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003, Greenhouse objected to a decision to give a five-year, no-bid contract to KBR for putting out the oil fires that Pentagon officials believed retreating Iraqi troops would set as the United States invaded. KBR had earlier been hired to write the plans for how that work would be conducted.

When the time came to award the Restore Iraqi Oil contract, the terms stipulated that the contractor had to have knowledge of KBR's plan. KBR was the only contractor deemed eligible. Normally, contractors that prepare cost estimates and plans are excluded from bidding on the work that arises from those plans.

When superiors overruled her objections to awarding the contract to KBR without competition, she recorded her concerns by writing next to her signature on the contract a warning that the length of the deal could convey the perception that limited competition was intended.

As Greenhouse became more vocal internally, she said she was increasingly excluded from decisions and shunned by her bosses.

[ninkasi]

23. Disgusting

Bunnatine Greenhouse joins the ranks of other courageous women who have spoken up when they saw wrongdoing in this most corrupt of all administrations, and suffered for it. Coleen Rowley and Sibel Edmonds have also faced the vengeful side of the Bush gang of thugs. Cynthia McKinney received the full Rove smear treatment for more than her questioning of how much Bush knew in advance of the 9-11 attacks. She has a long and proud record of demanding accountability when government's actions are unethical.

Ms. Greenhouse stood up to her bosses (the article refers to them as her superiors...they might have held higher rank than her, but I refuse to call them her superiors, since they aren't worthy to breath the same oxygen), and has been punished for it.It's past time for our Dem leaders to start demanding an end to this disgraceful misuse of power on the part of Bush and his attack dogs.

Now, in Crawford, another woman is standing up, and showing that there is power in numbers. We at DU know about the lying and corruption rampant in Bush's gang, and some of our politicians, like Conyers,are demanding answers. It's time for the rest of the Democratic leadership to step up to the plate and do what they are paid to do. If they can't, then we need to find the ones who can.

I hope some of them will right the wrong done to Ms. Greenhouse, and make an issue of why she was demoted, and get her her job back. It is a sad note when people are demoted or fired for being honest, and doing their jobs.

[Up2Late]

29. And don't forget former Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13114-2004May9.html>

Prison Revolt

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski Says the Abu Ghraib Investigation Is About Scapegoating, but She's Having None of It

By Libby Copeland
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 10, 2004; Page C01

Brig. Gen. Janis L. Karpinski has her back up. She says she has been scapegoated for the abuses that some U.S. soldiers inflicted on Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib, abuses that occurred when she was in charge of 16 prisons in Iraq, and that were carried out by soldiers under her command. Karpinski believes that higher-ups are attempting to make her the public face of failed leadership.

(more at link above)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

34. Yes I remember that

I posted a story about the oil fire contracts on a local blog back then. Even some of the most rabid right wingers were outraged when they read it.

[NightOwwl]

6. Army Contract Official Critical of Halliburton Pact Is Demoted

Army Contract Official Critical of Halliburton Pact Is Demoted
By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: August 29, 2005

A top Army contracting official who criticized a large, noncompetitive contract with the Halliburton Company for work in Iraq was demoted Saturday for what the Army called poor job performance. The official, Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, has worked in military procurement for 20 years and for the past several years had been the chief overseer of contracts at the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that has managed much of the reconstruction work in Iraq. The demotion removes her from the elite Senior Executive Service and reassigns her to a lesser job in the corps' civil works division.

Ms. Greenhouse's lawyer, Michael Kohn, called the action an "obvious reprisal" for the strong objections she raised in 2003 to a series of corps decisions involving the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, which has garnered more than $10 billion for work in Iraq. Dick Cheney led Halliburton, which is based in Texas, before he became vice president. "She is being demoted because of her strict adherence to procurement requirements and the Army's preference to sidestep them when it suits their needs," Mr. Kohn said Sunday in an interview. He also said the Army had violated a commitment to delay Ms. Greenhouse's dismissal until the completion of an inquiry by the Pentagon's inspector general.

Carol Sanders, spokeswoman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said Sunday that the personnel action against Ms. Greenhouse had been approved by the Department of the Army. And in a memorandum dated June 3, 2005, as the demotion was being arranged, the commander of the corps, Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, said the administrative record "clearly demonstrates that Ms. Greenhouse's removal from the S.E.S. is based on her performance and not in retaliation for any disclosures of alleged improprieties that she may have made." Known as a stickler for the rules on competition, Ms. Greenhouse initially received stellar performance ratings, Mr. Kohn said. But her reviews became negative at roughly the time she began objecting to decisions she saw as improperly favoring Kellogg Brown & Root, he said. Often she hand-wrote her concerns on the contract documents, a practice that corps leaders called unprofessional and confusing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/international/middleeast/29halliburton.html?hp&ex=1125374400&en=f2175188366b5e36&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[NoSheep]

7. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

:mad:

[IChing]

8. If he had been more supportive she could of had the medal of freedom

I read about her last year and wonder what happened to her story

Now we know

[Im with Rosey]

17. I remember seeing an interview

I don't recall when it was, but she made a lot of sense. At the time I thought she would suffer because of her outspoken opinions. It seemed as though she really had a grasp of what was going on and was not afraid to bring facts to the table, she was clearly in the know. She also gave the impression that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. It will be interesting to see where this goes, I think she might have the determination to kick some butt.

[Up2Late]

30. Here's an NPR Radio interview I heard (audio)

Iraq

Private, No-Bid Contractors Doing Iraq Jobs

Listen to this story... <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4800207>

News & Notes with Ed Gordon, August 15, 2005 · The U.S. government has spent almost $200 billion in Iraq since 2003. Much of that money has gone to private contractors, who do everything from serving meals to building bridges. Bunnatine "Bunny" Greenhouse of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers talks about her concerns that many of the government contracts are non-competitive, and contractors are overcharging for services.

[Triana]

9. Do they REALLY expect people to believe them?

How friggin stupid and gullible do they think people are? OBVIOUSLY she is being retaliated against. I hope her lawyer can get some sort of redress for her because of this CRAP!

And she's a SHE - no doubt that makes her even more of a target. Sorry to say it but it's been my experience that that's how it is, much of the time.

:mad:

[anarch]

22. I believe it was H.L. Mencken who said:

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

[Trillo]

10. At least we know why liars rise to the top.

It's not about hard work, education or what you know, or even persistence.

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. It isn't a contract anymore, it's a "pact" - like a treaty or something

between nations. Real governments don't allow this, ones that do are routinely upended for far less.

[leftchick]

12. yahoo link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050829/wl_afp/usiraqhalliburton_050829075227

There was a great story about her in rollingstone a little while back. What a great human being she is. This makes me so very angry.

:grr:

[annabanana]

14. rated, recomended...n/t

[annabanana]

13. the risks of honesty

This woman deserves a medal. She was in a position to see how much thievery is going on and refused to ignore or lie about it. She stood up to the crooks, tried to adhere to the law ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, and she's been demoted for her efforts.

When the American people set things right (and I firmly believe that we will) I want her to get the recognition she deserves.

[burythehatchet]

18. Why does this shock anyone?

This is a systematic dismantling of our government so that they can continue to steal our money and plunder our resources. Anyone who has been a good public servant is at risk. You know what its like? Its become just like corporate America. This is precisely how corporations work. At leat the ones I worked for, AIG, Marsh, Aon.

[klyon]

26. message ....... Don't cross us or you will pay George

My mother-in-law once said she didn't trust people named George or Barbara. These are very mean, heartless people.

KL

[farmbo]

15. Audacious? Corrupt? Odious?...No, business as usual in BushWorld

eom

[emulatorloo]

16. kicking EOM

[struggle4progress]

35. and again

:kick:

[geckosfeet]

19. Oooo. Hard to see that coming. Classic Rovian f*cking. n/t

[katinmn]

20. Sending a message to other potential whistleblowers

I hope she has a good attorney. Perhaps the ACLU will step in. Damn!

[Frustratedlady]

25. Turn the tables

If Bush&Ilk went after Ms. Greenhouse for blowing the whistle on the likes of Kellogg, Brown Root, Haliburton, maybe we peons need to turn the tables and start demanding answers and an accounting from the administration and their good friends KBR, Haliburton, et al.

I want to know what the reasoning was for the "ghost" charges, if it wasn't to rip off the American taxpayers. How did the millions of dollars disappear...as in pallets full, at the beginning of the war! It's as though the corruption is so rampant, everyone is throwing up their hands and looking the other way. Beyond a few like Conyers, isn't there anyone with authority willing to jump in and get answers?

[Usrename]

24. Isn't it illegal to demote her during a hurricane disaster? n/t

[Just Me]

27. Classic "retaliatory discharge".

There may be additional federal whistle-blower protections which extend to her, as well.

Hey, Bunnatine,...SUE,...SUE LOUDLY!!!

[OneTwentyoNine]

28. Bump and printing......n/t

[paineinthearse]

31. Very similar to story coming out of DoJ (racial profiling)

see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2043103

[classysassy]

32. Those women

are causing Bush and Chaney problems.I am sure Dick the prick told the spineless wimps at the corp of eng."get rid of the b----,.Greenhouse,Karpinski,Sheehan,all you rethug females thanks for voting for that disastrous duo of donkey dong.

[cascadiance]

33. Another article on this on Inter Press Service just came across...

Another good article that puts her case in context with other whistleblowers and the states secret act gag rules that have been used to muzzle whistleblowers.

From:

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=30072

CORRUPTION-US:
Halliburton Whistleblower Demoted
William Fisher

NEW YORK, Aug 30 (IPS) - Whistleblowers -- those who go public with allegations of waste, fraud and abuse -- continue to have a tough time, despite a law protecting them and repeated assurances from the White House, many government agencies and Congress that they maintain a policy of zero tolerance for retaliation.

The latest victim of apparent retaliation is Bunnatine H. "Bunny" Greenhouse, the senior contracting officer for the Army Corps of Engineers, who objected -- first, internally, then publicly -- to a multi-billion dollar, no-bid contract with the Halliburton company for work in Iraq.

Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, commander of the Army Corps, told Greenhouse she was being removed from the senior executive service, the top rank of civilian government employees, because of poor performance reviews.

But Greenhouse's attorney, Michael D. Kohn, has appealed the decision in a letter to Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, saying the performance review cited by Strock to justify his action "was conducted by the very subjects" of Greenhouse's allegations.

...

[madmark]

36. Its not racism, it whistle blower retaliation and an extremely transparent

at that. I hope she can bring an effective cause of action for damage this has caused. He appears to be have counsel so hopefully it will happen.