Army Overseer Tells of Ouster Over KBR Stir

saltwn · #1 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

WASHINGTON — The Army official who managed the Pentagon’s largest contract in Iraq says he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR, the Houston-based company that has provided food, housing and other services to American troops....Army auditors had determined that KBR lacked credible data or records for more than $1 billion in spending, so Mr. Smith refused to sign off on the payments to the company. “They had a gigantic amount of costs they couldn’t justify,” he said in an interview. “Ultimately, the money that was going to KBR was money being taken away from the troops, and I wasn’t going to do that.” ..............Army officials denied that Mr. Smith had been removed because of the dispute, but confirmed that they had reversed his decision, arguing that blocking the payments to KBR would have eroded basic services to troops. They said that KBR had warned that if it was not paid, it would reduce payments to subcontractors, which in turn would cut back on services.....Mr. Smith’s account fills in important gaps about the Pentagon’s handling of the KBR contract, which has cost more than $20 billion so far and has come under fierce criticism from lawmakers....While it was previously reported that the Army had held up large payments to the company and then switched course, Mr. Smith has provided a glimpse of what happened inside the Army during the biggest showdown between the government and KBR. He is giving his account just as the Pentagon has recently awarded KBR part of a 10-year, $150 billion contract in Iraq.

Heather Browne, a spokeswoman for KBR, said in a statement that the company “conducts its operations in a manner that is compliant with the terms of the contract.” She added that it had not engaged in any improper behavior.

Ever since KBR emerged as the dominant contractor in Iraq, critics have questioned whether the company has benefited from its political connections to the Bush administration. Until last year, KBR was known as Kellogg, Brown and Root and was a subsidiary of Halliburton, the Texas oil services giant, where Vice President Dick Cheney previously served as chief executive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/wa...html?th&emc=th

Quote:

Mr. Smith, a civilian employee of the Army for 31 years, spent his entire career at the Rock Island Arsenal, the Army’s headquarters for much of its contracting work, near Davenport, Iowa. He said he had waited to speak out until after he retired in February.

The chips are falling one by one.

foundit66 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

The chips are falling one by one.

We have seen NUMEROUS reports of missing $$$, missing weaponry, ...
Items that just *fell off the truck*, so to speak.

And the American public doesn't give a damn cause nobody presses for accountability or hard answers.
Or maybe it does, and Bush's wildly unpopular "popularity ratings" are fallout.
And Republicans losing elections in areas where they should have had a slam-dunk is a sign of people caring...

Wait. What's Rev Wright doing these days? Do we have that on tape?

Obviously he's more important than millions of dollars in repeated acts of "mistakes" in Iraq...

faithful_servant · #3 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foundit66

We have seen NUMEROUS reports of missing $$$, missing weaponry, ...
Items that just *fell off the truck*, so to speak.

As has happened in every war where there were people hired to supply the weapons/supplies. It's wrong and criminal, but don't try to make it sound like this is the first time it's happened.

Quote:

And the American public doesn't give a damn cause nobody presses for accountability or hard answers.

We do care, the problem is that there are far too many bureaucrats and they cover for each other. What we need is a completely independent auditing process. Make it a private contract and pay contractors a % of the waste they find.

Quote:

Or maybe it does, and Bush's wildly unpopular "popularity ratings" are fallout.
And Republicans losing elections in areas where they should have had a slam-dunk is a sign of people caring...

Wait. What's Rev Wright doing these days? Do we have that on tape?

Obviously he's more important than millions of dollars in repeated acts of "mistakes" in Iraq...

Now, we get to the heart of the matter.... A huge part of the problem is that people want to blame "the other guy" (politically speaking) so instead of taking steps to find solutions, they waste all of their time and effort in finding ways to place blame.

mlurp · #4 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 03:33 PM

As noted the truth will prevail in the long run. And some do care thats why this report made the news! But sadly for most of American gay marriages or the floods make the news reports not this type of important info and people buy what they are fed..
But now that the death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan, are climbing maybe people will take notice.

But our news outlets are the real blame. I have had on CNN for 3 hours now and I got 3 minutes on Afganstan and the rest about gay marriages and the Iowa flooding.
But I'm thankful not one thing on the candidates running. We need that break.. lol

saltwn · #5 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 05:12 PM

Did anyone in Washington ever think about including consumer surveys in their quests for hiring criteria ?
After all, private citizens have used these private services.

Most people who lived in Texas in the 70's or 80's know Brown & Root is a "cost plus" company. They're not the only cost plus company as evidenced by a simple drive around the 610 loop and the outer beltway, or any other major through way near Houston, Texas. If your destination is on the left, you can bet yer sweet bippy you will have to swing right first! Now tell me it is because of the flooding or terrain and I will ask you why Florida and South Carolina roads weren't built that way.
People there didn't complain much because there were a lot of jobs tied to those construction companies back then. Even when they started building in Iran, everyone presumed it would all come back home to Texas in the form of cash and domino to other industries.

And this guy who blew the whistle doesn't have any apparent reason to lie about this or have a gripe against KBR. He was correct to place restrictions on the contractor till it brought its services up to par.

foundit66 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

As has happened in every war where there were people hired to supply the weapons/supplies. It's wrong and criminal, but don't try to make it sound like this is the first time it's happened.

I did nothing of the sort.

Murders happen every day as well.
But if a murder victim's family found that the police weren't actively pursuing to figure out who did the deed, you can bet that *it's not the first time it's happened* wouldn't help appease the family.

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

We do care, the problem is that there are far too many bureaucrats and they cover for each other. What we need is a completely independent auditing process. Make it a private contract and pay contractors a % of the waste they find.

If we do supposedly care, then were is the interest?
Whether or not Brittany used a car seat and if Angelina has had her kids is more on our minds than this issue.

Too many bureaucrats that cover for each other?
How is that not something we can attack and fix?

Possible Steroid use gets an investigation in congress, but what happens with the graft?

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

Now, we get to the heart of the matter.... A huge part of the problem is that people want to blame "the other guy" (politically speaking) so instead of taking steps to find solutions, they waste all of their time and effort in finding ways to place blame.

I don't "blame the other guy".
I blame the guy in charge who did nothing to fix the situation.

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