U.S. Electrocution Deaths In Iraq Probed

(AP)  Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, says 13 Americans were electrocuted in Iraq since September 2003 and a contractor has been ordered to inspect the facilities it maintains there for electrical safety hazards, a Pennsylvania senator said.

The military had acknowledged that 12 Americans died in Iraq from accidental electrocution. Sen. Bob Casey said he learned last week from Petraeus that 10 soldiers, one Marine and two private contractors died. Casey said he was not given details on the 13th fatality.

"At least one death is on the record that wasn't on the record before," Casey told The Associated Press on Monday. "It's also very troubling that it takes this long to get this type of information from the Department of Defense."

Petraeus submitted his comments in writing last week to Casey because the Democratic senator's allotted time to question Petraeus before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April had elapsed.

Two electrocutions occurred at different housing facilities and involved soldiers taking showers, Petraeus told Casey.

One of the soldiers killed was Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, who died Jan. 2 in his barracks in Baghdad. An Army criminal probe blamed improper grounding of an electric pump that supplied water to the building. Maseth was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, an Army post straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee line.

Maseth's family has sued KBR Inc., the Houston-based contractor responsible for maintaining Maseth's barracks.

Petraeus said KBR received $3.2 million for maintenance services as part of a February 2007 contract modification. According to Petraeus, KBR had previously provided "only limited technical inspections" at Maseth's barracks.

Inspections performed Feb. 10, 2007, "revealed no deficiencies related to the water pump contributing to Maseth's death but did indicate other grounding issues," Petraeus said.

Casey said he was told the Pentagon has directed KBR to inspect all maintained facilities in Iraq where no prior inspection was performed and to "perform life, health and safety operations" on all other maintained buildings and make needed repairs.

"It's especially troubling that a contract modification didn't prevent (Maseth's death) from happening," Casey said. "Taking a shower should not be an act for which you risk your life."

In a statement Monday, KBR said it is fully cooperating with the government and has "found no evidence of a link between the work it has been tasked to perform and the reported electrical safety issues."

The Department of Defense Inspector General is investigating the deaths, as is the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Casey also wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates this month seeking specifics on base inspections and repairs.

[ioweign]

Can anyway tell me how many construction workers have been electricuted in the US since 2003? That should put some perspective on this headline and clarify if it is part of the CBS leftwing central agenda or a valid meanigful news story and not the typical crapp for the 67 percenters.

Posted by notblue at 05:15 PM : Jul 01, 2008
***************************************************

Typical right-wing fuzzy math. Let''s see. How many construction workers do you think were electricuted taking a shower in their homes. I swear that if our soldiers were starving to death, Republicans would somehow defend the policy. The Bush administration is evil and so is anyone who supports it.

Posted by kansas1946 at 07:03 PM : Jul 01, 2008

####
This is the same party that tried to short changed kids nutrition claiming ketchup was a vegetable in the 80''s. If it had been Halliburton serving kids lunches they would have had a "No Bid Contract" and charged extra for the ketchup and/or mustard...
####

Enjoy...
From Wikipedia:
The ketchup as a vegetable controversy or ketchupgate refers to a proposed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Drug Administration directive, early in the administration of Ronald Reagan, that would have reclassified ketchup and pickle relish from condiments to a vegetable, allowing public schools to cut out a serving of cooked or fresh vegetable from hot lunch program child-nutrition requirements.

[magoo2u1]

"found no evidence of a link between the work it has been tasked to perform and the reported electrical safety issues."

I guess this is in keeping with the policy of the current administration- it''s the Sgt Shultz policy of accountability : They know nothing, they say nothing , they are responsible for nothing. The soldiers died of a mysterious electron infection for which nothing on earth could be done save pray harder.

[alphaa10-2009]

KBR has been paid for the work it said it completed. That it had not completed the work and knew it had not makes its certifications fraudulent.

KBR joins Bush-patronaged Halliburton in defying the law and brazenly defrauding taxpayers.

Not to mention demonstrating its utter disregard for the security and safety of American troops. Both KBR and Halliburton qualify as anti-American groups, working to profit at the expense and harm of the American people.

As a measure of how lax standards of accountability have become in the Bush term, the US Department of State continues to employ both firms around the world.

State ought to take a second look at the records of both firms-- and review its own incompetent management, as well.

[harpoot]

Bush''s contractors doing the insurgents job for them. Mission Accomplished.

[excoachken]

For those familiar with the 60''s, "What if they Gave a war for Private Contractors Only, and no young men showed up."

[randynason]

The great American military machine is internally perverse. I feel sorry for the soldiers caught in the middle of this sick, political scene-scape.

[cdfoxtrot]

Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

[floydzepp2]

Posted by lastdance124 at 08:01 PM : Jul 01, 2008
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Uninformed NASCAR Bumpkins exercise free speech! get your headlines here!

[floydzepp2]

Probably Haliburton. Archangel Cheney doesn''t care is American Soldiers get fried in the shower.

RINOpublicans: The American Soldier is a Fire and Forget Weapon.

[lastdance124]

PROBED means :
APPROVED and LEGALIZED MURDER

The State Department - The CIA - The FBI
The Veterans Administration - (no bid) Government Contractors

The have been doing it for DECADES
Not if anyone has been Charged or Convicted

APPROVED and LEGAL MURDER

Common and Normal - Every day Work Routine of :
The Federal Employee

Typical - Routine - Work Morals and Ethics of the Federal Employee
Corruption - Immorality - Perversion of Power and Authority

Federal Employees are always - Running Amuck
NO real Supervision - NO real Management

Federal Employees - Have NEVER been in Competition - For their Jobs
They don''t know how to Work
They don''t know how to make Production
The Federal Employee _ Will Not Say : "NO" To a CRIMINAL Order

The Criminal Protection given by :
The Federal and State Civil Service System Needs to be Eradicated
Nepotism and Patronization - The Hallmark of the Federal Employee

Federal - Nepotism and Patronization - Always Results in :
APPROVED and LEGALIZED MURDER