Electrical Problems Plague U.S. Iraq Bases

Report: Inferior Work By Private Contractors Worse Than Pentagon Previously Acknowledged

(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.

[antoniof123]

(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.

Hey GOP how are those no-bid unsupervised contract working out for the American people.

You like this thank the fiscal family value party of god GOP. The train wreck the Republicans caused.

[Razzl]

The irony is that there are probably dozens of electricians in each national guard unit who could repair all the bad work themselves if they just had some tools and wire...

Hiring a non-electrician to supervise electrical work and having that result in electrocution deaths would have brought manslaughter charges here in the US. When are the evildoers in these Bush disasters ever going to be punished?

[hotpaulie]

GOP_forever - Perhaps you missed the point. American soldiers are being eletrocuted because of shoddy work. The U.S. isn''t afraid to spend money over there so why not hire "professionals?"

[hotpaulie]

lol, ok

[bobnjersey]

[I dont want my tax money being spent on union electricians! They are too expensive.]
[Posted by GOP_forever at 09:56 AM : Jul 18, 2008]

it''s not ''your'' money anymore once they deduct it from your check ... or you make your estimated payments.

[missingamerica]

That is the good old GOP way to wage war...make as much money as you can while you can, and hopefully either your work or the war itself will reduce the number of veterans who expect benefits..

[brianbwb-2009]

"Illegal aliens can do the job just as well at 1/1000 the cost." Posted by GOP_forever

So what? The contractors will simply mark up the difference, so instead of the professionals getting the money, it will be the senior managers of the war profiteers.

Do you think for even a second that the Bush administration cares the least bit about what you might want with your tax money? It is theirs now.

[deacon20081]

Incompetent Electrical Work is inexcusable. They are using Iraqi men with no experience, paying dirt cheap wages. They get what they pay for..Or do they.
KBR I am sure is charging Millions to electrocute our troops.
Ever hear of the National Electrical Code? No Master Electricians willing to go there and work I guess?
Probably sent some residential electricians to work on commercial type jobs...bad idea there.
I am sure the excuse will be %u201CBut Senators we were doing everything in accordance with the Iraqi Electrical Codes!
What electrical fires ? It was the terrorists fault!!"

[hangelle]

KBR...KBR...Oh yeh, now I remember -- *** Cheney! That war criminal hasn''t killed enough of our military on the battle fields he unnecessarily created?

[nextgenman]

I haven''t read the article yet, but let me quess, KBR:Halliburton.....

[justsane-2009]

i''m surprised that so many of you haven''t realised that gop_forever''s tongue is firmly in cheek...i''m just glad that someone is looking out for the interests of that minority work force, the yacht builders...

seriously though, remember when the army corp of engineers built, or oversaw the building, of much of america''s infrastructure? i kind of thought that was part of what our military was all about--creating a completely self-sufficient community, anywhere, under any conditions. not, outsourcing critical work to civilian, profit-making entities...

[photogeezer]

As bad as the shoddy incompetence itself is the seeming lack of accountability. Private contractors in this Iraq debacle have caused us irreparable harm with random shooting of the innocent, millions unaccounted for and now this. An electrical firm doing work that gets people killed in the US would be brought to court. Another reason NOT to go into the military these days - they don''t care about you. People who would do you harm by cheating you and your government will not be called to account.

[redbds]

seriously though, remember when the army corp of engineers built, or oversaw the building, of much of america''''s infrastructure? i kind of thought that was part of what our military was all about--creating a completely self-sufficient community, anywhere, under any conditions. not, outsourcing critical work to civilian, profit-making entities...

Posted by justsane at 11:19 AM : Jul 18, 2008

Wow how things have changed. The Army corp of engineers doesn''t build anything anymore. All major military construction is contracted out. There are a few units like the SeaBees that still do some small scale or unique work but the rest is usually to the lowest bidder.

[deacon20081]

"Illegal aliens can do the job just as well at 1/1000 the cost." Posted by GOP_forever

You mean Illegals can cause electrocutions and fires for less cost? Great put them to work on YOUR HOME.

[harpoot]

Same old sad story for this Bushit regime. The GOP could care less about the troops. They just like to wave the flag, wear lapel pins and rake in the cash. The brain dead electorate just go along with it.

[tx_doughboy]

GOP_forever just wants attention...

He should check out FOX news website; that way he could share his ideas with people that agree with his ideology.

[ubrew12]

Epitath for the Bush administration:
He told us that big government didn''t work. So we hired him, and he proved it to us.

(more vacation time than any other president in history)

[antoniof123]

Posted by demslie2u at 12:14 PM : Jul 18, 2008

A Senate panel investigating the electrocutions of Americans on bases in Iraq was told last week by former KBR Inc.

Did you you read the story in case you didn''t here is your source you can look it up in the congressional notes.

God now this is despartation they just post without reading.

[tx_doughboy]

The sad thing is that these companies are not doing the work at cost as any true patriot would; rather they are making a profit. There should be a law that either outlaws government contractors making a profit or limits them to a shallow profit like 2 percent. If the cause is worthy and truly it the best interest of national security, I don''t know of any truly hard working patriotic Americans that wouldn''t work at cost for their country.

[nextgenman]

Here is More Important News from CBS (Communist News Network) and Democrats Liars working directly for th DNC. No sources, No documents, No Reason for this story other than to cover O''''Bama''''s ASSS. Typical Democrat Political CRAPP NEWS to take the subject off the Trip O''''Bama is making to Appear Presidential.

Posted by demslie2u at 12:14 PM : Jul 18, 2008
-------------

Yeah, the only facts they have are at least 13 electrocuted expendable American Soldiers.

[latrocinor-2009]

Wow how things have changed. The Army corp of engineers doesn''''t build anything anymore. All major military construction is contracted out. There are a few units like the SeaBees that still do some small scale or unique work but the rest is usually to the lowest bidder.

Posted by redbd
.. .. ..

Everything is outsourced today - even congress

[latrocinor-2009]

Wow how things have changed. The Army corp of engineers doesn''''t build anything anymore. All major military construction is contracted out. There are a few units like the SeaBees that still do some small scale or unique work but the rest is usually to the lowest bidder.

Posted by redbd
.. .. ..

Everything is outsourced today - even congress

[dpu3jwallace]

Those Who Allowed and/or Profited From These No-Bid Contracts Are Just As Guilty of the Deaths of Those Soldiers Who Were Unnecessarily Killed, As If They Had Shot These Soldiers in the Backs of Their Heads.

[getcentered]

Mo money mo money mo money!!

This gives new meaning to the term: "Arm Chair General"

We are blowing about a trillion tax dollars in Iraq, so who cares about a few chairs for some Air Force brats.

Halliburton should build some more showers; we can''t have our soldiers showering in safety while our Generals relax to death in leather chairs.


Uncle Sam needs our sons and daughters, and we are going to have the opportunity to really support the troops by sending our own children to fight instead of applauding other people from our arm chairs. And it will cost a lot more money, so we will need to cut back on the lifestyle, too. If we want to be the greatest empire in history, we need to make the historic sacrifices.

[notblue]

Leftwing central is obviously running out of negative information to report about Iraq if they have to regress to wiring problems. LOL!

[newsjunky5]

Is the Root in KBR the same guy Root that shot and pushed someone out of his private plane? That was a weird incident.

[newsjunky5]

Is the Root in KBR the same guy Root that shot and pushed someone out of his private plane? That was a weird incident.

[newsjunky5]

Is the Root in KBR the same guy Root that shot and pushed someone out of his private plane? That was a weird incident.

[newsjunky5]

Is the Root in KBR the same guy Root that shot and pushed someone out of his private plane? That was a weird incident.

[fstop100]

F.U.B.A.R.

[bushmccain4]

and the no bid contract goes to...... kbr, and the reason why? can you say d i c k chaney

[oneamerican-]

This is a sure sign of success in Iraq when CBS has to resort to the mundane and miniscule problems of electical workmanship.

And nary a story about how life is rapidly progressing to a secure and prosperous society that was never seen during Saddam''s dictatorial rule - where ordinary citizens take an active part in turning in terrorists and their weapons to the Iraqi authorities.

And the last brigade of the surge is returning home successfully accomplishing what it set out to do - bringing security, stability, and political compromise between ethnic groups, and wealth from oil profits to the 18 provinces of Iraq.

Tsk, tsk, CBS - your liberal bias stinks.

[oneamerican-]

This is a sure sign of success in Iraq when CBS has to resort to the mundane and miniscule problems of electical workmanship.

And nary a story about how life is rapidly progressing to a secure and prosperous society that was never seen during Saddam''s dictatorial rule - where ordinary citizens take an active part in turning in terrorists and their weapons to the Iraqi authorities.

And the last brigade of the surge is returning home successfully accomplishing what it set out to do - bringing security, stability, and political compromise between ethnic groups, and wealth from oil profits to the 18 provinces of Iraq.

Tsk, tsk, CBS - your liberal bias stinks.

[it_oldtimer]

KBR = Haliburton = Cheney

KBR might be "awarded" $100,000 on a no-bid contract, then they simply subcontract the actual work out to some poor, illiterate, unqualified foreign laborers and pay them a mere $150 to do the actual work. Then KBR pockets the remaining $99,850 (passing a hefty "cut" of the profits on up the corporate line).

These wars are nothing more than a money-making machine for politically-connected insiders. There is no real oversight or accountability at all. None.

EVERYTHING having to do with the military is "contracted out" these days. Not a single bullet or can of beans arrives in Iraq or Afghanistan without coming from a "contractor" somewhere.

Jobs that the military used to do themselves (like feed troops, transport fuel or build bases) is now done solely by contractors -- at 10-to-100 times the (former) cost to taxpayers.

Is it any wonder that this war has cost the US nearly $3 TRILLION dollars so far? SOMEBODY is getting obscenely rich off this current system, that''s for sure.

[lemonskink]

KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton are nothing but terrorist murderers then, right? Cheney is still profiting from them, ya know. That was his deal. No-bid electrocutions. Another reason for criminal negligent charges to be filed against these evil-doers.

[notblue]

!

LMAO. It is rather pathetic when LIBS like zoe2006 and j_whitman have to use a non-story like this to say Iraq is a failure.

[closethippy1]

What the hell is going on here? Contractors kill innocent Iraqis as if they were flies, they keep doing all these worthless jobs, steal money, embezzle money, rip-off their own government (and therefore their own people), and all without a freaking care in the world even if they put our troops in danger!
These folks are as shameless and incompetent as the President who sent them there.

[it_oldtimer]

"This is a sure sign of success in Iraq when CBS has to resort to the mundane and miniscule problems of electical workmanship."

~ Posted by OneAmerican

Success? Don''t make me laugh. Have YOU been there? I have. This is what I saw happening:

1) The US pulled all it''s troops back INTO the safety of their bases and then heavily fortified them. That reduced the number of daily casualties being reported, and that''s all it''s accomplished.

2) The Iraqi insurgents and militias have gotten much smarter, over time. They know that Bush is on his way out, and they wisely decided to simply wait quietly for a while (rearming and resupplying and training new recruits all the while). If the Americans leave, as anticipated, then they need only wait them out. If the Americans foolishly decide to try to stay, then the Americans will find themselves facing a MUCH more effectively organized, better equipped and trained force of insurgents and militias. At that point they''ll resume their campaign with a vengeance, and the streets will run red with American blood.

It''s really a no-brainer for the insurgents and militias. The "surge" was a joke, not a genuine deciding factor in the eventual outcome, which remains unchanged.

I think that OneAmerican''s conservative bias blinds him to the obvious truths of the real situation over there. The realities have not escaped Bush or the military planners though - that''s why they pulled the troops back in to their bases.

[it_oldtimer]

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

[oneamerican-]

Posted by IT_Oldtimer at 01:43 PM : Jul 18, 2008

You liar. You have not been there. If you had, you would have seen that no American forces have retreated to their bases - as a matter of fact, American forces can currently walk the streets with minimal risk of attack.

You would have also seen that rather than insurgents and terrorist getting smarter, they are getting deader or they are getting out of Iraq.

Don''t try to bull me, liberal.

You are losing your War on American, and you know it.

[oneamerican-]

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/

Screw the far-left liberals.

Get the REAL news about the success and progress in Iraq.

[stn_sage]

"This is a sure sign of success in Iraq when CBS has to resort to the mundane and miniscule problems of electical workmanship."
~ Posted by OneAmerican
---------------------------------
My response:

1. You are one of the biggest examples of the southern part of a northern bound jackass, my friend!

2. You say the electrical shock problem is ''mundane and minuscule''? On site interviews indicate electrical shocks occur almost daily! Thirteen people have been electrocuted, fool! And you think it''s minor?! You''re an idiot!

3. CBS has been doing KBR, the Army, and the Bush administration a huge favor to NOT report this until now! Because it''s just more in a series of bad news that acts as a rationale for antagonists who demand that we pull out!

4. I look forward to the day when you actually state something that is truth and correct! But, like Bush your distinguished in the fact that you''re always incorrect! Which, for guys like you is better than nothing from your own point of view!

[trillion1]

And it only cost us hundreds of billions of dollars.

[drinuk]

Haliburton, connecting the negative to a positive, whilst the earth grounds all the juice into their off-shore accounts. They are well lit up, the rest of us are completely in the bloody dark.

Cheney, you''re going to get yours you Dummy !

[legacyabq]

Theoretically, open bidding and competitive enterprise is supposed to get the best job for the best price. This is the ideology behind properly applied capitalism. But only lipservice is paid to this traditional sensibility. The conservatives on sites like this are totally blind, and believe in the fairy tale of fair, just, free-market capitalism. Such things simply don''t exist in this situation. These are insider, no-bid contracts. There is no competition. Do you understand this at all, 1_American or whatever your name is? These companies, Halliburton, and Kellog Brown and Root, (a subsidiary) were specifically created to profit from the military. War is in their financial interest. It is the PURPOSE of their company''s existence. They owe the American people at least a decent job done. This is just one tiny example of the massive ripoffs promulgated by private contractors to the US Military all over the world. It is one reason why the war costs trillions of dollars. Are you able to comprehend how much money that really is? Do you have any idea at all?

[kennedy7955]

Let me guess, they ran out of oil to run the generators. Maybe US taxpayers should pay for a nuclear power plant for Baghdad.

[legacyabq]

and by the way, the story wasn''t created by the "liberal" media, you are paranoid. It came from THE PENTAGON! You know what the Pentagon is, right? You''re not gonna call THEM liberal are you? No, wait, you probably will, cuz Rush Limbaugh told you so, and he is smarter than you, so therefore God.

[kennedy7955]

a $ trillion here and a $ trillion there...next thing you know you are talking about some real money.

[legacyabq]

and by the way, Hillary in 012, the story wasn''''t created by the "liberal" media, you are paranoid. It came from THE PENTAGON! You know what the Pentagon is, right? You''''re not gonna call THEM liberal are you? No, wait, you probably will, cuz Rush Limbaugh told you so, and he is smarter than you, so therefore God.