Contract that spawned Gitmo awarded to Halliburton during Cheney tenure

[rawstory]

John Byrne

Experts say firm may have built secret camps

A contract awarded to a Halliburton subsidiary in June 2000 while Vice President Dick Cheney was still at the helm of the firm spawned the detention centers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, RAW STORY has discovered.

The contract, which allocated funds for “emergency construction capabilities” at “worldwide locations,” authorized the Defense Department to award Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root any number of specific naval construction deals abroad.

Pegged at an “estimated maximum” of $75 million in 2000, the deal mushroomed to $136 million by 2004. Some $58 million was dedicated to detention centers at Guantanamo Bay alone, with another $30 million in a second contract.

Specific contracts for the Guantanamo facilities were not inked until February of 2002. Cheney served as chief executive of the company from 1995 until July 2000, leaving shortly thereafter to join the Bush campaign.

<snip>

In 2002, the Pentagon said that additional options might reach $300 million. Security experts believe the Bush Administration may have carved out funding from the original agreement to build other secret detention facilities sprinkled across the globe.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Contract_that_spawned_Guantanamo_prisons_awarded_to_Halliburton_during_Cheneys_tenur_0621.html

[Mandate My Ass]

1. Thank you!!

I've been googling like crazy because I remembered Gitmo was being built pre-September 11th. The corruption and conflict of interest of this administration is unprecedented.

[quaoar]

2. This revelation will go nowhere

Just like the allegations that Cheney and Halliburton bribed Nigerian government officials.

Because Congress is unwilling to investigate anything that might reflect poorly on Bush.

[lala_rawraw]

11. Thank you, makes all the hard work fun:)

[bleever]

12. Glad you're keeping a sense of humor. You guys are GREAT and

I for one know you continue to make a big difference.

:yourock:


P.S.: Everyone who can, please donate at rawstory.com to these intrepid and unselfish journalists, for all they do.

[mom cat]

16. Yes, but..the internets will investigate it!

[young_at_heart]

3. The Bush people "carved" out funding???

Come on MSM....please tell me that you find this statement disturbing, if nothing else!

[cyberpj]

4. Halliburtonwatch site. (Just to be certain you are aware of this site)

so that you might work together on some items.

http://halliburtonwatch.org/

I just sent them a link to your info.

[cosmicdot]

25. Halliburton lands Balkan contract (again)

looks more like a renewal/extention of a contract

"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Awards Logistics Support Contract to Provide Services in U.S. Army Europe's Area of Operations"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1569409

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Very, very big story - thank you yet again, Raw Story! Recommended.

This needs to be media blasted. Keith Olbermann might well be willing to cover it - he's taken a lead on coverage of the DSMs. Once it breaks out, it will be hard to suppress.

This is yet another reason to support Raw Story - we need to keep this vital conduit of information flowing clear and strong:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1868197

[truthisfreedom]

6. carved out? sprinkled?

what is this, dessert?

[rawstory]

9. 'carve out' is actually a technical term

for secret contracts.

[EVDebs]

23. DoD can't find missing $2.3 TRILLION

CBS War on Waste article

""According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.

$2.3 trillion — that's $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml

Betcha Rummy knows...

[dbt]

7. Hmmmm. A Clinton-era contract?

THAT might just give the story some semblance of legs. Stay tuned...

[lala_rawraw]

10. Note, DOD could have been working

Outside of the then President's allowance.

[dbt]

14. Granted, but the "Evil Clinton" factor could kick in

(before the Media Borg thinks it through) and give it traction that it would not otherwise have. It'll be interesting to watch, no?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. The "evil Clinton" was approached by the NeoCon cabal in the Pentagon....

...who advised him to attack Iraq in January 1998. Clinton refused to order an attack and focused instead on suppressing Al-Qaeda.

Who were the advisors? Rummy, Wolfowitz, and Perle, among other members of PNAC.

Here is a VERY good article that explains, step-by-step, how we were plunged into this mess:

How We Got Into This Imperial Pickle: A PNAC Primer
<http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3544.htm>

QUOTE:

3. In 1998, PNAC unsuccessfully lobbied President Clinton to attack Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power. The January letter from PNAC urged America to initiate that war even if the U.S. could not muster full support from the Security Council at the United Nations. Sound familiar? (President Clinton replied that he was focusing on dealing with al-Qaida terrorist cells.)

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. emailed Keith Olbermann about this story

It's gotten to be a habit. At least he tells the truth, like few TV journalists do.

[dubyaD40web]

13. "Connect the dots, la la la la....."

~Pee Wee Herman

[libodem]

15. this crap makes me cringe

build them and they will be interned.

[Just Me]

17. I am so damn grateful ya'll are tracking this important issue!!!!

:hug:

Keep plugging!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!! :yourock:

Gawd, I hope your story incites some people to come forward about those "torture holes"!!!!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. Thank you very much. There were some posters on DU the other day....

...who argued in rather personally abusive terms that this contract wasn't awarded until 2002. Glad to see the REAL scoop!

Kwwp up the good work...you're doing just fine!! :-)

[Just Me]

21. Maybe, you are confused.

Is that possible? :hi:

Maybe, certain posters were trying to be helpful in pointing out an error of interpretation. Maybe, you misinterpreted those posters' intention/motivation. Is that possible?

And, maybe, you were the one who was being "personally abusive" (as I recall).

Maybe, you can deal with your issues, stop being presumptive, let go of vengefulness and be progressively cooperative. Is that possible?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

20. Kick.

[EVDebs]

22. See this thread too. Rep Marcy Kaptur is on the right track. Followthe$

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1861429

[Just Me]

24. .

:kick:

[oxbow]

26. Raw Story is a national treasure! nt.

[lateo]

27. Old story but it makes you wonder doesn't it?

Just how far back they were getting ready for this...

[lala_rawraw]

28. Not really... parts of it are old, but parts

Are not, like the inflated budget and how much is going to camps... Randi mentioned the contracts of 2000 on her show, but we were still digging at the time.