Four Halliburton Workers Hurt in Explosion in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/23/sm.06.html

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in Iraq where three American soldiers have been killed, so far today. And four Halliburton workers have been hurt in an explosion. A live report now from out Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour, in Baghdad.
So, what can you tell us, Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far it is still a little hard to give you the precise details. All we have officially confirmed from the U.S. military here is that two American soldiers were killed in the Mosul area, that is the town in northern Iraq about three hours' drive north of Baghdad. snip

Again back in the north of Iraq, near Kirkuk, as you mentioned there was an explosion at one of the oil facilities, a social club, up near Kirkuk. And four of the contractors, the building contractors, for Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, were we are told injured.

And in addition, we're hearing reports although we can't quite nail this down by Americans, but Iraqis are telling us that an Iraqi police colonel, who is in charge of security at one of the oil installations in the north, was killed by an unidentified gunman yesterday night. So, quite a lot of activity going on in Iraq today and continuing these attacks against American soldiers and against Iraqi officials, police, other such security officials, who are working with the Americans as well, Andrea.

more

[pippin]

1. Well, he brought them on all right.

Makes you wonder what civilian in his or her right mind would want to work for Halliburton in Iraq? money? :crazy:

[0007]

18. Big bucks I bet - Who'd want it?

:crazy:

[Cat Atomic]

20. $200k per month. A friend of mine is an IT guy who was offered

$1.2 million for a 6 month contract in Iraq. Of the $200k/per month, $150k per/month was hazard pay.

[number6]

26. your tax money at work ....

:crazy:

[bobthedrummer]

2. Private Military Company/PMC educational link

http://www.icij.org/dtaweb/icij_bow.asp?Section=Chapter&ChapNum=2

[pippin]

3. bobthe drummer: this is amazing!

according to the link you provided:
"This small U.S. contribution to defending Sierra Leone was not conducted by an elite unit of the Army, Navy or Marines, but by a private, Oregon-based company, International Charter Incorporated of Oregon (ICI), managed in part by former U.S. Special Forces operatives. ICI is one of several companies contracted by the State Department to go into danger zones that are too risky or unsavory to commit conventional U.S. forces. "

so we have an official US army and a mercenary shadow army as well??

[bobthedrummer]

5. You got it, pippin!

:hi:

[leesa]

7. You don't think those trillions of dollars the DOD lost disappeared

into thin air do you? These are probably the ones who will enforce Marshal Law?

[bobthedrummer]

8. Martial Law?

Why? State is ok in Wisconsin.
Imagine...

[Sideways]

16. Not A Shadow Government But A Shadow Empire

The "lost" Pentagon money isn't lost at all....it's paying the bills of this illegal and illicit corrupt cabal. BIG TIME. Good Gawd this is farking nasty shit we are up against.

I am out of the USA and only planned on an 18 month trip but I am NOT coming back any time soon. NO NO NO I will fight these bastards off shore and will probably have more power because of it.

Mary T live in the middle east and fucking reeling from the bullshit stateside. Fighting on.

[ozymandius]

19. This is the burgeoning Military-Industrial complex Ike warned us about. nt

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. Pippin and all who are interested in PRIVATE MILITARY

This is a 10 part series called Making a Killing: The Business of War from the Center for Public Integrity.

I recommend printing it and reading it in pieces...it is VERY enlightening...covers everything from oil, blood diamonds, the illegal arms trade and mercinary corporations:

http://www.icij.org/dtaweb/icij_bow.asp?Section=Chapter&ChapNum=1

[SlavesandBulldozers]

4. social club at an oil facility

the essence of what we are fighting for in Iraq.

[Divernan]

6. Social clubs for private contractors?

Paid for by US taxpayers, no doubt. What recreational facilities do our troops in Iraq have?

[bobthedrummer]

9. What about the people of Iraq?

We don't keep records of those killed by US forces. We don't answer to the International Court for war crimes.
War is hell.

[DivinBreuvage]

10. The Hessians are Coming! The Hessians are Coming!

(Disclaimer: sarcasm approaches)

This is a GREAT idea. I'm glad to know the USG will have its own little body of remorseless mercenaries to quell civil unrest should it happen to erupt one day:

"He is, at this Time, transporting large armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation."

Now all they need is to get India to contribute troops, and they'll be all set:

"He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose Known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes, and Conditions."

Francoise

[bobthedrummer]

11. Not India but Pakistan IMO.

ISI and unholy covert alliances of the world.

[DivinBreuvage]

12. True, the Pakistanis gave the America militia hell at Oriskany

British Lt. Col. Barry St. Leger had a whole flock of Pakistani troops on the payroll when he came down from Canada and besieged Fort Stanwix. Unfortunately for him, his Pakistani allies got honked about having to do all the fighting for cheap and decamped when Benedict Arnold arrived on the scene to whip some redcoat tail. True story.

Seriously, though, if the day ever comes when the USG needs to do "peacekeeping" in the streets, it will be wiser from their point of view to give the job to soldiers who share neither the culture nor the language of the inhabitants, and who probably don't care too much for the inhabitants in any event.

Francoise

[schultzee]

23. Mon Dieu, he is capable of anything and everything. Help help help

[Alpharetta]

13. Are these civilians getting combat pay?

I feel bad for the ones who were so desperate for work they took a job in a combat zone.

Kind of like the Iraqi security forces the Pentagon is hiring.

Paid to die for political purposes. Meat for the grinder.

[hippiechick]

14. "Civilian contractor" = CIA Mercenary/Mole

It's still sad that anyone has lost their life over this money grab, but the terminology they use for their hired guns is entirely subjective.



:hippie:

[janx]

15. CNN is now reporting that Iraqis desecrated some soldiers'

bodies by slitting their throats.

?

[Sideways]

17. CNN Desecrates The Troops Every Day They Push Bush

Isn't CNN's fucking diaper full yet?

[Carolina]

25. exactly

:toast:

[leftchick]

21. 7 Wounded all together..... and that place is WELL Guarded!

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2501F47E-A88E-4275-B1DD-6D7A1F8DE7EF.htm

<snip>Seven people have been wounded in an explosion at a heavily protected building belonging to the state-owned Northern Oil Company (NOC) in the Iraqi town of Kirkuk.

Police and security officials said three Iraqis and four Americans suffered injuries when two rockets hit the NOC cultural and social club at dinner time on Saturday.

The club is used as a canteen by the Americans and employees of the US company Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) a subsidiary of US oil services giant Halliburton, which has netted a controversial US government contract to help rebuild Iraq's shattered oil industry.

Police officer Salam Jalal confirmed it was the first attack to target the building.

[schultzee]

22. Well, for those who want to work for Halliburton, its dangerious work

and more dangerious for the American soldiers who have to guard them.