$23 Billion Could Be the Cost of War Profiteering in Iraq

LibertySugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:02 -0700

$23 billion has been lost, stolen, or not properly accounted for in Iraq, according to a BBC News investigation. BBC claims that private contractors have exploited the conflict and reconstruction in a potentially criminal manner. There are 70 pending cases against private US companies for war profiteering, but the details of these cases are being kept mum under a gag order.

The article details that leading up to the war, VP Dick Cheney's former company Halliburton was the only company to bid on a $7 billion contract, which was granted over objections of the most senior Pentagon official on the contracts. The BBC also alleges that Hazem Shalaan, who became Iraq's defense minister, siphoned $1.2 billion out of the ministry by purchasing used Polish weapons but billing them as top class weapons. Shalaan was sentenced to jail but has succeeded in fleeing Iraq.

Estimates suggest that the volume of cash that has been misappropriated could give the Iraq War the worst war profiteering legacy in history. Do you hope that the gag order regarding US companies that may be involved is lifted soon? Does the public deserve some transparency?

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Jon Stewart: How Could Senators Vote Against Antirape Bill?

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Senator Al Franken recently sponsored the Franken Anti-Government-Contractor Rape Liability Bill. The legislative amendment states that the US government will not hire companies who make employees sign a contract saying that they will not sue if they are raped by other employees.

Franken was prompted by a female employee of a Halliburton subsidiary who was gang-raped by her co-workers in Iraq. She could not press criminal charges because it happened out of US jurisdiction, and she could not sue, because the fine print in her employment contract waived that right.

Franken's amendment should put an end to such atrocities, but not all members of the Senate were on board. The final vote was 68-30 in favor. Jon Stewart wants to know: how is anyone against this? Watch this clip from last night's Daily Show to find out how certain lawmakers justified their opposition.