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KBR, Guilty In Iraq Negligence, Wants Taxpayers To Foot The Bill

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posted on Jan, 9 2013 @ 10:32 PM
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KBR, Guilty In Iraq Negligence, Wants Taxpayers To Foot The Bill


www.huffingtonpost.com

In November, a jury found KBR, the military's largest contractor, guilty of negligence in the poisoning of a dozen soldiers, and ordered the company to pay $85 million in damages. Jurors found KBR knew both of the presence and toxicity of the chemical. Other lawsuits against KBR are pending.

KBR, however, says taxpayers should be on the hook for the verdict, as well as more than $15 million the company has spent in its failed legal defense, according to court documents and attorneys involved
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on Jan, 9 2013 @ 10:32 PM
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So KBR, the US military's largest private contractor, has been found guilty of negligence resulting in the poisoning of at least 12 soldiers who were stationed in Iraq.

Many more soldiers are suspected to have been exposed to the chemical (sodium dichromate), during their service abroad, and are being monitored for possible future health risks.

But the story doesn't end there. Even though the company appears to have provided incomplete, if not outright false, information regarding the health and safety risks involved with using this chemical. They want the tax payers to pay their damages and legal fees.

Because they have a classified indemnity agreement as part of their contract. They claim that the government is responsible for all their fines. Including not just their liability costs but their legal fees as well.

If that wasn't enough to piss you off. Well here's another kick in the teeth from these dirty crooks. KBR has relocated and moved their headquarters to the Cayman Islands and no longer pays any US taxes on their multi-billion dollar contracts.

This is also not the first time KBR, which is a Halliburton spin-off company, has been negligent while providing its services to our military. They had previously provided faulty electrical contracting services which resulted in the deaths of American servicemen by electrocution.

A soldier went to take a shower and was killed due to the faulty wiring provided by KBR. Apparently the water that was coming out of the pipes had been electrified shocking the poor man to death. At least 19 people have died due to the faulty wiring provided by KBR.

Sodium Dichromate exposure


KBR electrocution deaths


These companies should not be allowed to get away with passing the buck off on the US tax payer for their mistakes. They should not be allowed to get away with lying about the safety of the chemicals our soldiers are being exposed to. I also don't think it's right that they don't even pay any US taxes and our government has agreed to pay their bills for them.



www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)
edit on 9-1-2013 by MagicWand67 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 9 2013 @ 11:15 PM
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Glad another ATSer is keeping tabs on this stuff.

Here is another thread discussing related subject material.
The War profiteers~ Iraq for sale


Not much we can do to stop this, until the corruption is purged from the system in which it breeds.

Unfortunately...



posted on Jan, 9 2013 @ 11:38 PM
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reply to post by ADVISOR
 






Not much we can do to stop this, until the corruption is purged from the system in which it breeds.


At the bottom of the article I read that they have at least passed a law to give Congress some oversight on these agreements. Hopefully it helps prevent this kind of thing in the future...... I know wish full thinking.


link

Secret indemnity agreements shouldn’t be a problem in the future, because of a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 pushed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The act requires the Pentagon to disclose indemnification clauses that hold military contractors harmless and to justify the agreements to Congress.


Thanks for the link.

I saw that video when I was looking around youtube.

I will have to check it out now.


edit on 9-1-2013 by MagicWand67 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 9 2013 @ 11:59 PM
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reply to post by MagicWand67
 


Sweet, you found a freeview.
To be honest, I didn't look.




posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 12:39 AM
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I think what may happen (though probably in vain) is that as more reports of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars surface -- people everywhere will be collectively thinking "why should I pay taxes?"

... However, that is just thinking the thought. How many would actually say "enough is enough" and stop paying?



posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 12:58 AM
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reply to post by Philippines
 


Hmm, good question.

Perhaps the sovereign citizens could be counted in that minority.



posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 02:58 AM
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Touching on only a small part of your story:

Perhaps the citizens of the US should petition the government to make it law that no company who is stationed off shore and does not pay US tax, should be permitted to enter into contracts with the government.

So this company would loose all it's contracts until it is once again liable to pay US tax?



posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 03:00 AM
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reply to post by nothingwrong
 


That is a good point to bring up.
I have heard word of deployed troops being taxed for their pay over seas.

Some thing has got to give...



posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 04:08 AM
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Originally posted by nothingwrong
Touching on only a small part of your story:

Perhaps the citizens of the US should petition the government to make it law that no company who is stationed off shore and does not pay US tax, should be permitted to enter into contracts with the government.

So this company would loose all it's contracts until it is once again liable to pay US tax?



Great idea. Governments most everywhere are always on the hunt to find new creative ways to tax people / corporations. I like how your idea is purposed towards government contracts especially. Applying said idea to private corporations would probably not even allowed to be discussed.

Then again, look at the people behind Halliburton etc. and realize the same people behind these government-awarded contracts are the same people who currently work or previously worked in the government at high level positions. No way are they going to want their current buddies in government to pass laws restricting their business... Unless the politicians are forced by the people in some way, nothing will change in my opinion.



posted on Jan, 10 2013 @ 09:34 AM
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hexavalent chromium ...that's the toxic heavy metal at the heart of the Hinckley, California, disaster, the subject of the 2000 film, Erin Brockovich! KBR, an oil services business, certainly did know how toxic it is!!

Another case of privatize the profits, socialize losses and risks!!!



posted on Jan, 16 2013 @ 01:33 PM
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Talk about adding insult to injury.....is there no bounds to these "scumbags" greed?

KBR, Halliburton and Co. have OUTRIGHT been caught with thier Bloody little hands on the money, billing the American tax payer beyond "top dollar" and what is reasonable and needed for some insane War we should never have been in.........But ...if that isn't bad enough.......when these bastards get called out for thier murder, providing inferior and dangerous services and lies......we need to pay for that too.......seriously ?!

Yeah......"Respect Our Troops" as we send them to be "outsourced" by private companies, making much more then they do, sleeping in moldy tents, filthy water, being posioned....for what ???? Tempting civilians with big $ to go to Iraq to "re-build" and letting them be ambushed to make a profit?

No wonder the US government keeps a close eye on vets, military and patriots......it's beyond obscene....and very sad..



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