Electrician Condemns Wiring At Iraq Bases

An electrician hired by the Army to help inspect electrical work at facilities where U.S. soldiers operate in Iraq said Wednesday that 90 percent of wiring done in newly constructed buildings by one military contractor was done improperly.

The inspector, Jim Childs, said in prepared testimony that an estimated 70,000 buildings in Iraq were not up to code. The work was performed by Houston-based KBR Inc.

"When I began inspecting the electrical work performed by KBR, my co-workers and I found improper electrical work in every building we inspected," Childs said. An advanced copy of Childs' testimony before the Senate Democrats' policy committee Wednesday was obtained by The Associated Press.

At least three service members have been electrocuted while showering at U.S. facilities in Iraq. Others have been injured or killed in electrical incidents.

Childs worked in Iraq for the military's Task Force SAFE, which was created last year to inspect and oversee repairs in about 90,000 U.S.-maintained facilities in Iraq. The AP has reported previously that about a third of the inspections conducted have so far turned up major electrical problems.

Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, said in a statement that KBR was not responsible for the deaths, and the company is cooperating.

"The assertion that KBR has a track record of shoddy electrical work is unfounded," Browne said.

The most high-profile electrocution death was that of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, a Green Beret from Pittsburgh who was electrocuted while showering in his barracks early last year. Maseth's family has filed suit against KBR.

Childs said in his prepared testimony that even after rewiring was done by KBR in the building in Iraq where Maseth died, electrical problems persisted for several months.

[sjc_1]

One of the side bonuses to Iraq, other than getting Saddam and the oil was the no bid contracts for Haliburton, Bechtel and others. Those companies were all friends of the administration. They could have sub contracted to Iraqis and helped build their economy, but nooooo....mo money for the piggy friends.

[inesje88]

This is certainly treasonous. Keith Ellison and Dennis Kucinich tried to push forth a movement to impeach Bush. Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi would have nothing to do with it. Kucinich tried also to impeach Cheney. Presently there is a movement on line IndictBushNow.org to hold the architects of the crimes of the past administration accountable.
Unfortunately what we presently have is same bird, different wing.
The two true canidates we had seeking the office of President (as true, I mean not part of the left-right paradigm), were Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich. Neither one was give much time during the debates. As often quoted,"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves".

[woodjd42]

Why is any one suprised?
bush/chaney and his war supportes, including any one that voted for it, cared one bit about this country.
It amazes me how all you war supporters called us against sending our troops into a needless war anti-American and how we didn't support the troops. It was you and beush/chaney that are anti-American and have failed to support the troops. You all didn't mind talking up the troops so you could send them to battle and then just as you did to the Vietnam Vets through the returning vet in the toilet like used toilet paper.
So why are you concerned now when you didn't care before?

[stn_sage]

Republicans doing favors for republicans resulted in "no-bid" contracts to KBR!

Result: poor or failed wiring in the vast majority of wiring projects performed by KBR!

Further result: Killed or maimed U.S. troops and personnel!

Next logical result: Confiscation of awarded monies for failed projects! Murder charges on wiring project managers and company execs at KBR!

[jackp32]

Where were the inspectors while the electrical work was underway? How much did they collect in bribes to look the other way and approve the work? The US gov't was complicit for failing to oversee the work. There isn't enough rope to hang everyone responsible but there are enough bullets around to assemble a firing squad.

[walt1944]

Haliburton and KBR have become the "Frick and Frack" of the contractor world.

It's no wonder they ran to Dubai after getting as much money as they could out of the US taxpayer, and I am betting that Cheney got a nice "comission bonus check" from them for handing them the contract.

When you look at what Halliburton and KBR did to the military, and private corporations have done to people's 401K's and retirement funds, you really THANK GOD that Bush and his gangsters weren't able to "privatize" social security, and sell off our infrastructure to the highest bidder!

All neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans care about is making Corporate America (and themselves!) filthy rich and the H-E-L-L with the ordinary guy!!!!!

HAIL O0BAMA!!!

[ianlou]

Condemned Wiring? Time to move out.

[txlakeside]

Evil ***** Company ripped off the GOV? I guess with "No Bid Contracts" they had to charge double and do half the work! Cheney and Bush need to be tried for WAR crimes and outright corruption!

[trillion1]

In every sense of the word I can't see this as anything less than treason. To me this is bigger than the torture issue because American troops were killed for no other reason than greed.

[evilbusheviks]

Yep...this is definitely treasonous, and there should be hangings!

[eightsigma]

Shines a whole new light on the phrase "support the troops", doesn't it? What some so-called patriots mean is "I support using our boys and girls as an easily expendable resource". Throw-em into harms way with a half-arsed plan, cheap armor, shoddy barracks, and when they come home injured, half-arsed health care and no job.