Halliburton/KBR’s Gang-Rape of America
Halliburton/KBR may not be gang-raping all Americans in the sexual sense but Halliburton/KBR definitely has been gang-raping Americans physically, economically and socially continues to gang-rape Americans as we exchange comments here on the Internet.
According to ABC News, “a Houston, Texas woman, Jamie Leigh Jones, says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.” Jones “says the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.”
She added that “she was held in the shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave.”
Jones told ABCNews.com that an examination by Army doctors showed she had been raped "both vaginally and anally," but that the rape kit disappeared after it was handed over to KBR security officers. (I didn't know such things like rape kits existed. It's too bad that they do.)
She filed a lawsuit and with the help of Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, has been pursuing an investigation into what happened and started the Jamie Leigh Jones Foundation to help “victims who were raped or sexually assaulted overseas while working for government contractors or other corporations.”
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas says “his office contacted the State Department, which quickly dispatched agents from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to Jones' camp, where they rescued her from the container.”
“A spokesperson for the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security told ABCNews.com he could not comment on the matter.”
"Over two years later, the Justice Department has brought no criminal charges in the matter. In fact, ABC News could not confirm any federal agency was investigating the case."
Congressman Poe says “neither the departments of State nor Justice will give him answers on the status of the Jones investigation.”
KBR and Halliburton, of course, are trying to get away with this be unaccountable for it. “KBR has moved for Jones' claim to be heard in private arbitration, instead of a public courtroom. It says her employment contract requires it.” Halliburton is claiming it has been “improperly named” in the suit since it has divested itself from KBR.
The idea that Halliburton/KBR fostered a “boys will be boys” atmosphere is being peddled around as the reason or excuse for what happened to Jamie Leigh Jones. The atmosphere is worse than a “boys will be boys” atmosphere though; it’s an “every man for his self” atmosphere. It’s a primal and utter disregard for life atmosphere which Halliburton/KBR has created.
Such an atmosphere has led to the gang-raping of America by Halliburton/KBR.
As highlighted in the inimitable Iraq for Sale on corporate war profiteering, Halliburton and KBR are responsible for many crude and abusive policies in Iraq that harm and negatively affect our troops stationed in Iraq.
Halliburton has been gang-raping U.S. soldiers in the lunchline on a daily basis. Halliburton assists the U.S. government with the feeding of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Every day the corporation have them line up in a big giant line that any Iraqi insurgent could suicide bomb and kill hundreds of soldiers. The corporation believes this is more efficient than a 24 hour feeding schedule.
Halliburton has been gang-raping American taxpayers by using taxpayer money and overcharging on luxury vehicles and resorts. Halliburton sends its best men to drive around in Cadillac Escalades or SUVs that someone could buy for $45,000 in the U.S. but were purchased for $250,000 because that’s what Halliburton says they are worth. Halliburton’s men also stay in all the best hotel resorts. These resorts and Escalades are paid for by American taxpayer dollars or no-bid contracts the Bush administration granted Halliburton.
