Did Contractor Expose Troops To Toxin?
CBS Evening News Exclusive: American Soldiers Are Dying Of Lung Cancer - And May Have Been Knowingly Exposed
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KBR Accused In Toxic Scandal
The controversial military contractor firm KBR is being accused of putting U.S. soldiers at risk from inhaling a chemical at their facilities in Iraq. Armen Keteyian reports.
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James Gentry commanded a battalion in Iraq starting in 2003 - and now he's dying of a rare form of lung cancer he believes is linked to the KBR facility his soldiers in Iraq worked around. (CBS)
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In April of 2003, James Gentry of the Indiana National Guard arrived in Southern Iraq to take command of more than 600 other guardsmen. Their job: protect KBR contractors working at a local water plant.
"We didn't question what we were doing, we just knew we had to provide a security service for the KBR," said Battalion Cmdr. Gentry.
Today James Gentry is dying from rare form of lung cancer. The result, he believes, of months of inhaling hexavalent chromium - an orange dust that's part of a toxic chemical found all over the plant.
At least one other Indiana guardsman has already died from lung cancer, and others are said to be suffering from tumors and rashes consistent with exposure to the deadly toxin.
"I'm a nonsmoker. I believe that I received this cancer from the southern oil fields in Iraq," he said.
Now CBS News has obtained information that indicates KBR knew about the danger months before the soldiers were ever informed.
Depositions from KBR employees detailed concerns about the toxin in one part of the plant as early as May of 2003. And KBR minutes, from a later meeting state "that 60 percent of the people … exhibit symptoms of exposure," including bloody noses and rashes.
Gentry says it wasn't until the last day of August in 2003 - after four long months at the facility - that he was told the plant was contaminated.
"We would never have been there if we would have known," Gentry said.
A new internal Army investigation obtained exclusively by CBS News says the Army's medical response was "prompt and effective."
But even after a briefing Monday, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh says that KBR has a lot to answer for.Read the report on the internal Army investigation.
Read an Indiana court complaint against KBR, including evidence and images.
"Look, I think the burden of proof at this point is on the company," Bayh said. "To come forward and very forthrightly explain what happened, why we should trust them, and why the health and well-being of our soldiers should continue to be in their hands."
In a statement, the company told CBS News: "We deny the assertion that KBR harmed troops and was responsible for an unsafe condition."
The company says it notified the Army as soon as it identified the toxin.
Still, some Indiana guardsmen say they only just learned of the risk.
"I didn’t know I was exposed to a deadly carcinogen until five years later when I received a letter," said Indiana National Guardsman Jody Aistrop.
This is far from the first time the multi-billion dollar contractor has been accused of questionable conduct at Iraq. In addition to convictions for bribery, it's alleged KBR provided contaminated water to troops. The company denies all charges.
"It's going to cost American lives, I'm afraid," Gentry said. "I love them. I love my men so much."
So much so Gentry says he will urge each and every one of them get tested for the cancer that he fears is taking his life.
If any Indiana National Guardsmen want more information on whether or not they were exposed in Southern Iraq to sodium dichromate, they should call this Indiana National Guard hotline: 1-800-237-2850, ext. 3128.
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See all 81 Commentsand this was a NO BID contract..
Now you know the real reason we went to Iraq..
Weapons contractors, oil contractors, defense services contrators..
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Also...a good look needs to be taken into the use if Depleted Uranium weapons. I don''t think the military is telling us everything our soldiers need to know about that exposure. Detonated depleted uranium weapons could very well be the agent orange of the Gulf War.
Ms Sparky
http://mssparky.com/
I am proud to have been able to vote against these monsters both times. If you voted for these criminal that have ruined this nation I don''t know how you all don''t die of shame.
Thanks for killing America''s greatest with your GREED.
You and D!CK should rot in Guantanemo with the other WAR PROFITEERS.
I am pro-military but I am NOT PRO-GREED!!!!
Jail BUSH AND CHENEY NOW!!!
It''s probably best to try and read the article before commenting.
KBR''s handiwork already includes at least 16 US soldier deaths from improperly-wired facilities, and now this, an explicit tale of both indifference and incompetence from Halliburton/KBR-- the very people who got a no-bid contract for Cheney-Rumsfeld & Co. at premium prices.
And what was the rationale for awarding a no-bid contract to Halliburton/KBR? Because Cheney-Rumsfeld insisted only Halliburton/KBR could do the job correctly. (Cheney is the former head of Halliburton, and retains generous profit-sharing options. In effect, Cheney awarded himself a contract in clear conflict of interest. US taxpayers made him even richer.)
KBR is now a spin-off of Halliburton, though the same mendacity pervades both companies.
Who will be the first to bring these criminals to justice?
http://livingliberally.org/drinking/chapter_blog/Horror-KBR-Exposed-US-Forces
http://www.worldwiderant.com/2007/12/10/blame-halliburton-the-victim/
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/28/soldier.electrocutions/index.html
American doctors also failed to identify it. 4 months ago, this was identified as ureaplasma, a type of STD passed easily in sweat and saliva.
Ureaplasma causes miscarriages. My wife had three before we learned what it was. We only learned from my wife''s visit to a doctor in Kyiv, Ukraine. American doctors also failed to identify this common disease.
Why do American doctors not know about this???
Their incompetence has killed three of my children. I have none, but should have at least two at this time.
FYI, a "toxin" is a BIOLOGICAL poisonous agent e.g. snake or spider venom.
This administration is great at ''talking the talk'', but falls far short in actual support and care to the troops and doesn''t ''walk the walk''. It''s disgusting how so many of these young man and women have been treated.
Cheney admits to a war crime, and still no outrage.
We are slaves of comfort.
Posted by BRdeckard at 05:57 AM : Dec 23, 2008
How can anyone, even a KNOWN fascist, blame the Democrat Party for this? It was BUSH and the REPUBLICAN''S who took this nation into Iraq, It was BUSH and the REPUBLICAN''S who cooked up the "Contractors" as a method of "Outsourcing" the responsibilities of our Military. Time to get real here people and just say NEVER again. NEVER again will I vote for a REPUBLICAN OR a Southern Fascist. NEVER again!!
Posted by ToldYouSo74 at 07:17 AM : Dec 23, 2008
Precisely! Yet they rarely offer ANY proof of their own BS.
Dubya along with him.
I still say Dubya will pardon himself and Dik on1/19/09
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