Electrocutions kill at least 12 soldiers, Marines in Iraq

[govegan]

Source: Seattle P-I

WASHINGTON -- At least a dozen soldiers and Marines have been electrocuted in Iraq over the five years of the war, and investigators now are trying to learn what role improper grounding of electrical wires played in those deaths.

Houston-based KBR -- which builds bases and maintains housing for U.S. troops in Iraq -- is at the center of the inquiry, with questions being raised about its responsibility to repair known wiring problems.

On the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, California Democrat Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates seeking details about electrocutions of military and contract workers in Iraq and about KBR's role in making electrical repairs.

.....

Altmire (Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa.) said those deaths were easily preventable. "You wonder how it even could happen one time. But if a tragedy does occur once -- because of a mistake -- how could it possibly occur 12 times?" he asked.

Read more: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/355742_troops20.html

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Wow, just wow.

Isn't it great to know how smashing things are in Iraq? (sigh)

KBR's contribution to bloodshed for profit continues on.

[bushmeister0]

1. If KBR's water doesn't kill them . . . well, the water kills them

Part of Waxman's letter to Gates:

"On January 2,2008, Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth was electrocuted while taking a shower in his living quarters in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. According to a memorandum issued by the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Staff Sergeant Maseth's
death was due to improper grounding of the electric water pump which supplied water to the building's pipes. When Staff Sergeant Maseth stepped into the shower and turned on the water an electrical short in the pump sent an electrical current through the water pipes to the metal shower hose, and then through Staff Sergeant Maseth's arm to his heart."

http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080319091300.pdf

[happygoluckytoyou]

2. ALERT THE PRESSES....CEO ELECTROCUTED.... OH... nevermind, just a serviceman

[appleannie1]

3. They are paid billions in no bid contracts and they don't even know

how to ground a pump? And then the parents get word that their dead son died because their dead son was stupid enough to take an electrical appliance into a shower with them? And then the buzzards claim they support the troops and anyone that complains is a traitor to this country.

[sce56]

4. Add that to giving the troops the backwash from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification plants

Introducing all the bad stuff filtered out into the system that was used to wash clothes Bathe and wash the kitchen utensils. Dick heckuva Good Job Cheney's privatization that removed the Quartermaster corps and other essential jobs to make way for high priced unknowledgeable workers doing what soldiers used to do!

[Zhade]

5. Any concern for the Iraqis in Abu Ghraib getting electrocuted ON PURPOSE?

Anyone?

[NM Independent]

6. Of course we care about that...it's a given.

But it royally pisses me off that Hallifuckingburton is killing our own troops.

[govegan]

7. I think it's all just so mind numbingly insane, grisly details and all

Like Dr. Frankenstein has been relocated to the pentagon.

I am not sure if anyone at the prison was actually killed by electrocution, but instead had to suffer the inhumanity of their twisted torture. Of course, death occurred there as well, possibly more painful and humiliating than the electrocutions at the base camps.

But who is the engineer of all of this death and destruction?

Certainly not some poor foot soldier trying to take a freakin' shower.

The whole situation seems to worsen by the hour . . .

And Cheney is over there like some freakish Lady Macbeth with blood dripping from his fiendish appendages . . . .

Yikes!

[saigon68]

10. Not really Cheney gets off on Guys who have their testicles

Wired up to 220 volts of 50 cycle fun

[1776Forever]

8. This is just plain awful as it gets! KBR was given 3 mil to fix the problem - Chinese parts!

Iraqi's had put them in 10 years ago! This is such a disgrace to our men and women serving over there! Just like the bad water that I heard about 4 years ago when my son went over!

I saw one of the mother's of a green beret who had lost his life on the TV tonight. It is heart wrenching stuff! To me they are traitors for taking our tax money and not doing the job they were paid to do! All of them, Blackwater included who make their own rules! I have written dozens of letters to many different Senators and MSM on this issue and never got anything but a form letter back. I even wrote McCain once and he told me that he thought they were needed over there! Yeah their needed! With people like this over there we have more of the same terrorists we are fighting!

:cry:

[Divine Discontent]

9. right on! this is a great story that Keith could do a whole show upon

I will write him tomorrow at [e-mail] and ask him to look into it for the future. This is a horribly pressing matter for all those with loved ones over there. KBR needs to have their top figureheads indicted for failure to follow safety regulations between this, the water being polluted, and accounting schemes.

[BreweryYardRat]

11. Hell with "indicted for failure to follow safety regulations!"

They're getting troops killed just to make even more money cutting corners!

Seize their assets/funds, charge the CEOs and boards of directors with treason, convict 'em, and hang them higher than Haman.