Memos May Link Cheney to No-Bid Iraq Contract

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=31818&format=html

I recently examined some 100 pages of documents that detail the multi-billion-dollar, no-bid contract awarded in 2003 by the U.S. Army to Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), a subsidiary of Halliburton Co.

Heavily redacted and often written in maddeningly abstruse government legalese, the documents were released by the Department of the Army on orders of U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina to Judicial Watch, the public interest watchdog that flags and prosecutes government corruption.

Several documents suggest that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may have lied publicly about the involvement of the vice president's office in awarding the contract. It will be remembered that Vice President Dick Cheney was chairman and CEO of Halliburton from 1995-2000.

In an e-mail dated April 22, 2003, Carol Sanders of the Army Corps writes, "Mr. Robert Andersen, Chief Counsel, USACE, participated in a (CBS) 60 Minutes interview today in New York regarding the sole source award of the oil response contract to Kellogg, Brown and Root. ... Mr. Andersen ... was able to make many of the points we had planned."

Sanders subsequently provided sound bites from the interview, including, "There was no contact whatsoever (with the vice president's office)."

This directly contradicts another e-mail uncovered by Judicial Watch in 2004. The e-mail, dated March 5, 2003, sent by an official of the Army Corps whose name was redacted, stated, "We anticipate no issue (with the KBR deal) since the action has been coordinated with the V.P.'s office."

[David Zephyr]

1. K&R

:thumbsup:

[bananarepublican]

19. Brown and Root were big Vietnam War winners!

LBJ gave them milions worth of no bid contracts.

Perhaps there should be a moratorium on crooked politicians from Texas - Democrat or Republican - running for President? But then you could still get the likes of Nixon taking the reigns.

The solution should involve taking all the money out of the political process. Given the corruption and "convenient incompetence" running rampant today it would be much cheaper having the taxpayer fund all election campaigns.

[TahitiNut]

28. "Democrats did it first"??

The alignment of political interests between the Democratic and Republican Parties underwent a major shift in the 70s, both as a result of Nixon's "Southern strategy" and the emergence of the neoliberal/neoconservative/neoJacobin factions. (This is but one reason I am an adamant independent.) The (so-called) social liberals and social conservatives were to be found in both parties before about 1980. The "Pax Americana" faction was as well. IMHO, the major difference between parties prior to 1974 was that the Republican Party was the 'home' for "economic liberals" - those who advocated business deregulation, particularly for small business, and small business subsidies and incubation. While not cleanly and purely aligned even now, the Democratic Party hosts the vast majority of social liberals, somewhat undermined by "Nannie Statists," and the Republican Party chums the water for the narrow-issue social conservatives. Clearly, however, corruption in the foreign operations of global corporations hit the wall with the FCPA - enacted by a Democratic congress in the mid-70s.

[WinkyDink]

31. Whatever. LBJ's actions do not excuse Bush/Cheney's.

[bananarepublican]

45. You are missing my point...

Brown and Root is now a subsidiary of Halliburton!

LBJ and his little buddy Bobby Baker were extremely corrupt. (Had JFK won a second term they both would have gone to jail!) Given the greater level of media collusion prevailing today you can only imagine what Bush/Cheney et al are getting away with now.

The forces behind the guns of Dealey Plaza are still running the show!

[StellaBlue]

2. You know, I just never understand this shit

WHY would they EVER write MEMOS incriminating themselves?

Are they really that idiotic????

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. because they have gotten away with so much already.

they think that they are invincible. They had a plan to maintain power regardless of the vote in 2004. It would not surprise me if they have a similar plan to maintain the power past 2008. They are evil, powerhungry and still pissed that they lost with Reagan and Bush 1. They will not let it happen again.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

14. Yeah. And they ARE getting away with it.

It'll go away when the next scandal hits in about a week.

[NEOBuckeye]

21. It cannot last

Eventually the people will get angry enough, rise up and throw these people out of power.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

27. in the big scheme of things, History proves you right

Over time, these crooks, liars, cheats, frauds and neoConMen will be outed and known for what they truly are. The problem is the damage they cause in the meantime.

It is almost a kind of race. Will the wanton destruction and evil run its course first, leaving a smoldering ash of a country, destitute, poverty-ridden and permanently sick? or will Americans wake up and kick these beasts out before it is too late?

[PurpleChez]

33. Exactly. Just like the effin' Nazis.

Bastards documented everything.

[erknm]

17. Either there is no fire behind this smoke,

or they just never thought that what they were doing was wrong

or they just never cared that what they were doing was wrong.

In either event, we will never know the true story, particularly if they are guilty.

FH

[TahitiNut]

29. Two reasons.

(1) When corruption becomes banal ('business as usual'), discretion goes out the window. Such an atmosphere allows arrogance to grow.
(2) Long-term professional bureaucrats survive by CYA ... making sure they're not the fall-guys for sleazy short-cuts through the CFRs. AVO's ("Avoid Verbal Orders") become more popular when procedures are trampled.

[NMDemDist2]

42. they aren't incriminating., they are CYA goverment toadies n/t

[MsMagnificent]

43. that arrogant in their power

[Virginia Dare]

3. We all know they did it...

it would be so wonderfully awesome if there was actually any proof. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Of course, the stooges on the SCOTUS will probably make sure nothing ever comes of it.

[panader0]

5. I believe that Cheney has been onboard Halliburton the whole time

He never really resigned, he just got his money under that table. That hit me from the beginning of these no bid contracts. I've been a construction contractor for many years and I've only had one repeat customer who took me no bid, just bill me later. Even then, I delivered a quality result for a fair price (which is why he had me back) This no bid BS is making Cheney even richer.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

15. And at noon on January 20, 2009,

He'll offically be head of Halliburton with a HUGE bonus.

Mark my words - maybe not the precise moment he is no longer VP, but within that year. And we will have a Democratic control of the WH and Congress, and there WILL be an official investigation then.

As Smirk said to Putin, "Just wait."

[klyon]

46. over the table too

he still gets a check, they call it pension or something but we all know it is a pay-off

[Booster]

47. Cheney apparently got back 2 to 8 million from the IRS (depending

on who you believe) so that means he made a shitload more than his paultry salary of $240,000 last year. These memos could also explain why the Pentagon suddenly decided to not use Brown & Root anymore and actually offer the contracts up for bid. I smell a rat, and it's name is Cheney.

[Fridays Child]

6. k/r

[robinlynne]

7. jail. no parole.

[Voltaire99]

8. How many ways are there to say, "So, what's new?"

Cheney could be linked to Satan himself by a multi-dimensional, extra-insulated umbilical cord. In fact, he probably is. Think that would change anything?

Under fascism, every kind of corporate-federal-military incest exists. The only way to do away with it is to disengage from imperialism and dismantle the war economy. When the Democrats are interested in that, wake me up.

Meanwhile, see "Why We Fight" and try to grasp that it's both parties which are to blame:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0436971/

[malaise]

11. Touche! n/t

[tomp]

26. an excellent synopsis

"Under fascism, every kind of corporate-federal-military incest exists. The only way to do away with it is to disengage from imperialism and dismantle the war economy. When the Democrats are interested in that, wake me up."

[PurpleChez]

34. I've joked often about what horrible things could BushCo be caught at

and the fundies manage to excuse or explain away. My personal favorites were their being caught on videotape A) molesting make-a-wish kids in a bathroom at disney world or B) sodomizing the body of the late Pope John Paul II. (I acknowledge that sometimes I operate on an 8th-grade humor level.) But sometimes you've seriously gotta wonder, if one of these guys were actually linked to satanic practices would the thumper base still try to find a reason to love them? Would the fact that they were still fighting the good fight against the unspeakable evil of queer marriage outweigh the knowledge that they were conducting black masses in the east wing and using the nude body of Elizabeth Dole as an altar? Eee. I've gotta go shower now. I feel so dirty.

[EstimatedProphet]

40. Yes, as a matter of fact, they still would support him

Part of the Dominionist belief includes the ultimate ends-justify-the-means rationale, where they openly state that those working on the side of the Lord are allowed to do evil in order to aid their side.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. K&R..... too bad these guys don't know better than to leave a

paper trail.

[Maestro]

10. Nail the bastard!

Then impeach the freaking lying administration!

[lonestarnot]

12. Special prosecutor?

[bleever]

13. Remember, before joining Halliburton

Cheney, as Sec. of Defense, presided over a grand plan to outsource and privatize much of the U.S. military, and depend more on the "efficient, free market" capabilities of companies like KBR.

Then he got the CEO spot at Halliburton, owner of KBR, and ramped it up to handle as much outsourced military spending as possible.

Then he chose himself to be W's VP, and lied us into a war that sent hundreds of billions of dollars of no-bid work to Halliburton.


Sweet gig, if you can get it.

[jimshoes]

16. I just had the wierdest deja vu moment

I really can't tell if it was real or not. It might have just been this post of cheney and his getting away with yet another crime. Oh well back to Malloy.

[progressoid]

18. Golly, this is sure to cause a stink in Washington.....

NOT!

[smtpgirl]

20. what is so surprising

about a dickless asshole wanting to line his pockets?

Cheney is a coward, just like daughter.

At least I stand for something.

My DAD is the BEST, a union member for the Carpenters, like my Grandfather.

At least I can measure drywall, 2x4, studs, center points.

Can You???

Lay tile too.

I'm just a handy dyke.

[VP505]

32. Good to have

multiple skills, when the Bu$h/Cheney team gets done "improving" the economy, you'll need to work three jobs to survive.

[PurpleChez]

35. You, your dad, and your grandfather ALL ROKK!!!

Sounds like you can do more useful shit than the entire administration put together.

[DallasNE]

22. That Should Be A Given

It was recently disclosed that Steve (?) Addington, "Scooter" Libby's replacement as Cheney's Chief of Staff has reviewed all legislation passed by Congress before it goes to Bush for signature. As such, Addington is the likely author of most of the signing statements Bush appends to legislation he signs.

It should be a given that Cheney and Addington passed judgement on these no bid contracts.

[Time for change]

23. OMG - I'd be shocked to learn that Cheney was involved in those no-bid

contracts! :sarcasm:

It's very good to know that this has come to some amount of light.

But I don't think this has a snowball's chance in hell of being picked up on very much by our corporate media. Sure hope I'm wrong though.

[SpiralHawk]

24. Kick Dick "Five Deferments" Cheney out of the White House

He is as corrupt as commander AWOL

[fordnut]

25. Wasn`t that common knowledge!

[Joanne98]

30. Why do they get to redact stuff on contracts. There's no

national security issue there.

[PurpleChez]

36. Why do you hate America?

;)

[Rosemary2205]

37. Excuse me

but is there really any American who doesn't just assume this is going on? Quite frankly, they can do any damn thing they want. Congress, the Supremes and all the Americans who don't take up pitchforks and shovels and head to Pennsylvania Ave have decided to let them.

[vickitulsa]

38. This whole set-up of theirs reminds me of another place

where "they" could do absolutely anything they wanted and get away with it. It was called PRISON -- and the ones who could get away with damn near anything were those in charge, the staff, the guards, the warden.

We inmates used to have a certain tone of voice when we commented on that sad fact. A couple of wellworn phrases were oft heard repeated as well. When a new inmate arrived and objected verbally to appalling things s/he saw happening on the Inside, s/he usually said something like, "But they can't DO that!"

Oldtimers, or anyone who'd been there longer than a month, would respond with, "They can do anything they want." And it wasn't a joke or even an exaggeration!

Another response to such protestations heard even more often was spoken with a bit of a sigh and a peculiar tone that signified resigned exasperation and helplessness. "Oh well...."

It's downright pathetic that now our government officials are behaving exactly like those who rule without proper safeguards in our prison systems. If that doesn't clue the people in to the danger they're in from these thugs in charge in Washington, I don't know what will.

[Elwood P Dowd]

41. The Shawshank Administration

:mad:

[The Count]

39. I read this 2 years ago. No consequences - then or now.

[BelgianMadCow]

44. Follow the money

at the root of all evil (and Dick won't be to far away)
there's always $$$$$$

Wait till we know who made money on the 9/11 stock options (in 40 years, if at all).