spread of the red
number 26 10.23.05
Halliburton Subsidiary Searches the Globe for Cost-Effective Employees
Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown and
Root, the US Military's largest private
contractor in Iraq, continues to be at
the center of allegations of exploitation,
abuse, and forced labor trafficking among
the many subcontractors the company
uses to acquire low wage workers from
third world countries. Although the
Pentagon has outsourced an
unprecedented amount of the support
services for its Iraq operation, it
maintains that oversight of labor
practices at its bases is the responsibility
of Kellogg Brown and Root. Similarly,
KBR officials refer all questions about its
workers to its subcontractors, a vast
array of shadowy companies that
operate in South and Southeast Asia.
Root, the US Military's largest private
contractor in Iraq, continues to be at
the center of allegations of exploitation,
abuse, and forced labor trafficking among
the many subcontractors the company
uses to acquire low wage workers from
third world countries. Although the
Pentagon has outsourced an
unprecedented amount of the support
services for its Iraq operation, it
maintains that oversight of labor
practices at its bases is the responsibility
of Kellogg Brown and Root. Similarly,
KBR officials refer all questions about its
workers to its subcontractors, a vast
array of shadowy companies that
operate in South and Southeast Asia.
KBR employs some 48,000 contract
workers in Iraq of which 35,000 are
estimated to be from third world nations
such as Nepal, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and
the Philippines. Subcontractors travel to
these countries and lure young men with
promises of jobs in hotels in Kuwait or
Jordan, often charging exorbitant fees to
the prospective employees. They are
flown to the Middle East and put on
buses to US military bases in Iraq, where
they work in service jobs such as
cleaning, food preparation, and
construction for wages as low as $170 a
month.
Once in Iraq the workers must endure
harsh conditions including insufficient
workers in Iraq of which 35,000 are
estimated to be from third world nations
such as Nepal, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and
the Philippines. Subcontractors travel to
these countries and lure young men with
promises of jobs in hotels in Kuwait or
Jordan, often charging exorbitant fees to
the prospective employees. They are
flown to the Middle East and put on
buses to US military bases in Iraq, where
they work in service jobs such as
cleaning, food preparation, and
construction for wages as low as $170 a
month.
Once in Iraq the workers must endure
harsh conditions including insufficient
| interpreting the constitution crowd control spread of the red one nation, under surveillance fun d' mental in bed with the red red state rebate verbatim |
one nation,
under surveillance
under surveillance
red state rebate
Government DNA
Database to Track
Innocent's Gene Info
Database to Track
Innocent's Gene Info
Connected Contractors Come To Clean Up
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
the federal government has approved
over $60 billion for disaster relief and
reconstruction in the affected region.
But tracking how these funds are
deployed has been difficult and in some
cases impossible, with little public
information available and limited federal
oversight.
Critics charge that the procedure for
awarding contracts is open to abuse. An
investigation by the Associated Press
revealed that most of the top ten
Katrina contractors were substantial
donors to Republican political candidates,
and use a variety of powerful lobbyists to
promote their services. Federal
Emergency Management Agency acting
director R David Paulison, appearing
the federal government has approved
over $60 billion for disaster relief and
reconstruction in the affected region.
But tracking how these funds are
deployed has been difficult and in some
cases impossible, with little public
information available and limited federal
oversight.
Critics charge that the procedure for
awarding contracts is open to abuse. An
investigation by the Associated Press
revealed that most of the top ten
Katrina contractors were substantial
donors to Republican political candidates,
and use a variety of powerful lobbyists to
promote their services. Federal
Emergency Management Agency acting
director R David Paulison, appearing
before angry Congressional committees,
promised to re-bid four $100 million
contracts that went to politically
connected firms.None of the ten largest
contracts went to local companies.
Contracts were awarded to firms from
Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia , and Texas.
Two went to California companies and
four were awarded to companies from
Florida. All of these companies had
previous relationships with the federal
government.
Among the contracts to attract media
attention are a $236 million deal with
Carnival Cruises to provide three ships
to house relief workers, and the hiring
of an Alaskan construction company to
build temporary classrooms when a
Mississippi contractor was available for
promised to re-bid four $100 million
contracts that went to politically
connected firms.None of the ten largest
contracts went to local companies.
Contracts were awarded to firms from
Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia , and Texas.
Two went to California companies and
four were awarded to companies from
Florida. All of these companies had
previous relationships with the federal
government.
Among the contracts to attract media
attention are a $236 million deal with
Carnival Cruises to provide three ships
to house relief workers, and the hiring
of an Alaskan construction company to
build temporary classrooms when a
Mississippi contractor was available for
for the job. Republican Senator Susan
Collins of Maine,chairman of the
Senate Homeland Security
Committee told Mr. Paulison that
she perceived a "trail of missteps that
calls into question what has been
done during the last four years and
that continues to plague the recovery
even today." Government contracts
are required to be made public within
a specific time frame, but disclosure
laws were waived in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. Moreover, these
reporting requirements do not apply
to large contractors that have
ongoing relationships with the federal
government such as Bechtel and
Halliburton, which each received
contracts exceeding $100 million in
the first week following the disaster.
Collins of Maine,chairman of the
Senate Homeland Security
Committee told Mr. Paulison that
she perceived a "trail of missteps that
calls into question what has been
done during the last four years and
that continues to plague the recovery
even today." Government contracts
are required to be made public within
a specific time frame, but disclosure
laws were waived in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. Moreover, these
reporting requirements do not apply
to large contractors that have
ongoing relationships with the federal
government such as Bechtel and
Halliburton, which each received
contracts exceeding $100 million in
the first week following the disaster.
interpreting the constitution
| redstat |
Government Used 'Covert Propaganda' to
Influence Support of No Child Program
Influence Support of No Child Program
The Government Accountability
office has issued a report charging
that the Bush Administration carried
out a program of propaganda to
support its educational testing
program called 'No Child Left Behind'.
The Inspector General's report
revealed that the Bush
Administration violated the
'government-wide publicity or
propaganda prohibition' by
contracting to pay a quarter of a
million dollars to commentator
Armstrong Williams to promote the
education initiative on his syndicated
television show and in speeches,
newspaper columns and
commentaries.
The GAO report concluded that "the
commentary obtained as a result of"
the financial arrangement with
Williams violated the law "because it
office has issued a report charging
that the Bush Administration carried
out a program of propaganda to
support its educational testing
program called 'No Child Left Behind'.
The Inspector General's report
revealed that the Bush
Administration violated the
'government-wide publicity or
propaganda prohibition' by
contracting to pay a quarter of a
million dollars to commentator
Armstrong Williams to promote the
education initiative on his syndicated
television show and in speeches,
newspaper columns and
commentaries.
The GAO report concluded that "the
commentary obtained as a result of"
the financial arrangement with
Williams violated the law "because it
Weather
Forest Service Plan Ensures Less Trees and Fewer Activists
Armed Federal Forest Service agents in
Missoula Montana barred admittance of
environmental activists to a press briefing
announcing the release of the final
Middle East Fork Environmental Impact
Statement. The document represents
the first such environmental statement
under President Bush's 'Healthy Forests
Restoration Act'.
The act was signed into law in 2003
following a summer during which forest
fires destroyed thousands of acres of
forest and threatened communities in
Arizona, California and Colorado.
President Bush's plan is supposed to
protect trees from the devastation of
forest fires by allowing the logging of the
nation's 'old growth' forests.
Environmentalist's concerns to protect
these ancient growths of forest, with
trees over 400 years old, were answered
by the administration's inclusion of
provisions that "strengthened public
participation" by " encouraging early
public input" as log harvesting plans
would be developed.
In the case of the Middle East Fork area
in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana,
the US Forest Service, following the
dictates of the Healthy Forest Act,
Missoula Montana barred admittance of
environmental activists to a press briefing
announcing the release of the final
Middle East Fork Environmental Impact
Statement. The document represents
the first such environmental statement
under President Bush's 'Healthy Forests
Restoration Act'.
The act was signed into law in 2003
following a summer during which forest
fires destroyed thousands of acres of
forest and threatened communities in
Arizona, California and Colorado.
President Bush's plan is supposed to
protect trees from the devastation of
forest fires by allowing the logging of the
nation's 'old growth' forests.
Environmentalist's concerns to protect
these ancient growths of forest, with
trees over 400 years old, were answered
by the administration's inclusion of
provisions that "strengthened public
participation" by " encouraging early
public input" as log harvesting plans
would be developed.
In the case of the Middle East Fork area
in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana,
the US Forest Service, following the
dictates of the Healthy Forest Act,
opened their proposal to allow
cutting in a 4000 acre stand of old
growth Douglas Fir trees to public
comment in April 2005. An
environmental conservation group,
the Native Forest Network,
requested under the freedom of
information act that the US Forest
Service disclose comments that the
general public had made regarding the
logging project and the documents
revealed that 98 percent of the
commentary opposed the logging
plans.
The documents given to the group
also disclosed that the forest service
had contracted to mark trees in the
same old growth acreage about
which public commentary was being
collected to prepare the forest for
logging.
Many Montanans took the marking of
the trees in the old growth acreage
to indicate that the public
commentary would in no way impact
the decision of the Forest Service
which was determined to turn the
4000 acres over to the logging
industry for harvesting. Some
advocates of protecting forests older
cutting in a 4000 acre stand of old
growth Douglas Fir trees to public
comment in April 2005. An
environmental conservation group,
the Native Forest Network,
requested under the freedom of
information act that the US Forest
Service disclose comments that the
general public had made regarding the
logging project and the documents
revealed that 98 percent of the
commentary opposed the logging
plans.
The documents given to the group
also disclosed that the forest service
had contracted to mark trees in the
same old growth acreage about
which public commentary was being
collected to prepare the forest for
logging.
Many Montanans took the marking of
the trees in the old growth acreage
to indicate that the public
commentary would in no way impact
the decision of the Forest Service
which was determined to turn the
4000 acres over to the logging
industry for harvesting. Some
advocates of protecting forests older
than the United States saw the tree
painting itself as outrageous and
destructive as only the trees that are not
to be cut down were marked with large
spray-painted W's. Larry Campbell of
the organization Friends of the
Bitterroot observed that "following this
'healthy forest' project the public will be
left with a forest of stumps and
spray-painted graffiti on all the remaining
trees." The Forest Service paid
$162,000 to spray-paint the 400 year old
trees between April and August this year.
The activists who were removed from
the Forest Service's press conference
were dismayed but said that their
removal was indicative of a process that
feigned the inclusion of public input and
aggressively pursued a foregone decision
to log the virgin old growth acreage.
Bitterroot Forest Supervisor Dave Bull
said his staffing the press conference
with armed federal law enforcement
officials wearing bullet proof vests and
ejecting the activists was done to
protect attendees from the local
community. Bull told reporters from
the Missoulian, "we felt we needed to
make a safe environment for them."
painting itself as outrageous and
destructive as only the trees that are not
to be cut down were marked with large
spray-painted W's. Larry Campbell of
the organization Friends of the
Bitterroot observed that "following this
'healthy forest' project the public will be
left with a forest of stumps and
spray-painted graffiti on all the remaining
trees." The Forest Service paid
$162,000 to spray-paint the 400 year old
trees between April and August this year.
The activists who were removed from
the Forest Service's press conference
were dismayed but said that their
removal was indicative of a process that
feigned the inclusion of public input and
aggressively pursued a foregone decision
to log the virgin old growth acreage.
Bitterroot Forest Supervisor Dave Bull
said his staffing the press conference
with armed federal law enforcement
officials wearing bullet proof vests and
ejecting the activists was done to
protect attendees from the local
community. Bull told reporters from
the Missoulian, "we felt we needed to
make a safe environment for them."
redstateupdate.net
verbatim number 5.2
"People are interested
to know why I picked
Harriet Miers...
to know why I picked
Harriet Miers...
…They want to
know Harriet Mier's
background. they
want to know as
much as they
possibly can before
they form opinions...
know Harriet Mier's
background. they
want to know as
much as they
possibly can before
they form opinions...
...Part of Harriet Mier’s
life is her religion."
Washington DC 10.13.05
life is her religion."
Washington DC 10.13.05
The Senate Judiciary Committee
has passed a bill that would
require that all suspects who are
arrested or detained by federal
police authorities give a DNA
sample that would be stored in a
gigantic federal database.
Currently, only those citizen's
convicted of a crime are required
to provide DNA samples for
government database storage.
The bill would eliminate statutes
which prohibit DNA tracking of
individuals who are arrested or
detained but who are never
convicted of a crime.
While the bill allows the
collection of DNA from
arrestees, it does not contain a
requirement for federal
authorities to remove the
collected genetic information
from government databases of
those detainees who are later
found to be innocent. The DNA
of those never charged with a
crime would remain in the
databases indefinitely.
The bill's sweeping diminishment
of privacy rights has prompted
concern from civil rights
watchdog groups and privacy
rights activists. The American
Civil Liberty Union has sent a
letter of protest to the
committee's chairman, Arlen
Spector (R-PA).
The bill, the ACLU writes, would
require the most intrusive search
of arrestees "without any
requirement of individual
suspicion." The ACLU warns that
The law would remove the
presumption of innocence and
"people will be penalized for
either being arrested or detained,
even if the detention or arrest is
wrongful".
has passed a bill that would
require that all suspects who are
arrested or detained by federal
police authorities give a DNA
sample that would be stored in a
gigantic federal database.
Currently, only those citizen's
convicted of a crime are required
to provide DNA samples for
government database storage.
The bill would eliminate statutes
which prohibit DNA tracking of
individuals who are arrested or
detained but who are never
convicted of a crime.
While the bill allows the
collection of DNA from
arrestees, it does not contain a
requirement for federal
authorities to remove the
collected genetic information
from government databases of
those detainees who are later
found to be innocent. The DNA
of those never charged with a
crime would remain in the
databases indefinitely.
The bill's sweeping diminishment
of privacy rights has prompted
concern from civil rights
watchdog groups and privacy
rights activists. The American
Civil Liberty Union has sent a
letter of protest to the
committee's chairman, Arlen
Spector (R-PA).
The bill, the ACLU writes, would
require the most intrusive search
of arrestees "without any
requirement of individual
suspicion." The ACLU warns that
The law would remove the
presumption of innocence and
"people will be penalized for
either being arrested or detained,
even if the detention or arrest is
wrongful".
was 'covert' in that it did not disclose to
the targeted audiences that it was
sponsored by the Department."
The department of Education also hired a
public relations firm to create 21 'news
videos' which praised the educational
program to be distributed to America's
local TV stations as straight news stories.
The firm also received tens of thousands
of government dollars to monitor news
programing and news articles to see if they
promote the message that "the Bush
Administration/GOP is committed to
education".
Williams, who was dropped from
syndication shortly after his cover
relationship with the government was
revealed recently negotiated with federal
investigators to return some of the funds
he was paid by the Department of
Education.
the targeted audiences that it was
sponsored by the Department."
The department of Education also hired a
public relations firm to create 21 'news
videos' which praised the educational
program to be distributed to America's
local TV stations as straight news stories.
The firm also received tens of thousands
of government dollars to monitor news
programing and news articles to see if they
promote the message that "the Bush
Administration/GOP is committed to
education".
Williams, who was dropped from
syndication shortly after his cover
relationship with the government was
revealed recently negotiated with federal
investigators to return some of the funds
he was paid by the Department of
Education.
meals, lack of adequate hygiene, and
a constant threat of violence. The
videotaped execution of twelve
Nepalese workers by insurgents in
2004 led to riots in Nepal and
promises on all sides to crack down
on the more abusive practices of the
labor traffickers. But the sheer
number of employment procurement
subcontractors and the lack of
international oversight makes reform
difficult.
Although millions of Iraqis are
unemployed as a result of the US
invasion, military contractors are
forbidden from using Iraqi labor
because of security concerns.
a constant threat of violence. The
videotaped execution of twelve
Nepalese workers by insurgents in
2004 led to riots in Nepal and
promises on all sides to crack down
on the more abusive practices of the
labor traffickers. But the sheer
number of employment procurement
subcontractors and the lack of
international oversight makes reform
difficult.
Although millions of Iraqis are
unemployed as a result of the US
invasion, military contractors are
forbidden from using Iraqi labor
because of security concerns.
source: OMB Watch
| US Government Secrecy increases- openness decreases since 2000 |
| 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 |
| millions 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 |
| pages declassified |
| documents classified |