Electrical Problems Plague U.S. Iraq Bases

(CBS/ AP)  Inferior electrical work by private contractors on U.S. military bases in Iraq is more widespread than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to a published report.

A Senate panel investigating the electrocutions of Americans on bases in Iraq was told last week by former KBR Inc. electricians that the contractor used employees with little electrical expertise to supervise subcontractors in Iraq and hired foreigners who couldn't speak English. The Pentagon has said 13 Americans have been electrocuted in Iraq since September 2003. It has ordered Houston-based KBR to inspect all the facilities it maintains in Iraq for electrical hazards.

The New York Times reported on its Web site Thursday night that many more people have been injured, some seriously, by shocks, according to internal Army documents. A log compiled this year at one building complex in Baghdad disclosed that soldiers complained of receiving electrical shocks in their living quarters almost daily, the paper reported.

"We consider this to be a very serious issue," Chris Isleib, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday in an e-mail message to the Times, though he declined to address the Army documents' findings.

During just one six-month period - August 2006 through January 2007 - at least 283 electrical fires destroyed or damaged American military facilities in Iraq, including the military's largest dining hall in the country, according to the documents obtained by the Times.

An Army survey issued in February 2007 said electrical problems were the most urgent noncombat safety hazard for soldiers in Iraq.

KBR, which is responsible for providing basic services, including housing, for American troops in Iraq, said last week that its investigation had not turned up evidence of a link between its work and the electrocutions. The Army report, however, said KBR did its own study and found a "systemic problem" with electrical work, according to the Times.

[ioweign]

So what you liberals! I dont want my tax money being spent on union electricians! They are too expensive. Illegal aliens can do the job just as well at 1/1000 the cost.

Posted by GOP_forever at 09:56 AM : Jul 18, 2008

Too expensive - but no bid contracting is OK...

[txlakeside]

No Bid outsourcing! Instead of adequately training and paying for competent Army engineers and construction units in uniform the GOV has "No Bid outsourcing". Another pathetic legacy and ripoff by the "Shrub" administration .... lets turn war over to the private sector! Then they could make Trillions more and run the Armed Forces into the ground just like they have done with the Banks and Finacial Sectors!

IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY THEN CONVICT THEM OF WAR CRIMES!

[ioweign]

Electrical Problems Plague U.S. Iraq Bases
Report: Inferior Work By Private Contractors Worse Than Pentagon Previously Acknowledged

This is the best the liberals can come up with on Iraq now? Electrical Problems?

This will be a 2 hour specal on Keith Oberman tonight!

Posted by hillaryin012 at 02:31 PM : Jul 18, 2008


Still no respect for our troops in harms way...

[sistatee-2009]

Why can''''t they stop the foreigners from entering into Afghanistan?
Posted by TomFlint69 at 04:11 PM : Jul 18, 2008

We can''t even stop foreigners from entering the U.S.

[it_oldtimer]

(cont)

The Iraqi "resistance" is the MAJOR benefactor of this "lull before the storm". They''re getting genuinely organized. They bought enough time to sort out their various religious and tribal differences and organize. Have you noticed they''re not killing EACH OTHER any more either? Just coincidence? Hardly.

It''s about to shift gears soon. The big oil corporations had hoped to have things up and running soon. The resistance will shift it''s focus from cities and roads to oil fields and pipelines.

Cheney must loose LOTS of sleep thinking about that. The only thing in Iraq worth fighting over was the oil. Haliburton obviously expects to be handed a BIG slice of that pie but that''s an AWFUL lot of pipe to try to keep whole and running, day-to-day.

[it_oldtimer]

@ OneAmerican:

TODAY: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and Iraq have agreed to seek "a general time horizon" for deeper reductions in American combat troops in Iraq despite President Bush''s once-inflexible opposition to talking about deadlines and timetables."

Apparently, the Iraqi''s ain''t just sitting back meekly letting the US call all the shots any more. They''ve actually found some spine, finally, and told Bush to bite it, back down, and set a timetable, or they will.

OneAmerican says: "as a matter of fact, American forces can currently walk the streets with minimal risk of attack."

Righhht! Maybe even as far as a whole block from the nearest manned control point, on a good day, LOL! Try it yourself sometime! If you survive the experience you will have learned that NOBODY just walks the streets of Iraq with complete impunity these says, that''s for sure.

(cont)

[gramto7]

I know why the liberals are mad about this. Those soldiers were killed by electricy instead of bullets fired from the guns of terrorists. Thats what it is.


Posted by GOP_forever at 02:56 PM : Jul 18, 2008

You''re correct. I know you are being ''tongue-in-cheek'' as a prior poster mentioned, but the fact that KBR was supposed to building something FOR the US soldiers that wasn''t an "Old Sparky" electric chair makes us angry. The bases they were building were suppposed to be areas where these soldiers could feel SAFE! Lot of good that did them, huh?

[heuristic1]

You really have to shake your head in wonder at this story. What sort of war profiteering scum would perform sub standard electrical work resulting in the electrocution of 13 American servicemen? As if they didn%u2019t have enough to worry about like dodging insurgency bullets, they have to worry about unprincipled human garbage like KBR not doing their job and collecting a fat government check for it. Why aren%u2019t KBR executives in prison?

[terrapin78]

That is what you get with NO BID CONTRACTS.

Unnecessary death and no accountability.

13 dead from electrocution. This is not something that should be minimized. Each death is tragic.

[jntlw-2009]

disgustingly shotty workmanship, absolutely zero accountability of the monies to do the work, and a giant fleecing of the American taxpayer. Of course the neocons blogging here don''t care. That is just indicative of the problem. Don''t worry they don''t even get it. It just flys right over their greedy narrow little brains.