Congress does not do oversight or investigations or deliberation. See Rollingston mag, Nov 2, 2006, The Worst Congress Ever, by Matt Taibbi.Taibbi offers dozens of scales on which this Congress comes out at the bottom of all time by every gauge of incompetence, malfeasance and multifarious treason.
-Bob --- In cia-drugs@yahoogroups.com, Linda Minor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The lobbying firm that hired and failed to supervise Abramoff is the > same firm hired to keep contractors in Iraq from being accountable and > having to return the money made off the war. Could it be that Abramoff > was working for the shareholders of the major contracting firms? My > guess is that the banks which control the Federal Reserve are the > biggest shareholders in Halliburton, Blackwater, Parsons, et al. > Linda > ~~~~~~~~~ > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR200611\ 0301585_2.html?referrer=email > > > Contractors Rarely Held Responsible for Misdeeds in Iraq > > > *** > A similar case against the private military firm Blackwater USA has been > allowed to proceed in North Carolina. But Blackwater has fought the case > to the Supreme Court, enlisting high-caliber legal talent along the way > -- including former Pentagon inspector general Joseph E. Schmitz and > Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth W. Starr. > > One contractor that had its day in court was Custer Battles LLC. > Whistle-blowers claimed the firm used an elaborate string of shell > companies to drive up profits, and last year a jury returned a $10 > million verdict against the firm. But in August, a federal judge in > Virginia overturned the ruling, saying the court did not have jurisdiction. > > Critics think that many cases are never raised because of spotty > oversight. The *Pentagon has spent about $250 billion in Iraq*, yet the > Defense Department's _inspector general's office has only two > investigators and a half-dozen auditors _working there. As recently as > _last year, it had none_. > > "There's never been a time in our country's history when we've shoved so > much money out the door with so little oversight," said Sen. Byron L. > Dorgan (D-N.D.), who blames Republican indifference for the lack of > accountability. > > The special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, Stuart W. Bowen > Jr., has nearly 60 auditors and investigators based in Baghdad and has > won bipartisan praise for his work. But the office, which was set up to > be temporary, has an October 1, 2007, deadline for completing its > mission. A group of Democratic and Republican senators have said they > think the office should remain open beyond then, and they say they > intend to push legislation after Tuesday's elections that would make > that happen. > > Bowen, a Republican, has overseen investigations resulting in the > convictions of several people in connection with a bribery scheme. His > office estimates that its audits have saved the government more than > $400 million. > > For example, auditors reviewed 14 projects by one contractor, *Parsons > Corp*., and found that 13 had serious defects. Among the _problem > contracts_ was one to build 142 health clinics. Only six have opened. > > Yet _Parsons will not have to return any of its profit,_ nor is it > likely to face any kind of formal punishment. Its contracts were what > are called "cost-plus" deals, widespread in Iraq, in which the > government bears much of the risk. > > Bowen said the government should have been willing to fire contractors > when it realized that projects were going awry. "I started pushing for > terminations for default, which is how you hold underperforming > contractors responsible, in the summer of 2005," Bowen said. > > But his calls were rarely heeded. The reason? "Litigation fear," he > said. "It was viewed as too much trouble." > > Frederick F. Shaheen, an attorney with the firm _*Greenberg Traurig LLP > who represents contractors*_, said firing a contractor is difficult > because the military is so dependent on them. > > If an official were to try to cancel a meal-service contract, for > example, "some colonel is going to be on the phone to you ripping your > lips off saying, 'Why aren't my troops being fed?' " Shaheen said. > > The threat of canceling a contract "is normally the sharpest quiver in > the bag of the contracting officer. But there's no arrowhead on it any > more," Shaheen said. "So the checks and balances are gone. _The system > is broken_." > Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cia-drugs/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cia-drugs/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
