Halliburton Overbills in Iraq-Congressman

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031015/pl_nm/iraq_oil_halliburton_dc&cid=615&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday accused Halliburton, the Texas oil services company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, of overcharging the U.S. government for gasoline the firm imports into Iraq.

Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root has a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild Iraq's oil sector, which has included importing gasoline products in short supply to the oil-rich nation.

"Millions of Americans want to help Iraqis but they don't want to be fleeced (by Halliburton)," Rep. Henry Waxman, of California, told a news conference.

Waxman said army documents showed that as of Sept. 18, the United States had paid Halliburton $300 million to import about 190 million gallons (719 million litres) of gasoline into Iraq.

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[tom_paine]

1. Good old Waxman! Keep up the fight!

Of course, in Imperial Amerika, friends, relatives, cronies and Capos (also Buttons) of the Imperial Family are immune from investigation and prosecution.

Nice try, though, Henry, but you are still acting as if you live in a Free Country.

And although Bushevik Tyranny has yet to touch most of us in our daily lives, it will eventually "trickle-down" after there is nothing and no one left to oppose it.

[Pale Blue Dot]

2. Wait... we're bringing gasoline INTO Iraq??

Just when you think this can't get any more surreal....

[ameriphile]

13. Yeah

And remember how Paul Wolfowitz told Congress that Iraq's oil would finance the cost of its reconstruction?

[Jacobin]

20. Pretty amazing, huh?

There's a huge item in the 87 billion budget for IMPORTING oil and gas.

[roguevalley]

3. Henry rules.

I wish he were comptroller of everything. He reminds me of
Harry Truman during WWII, who saved billions of dollars from
war profiteering.

[htuttle]

4. That's about $1.57 a gallon....but...

While that's close to what many are paying in the US, Halliburton isn't paying any state or federal taxes on it (which in WI, is about $0.40/gallon of the price).

In addition, I'd bet that gas is a bit cheaper in the Middle East than in Wisconsin...

So it sounds like they are adding about $0.40 - $0.80 per gallon as their 'vig'.

[lindashaw]

5. Didn't I read that Iraqis could buy it for around ten cents per gallon?

In that piece, I think they were filling up plastic bottles, then re-selling the gasoline for a profit and doing it all over again.

[jamesinca]

8. Ye s they are selling it at that price

The U.S. is not only financing the cost of reconstruction, Halliburton is adding a cost onto the gas to make it even more profitable for them. And he wants $87billion more to finance this stuff.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

6. Move along

What would you expect KBR to do, price their services like a bunch
of commies. KBR believes in capitalism and they are only exercising
their god-given right to price services as high as they can get.

[htuttle]

7. Just remember...

As Bush so often reminds us, "It's YOUR money."

[derby378]

9. Gee...

Makes me want to cover my sedan in military-grade solar panels so I can drive by Halliburton and give them a well-deserve Bronx cheer...

[fizzana]

10. Waxman did vote for the war resolution so he still has a lot of

atoning to do.

This will help.

[lysergik]

11. This is only the beginning.

If the $87 million is approved and a blank check is given to Georgey you can bet more of this fleecing will take place and he'll get nice kickbacks after he is out of office as will Uncle dick.

Approve some of the money but make it so it is fully accountable and any wrongdoing is punishable.

[fizzana]

12. After WWII, Truman set up a completely independant

non-partisan organization to handle all the money for the Marshall plan. The Democrats should suggest that. It would at least put the administration on the defensive on one more issue.

[tlcandie]

14. With expenses this large and a program this astounding ..

I think a separate entity to handle the financial affairs would be the best idea yet! One with fair and balanced over-sight.

[blm]

15. great ...Waxman is on it.

.

[alfredo]

16. That just went out to all on my mailing list.

I bet this is just the tip of the iceberg.

[bobthedrummer]

17. Halliburton link

http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=6008

[proud patriot]

18. Rate the article please

Thanks :hi:

[DS1]

19. Gasoline gets better combay pay than our troops

Who would've thunk it? :grr: