KBR Named In Report On Soldier Illnesses

Contaminated Water Found At Iraq Posts Operated By Former Halliburton Subsidiary

(AP)  Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says.

A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.

The Defense Department's inspector general's report, which could be released as early as Monday, found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.

It was impossible to link the dirty water definitively to all the illnesses, according to the report. But it said KBR's water quality "was not maintained in accordance with field water sanitary standards" and the military-run sites "were not performing all required quality control tests."

The report said KBR took corrective steps and was providing adequate water quality by November 2006. But military units at the two sites they controlled were still failing to perform required quality control tests and maintain appropriate records by that time.

"Therefore, water suppliers exposed U.S. forces to unmonitored and potentially unsafe water," at the military sites by late 2006, the report said.

The problems did not extend to troops' drinking water, but rather to water used for washing, bathing, shaving and cleaning. Water used for hygiene and laundry must meet minimum safety standards under military regulations because of the potential for harmful exposure through the eyes, nose, mouth, cuts and wounds.

The KBR sites were Camp Ar Ramadi, Camp Q-West and Camp Victory. The military sites were Logistics Support Area Anaconda and Camp Ali.

The inspector general's study confirmed AP reports on the contaminated water in early 2006 and provided additional details on the scope of the problem at the Iraq bases. In January that year, interviews and internal company documents disclosed the problems at Ar Ramadi and showed that KBR employees could not get the company to inform base residents.

Halliburton Co., then KBR's parent company, disputed the allegations even though they were made by its own employees and documented in company e-mails. In March 2006, the AP obtained an internal Halliburton report that, in one instance, the company missed contamination that could have caused "mass sickness or death" at Ar Ramadi.

The report said the event at Ar Ramadi could have been prevented if KBR's reverse osmosis units on the site had been assembled, instead of relying on the military's water production facilities.

Halliburton is the oil services conglomerate that Cheney once led. Congressional Democrats long have complained that KBR has benefited from its former ties to Cheney.

KBR, responding to the inspector general's report, said its water treatment "has met or exceeded all applicable military and contract standards." The company took exception to many of the inspector general's assertions. "KBR's commitment to the safety of all of its employees remains unwavering," the company said in a statement to the AP.

KBR provided water treatment to U.S. troops under a large-scale defense contract that also included housing and food to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djbouti and Georgia.

The military has "taken the appropriate measures to correct the problem and ensure we provide the appropriate oversight of the system," said Navy Capt. James Graybeal of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. troops in the Middle East.

North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, who has led Democratic inquiries into contracting abuses in Iraq, said the inspector general has backed up what those earlier hearings uncovered. "KBR was not doing its job" and U.S. forces had water that did not meet Army standards, Dorgan said.

"I think it's outrageous that KBR tried to deny that there was a problem, especially when it turned out that there were dozens of U.S. troops reporting water-related illnesses," he said.

The inspector general investigated the 2006 reports at Dorgan's request.

The inspector general's report said some troops noticed problems with the water. Between October 2004 and May 2005, troops at Camp Ar Ramadi said bathwater was discolored and had an unusual odor. The report said KBR failed to treat the nonpotable water and monitor water quality during the same period.

At Camp Q-West, KBR inappropriately delivered chlorinated wastewater for showers and latrines without informing military preventive medicine officials, the report said. "KBR did not monitor or record the quality of water at point-of-use containers before April 2006, even though the ... contract required the company to do so," the report added.

Medical records for troops at Camp Q-West indicated 38 cases of illnesses commonly attributed to problem water. These include skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections and diarrhea. Doctors diagnosed 24 of the cases in January and February 2006, the same period when medical officials warned of a rise in bacterial infections at the base.

In addition, military medical records - tied to no particular base in Iraq - showed 26 cases of food and waterborne diseases, including hepatitis, giardiasis and typhoid fever.

Read the Inspector General's Report.

[dmbrainard]

Cheney still owns substantial amounts of Halliburton stock, albeit it has been placed in a trust. Therefore, he still directly benefits from his actions that benefit Halliburton. Per the Halliburton Corp. website and April 14, 2006 KBR press release, KBR is still a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton. To pretend there is distance between Cheney, Halliburton and KBR is false and misleading.

[leftyintexas]

The bushie morons will be facing a dilemma next election... no fool to vote for. They''ll probably have a write-in campaign for Rush Bimba. Meanwhile bush, cheney and the upper management of KBR go home with their pockets bulging with cash.

[watcher269-2009]

This story was on 60 minutes 2 years ago - that KBR was *** Americans and the Troops that serve with poor living conditions - dirty water - charging American tax payers 100 dollars to do 1 load of laundry - the troops were not even allowed to do their own laundry.

That''s not all - they allow trucks to be driven without oil so the engines burn up and need to be replaced - they charge the troops $5 for a cup of coffee. This war is a farse and America is being RAPED by its own companies. This war is not about making America SAFE - its about Making friends of the administration RICH.

But then Thinking Americans know this - right Democrats?

[kissamaarse]

Cheney''s pathetic war-profiteers, aided and abetted by the sick war mongers, Cheney and Bush.

[newsjunky5]

The sign in this story''s photo reads, "Our thoughts and prayers are with our employees in Iraq. KBR"

It makes no mention or guarantee for the Troops.

[iceman_1960]

Re "JesusRose4Us"

So did Charlie.

CharlieRose4Us.

[strangis-2009]

"...a contractor once owned by Vice President *** Cheney''s former company, the Pentagon''s internal watchdog says." Did the report actually say VP *** Cheney''s former company? Haliburton hasn''t been Cheney''s employer in over 8 years, and KBR has been spun off for quite a long time.

I understand Al Gore''s former invention -- the internet -- is responsible for much of the pornography in the world.

C''mon, CBS, you''re better than this. At least, you used to be.

[nofearinlove]

After all, it is still what''''s left of America.....even if we hate each other now, we''''re still free to talk about it - until they come for us next without warrants.
Posted by FloydZepp at 08:11 PM : Mar 09, 2008
Yes I agree with you as well!

[nofearinlove]

I believe everything I am reading. Thank you CBS for the freedom of speech you give to all these posts. It takes determination and guts. Bravo to the best newscast!

[apprxam]

We can''t just call Bush and Cheney greedy without taking a look at ourselves. We''ve no qualms about the fact that we eat, consume and waste well beyond our numbers, but when China, Brazil and India take their at bats, all of a sudden we''ve become indignate and appalled that such a thing could happen. We were for NAFTA when we thought it would suit, and on and on.

This is why took *** like,"they hate us for our freedom" and " Support the troops". Jerry, you right about that German comparison except for this one point. Every last one of knew what was going on and that makes us worst. We repeated them and then we re-did Vietnam and that''s a D*MN shame.

They didn''t do anything we didn''t want them to do.

[jesusrose4us]

Want to Post ? ? ? - Go over to : ABC
Posted by lastdance51 at 06:56 PM : Mar 09, 2008
No Thanks. Do you work for ABC?

Posted by FloydZepp at 06:57 PM : Mar 09, 2008

Thanks for sticking up for us!

[jesusrose4us]

Stop drinking the tainted water!

Posted by jerryomara at 06:58 PM : Mar 09, 2008

When they came for Jesus no one was there at all!

[gods_grace4u]

The water that that is tainted yes! But the living water is not. Try some ya might like sum!

[gods_grace4u]

Who love''s ya baby!

[gods_grace4u]

JesusLovesU - Come-2-Jesus - LooKUn2Jesus - LooKUn2Jesus - singinrick
lastdance51
Hey Do not forget me? You cannot trust the tainted water? But you can try the living water!

[trillion1]

The American people and the American workers,the American taxpayers have been SOLD OUT to big business. It doesn''t matter who you vote for. Who ever wins is not going to press congress to do what is right for America. And congress wants it that way. They don''t want to secure our borders, they don''t want to close the tax loop holes for big business or the wealthy, they don''t want to stop our jobs from going over seas while forginers, H1-B and illegals, take what jobs are left. The sheep just re electing the same people that are destroying our way of life. Yeah, it''s everyone but their congressman and their senator.

[liberalme]

For years as I grew up I wondered how the majority of Germans Stood by as we have in The U.S.A. as this idiot pig in the WHite house did what he did. The majority had no idea they were as most of us swept up in the words not the deed. It pays us all well to remmeber this poem written by a minister in Germany.
Posted by jerryomara at 06:58 PM : Mar 09, 2008


I agree Jerry--

With all we have done voicing our concerns to our senators and congressmen--seems to have fallen on deaf ears--very frustrating.

I''ve been hounding everyone I can through house.gov, hopefully with the recent investigations--perhaps someone is listening.

[taotxzen]

For those that question the source on the Cheney, Haliburton article on NPR, here is a truly remarkable concept for you to consider, listen to the piece and decide for yourself - Revelations! You do not have to remain a blissfully ignorant sheep from Dumf*ckistan - listen, process and then decide %u2013 give it a try, it works every time.

Why does this not surprise me. Halliburton, KBR, and for that matter, the Bush Admin, do not care about our soldiers.

They only care about ripping off the American Tax Payer.

[neobrian-2009]

Is This GUY A TOTAL MORON ? YES!!!!!!
CBS writing in the beginning of the article is deceiving. Cheney did not own the company. If Cheney is no longe associated, why make a great deal of tying the RBis the leader of that company...why make a big deal associating the KBR company to Cheney? -- Politics...politics.

Posted by gwhaley at 05:47 PM : Mar 09, 2008
---------------
UNBELIEVABLE!!! The Taxpayers GET SOAKED !(Our $$ )
The competing companies LOSE ! ( NO BIDS! )
Cheney got a $20 million severance package(to BID RIG)and get them BIDS ! With NO competition !
They WASTE OUR Money in EVERY WAY while we can not afford gas,groceries ,taxes,or mortgages.
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
GOP~ GREED~ LIES~OIL~ PERVERSION~GOP~CORRUPTION~