Amy Goodman: War Is a Racket

[marmar]

from truthdig:



War Is a Racket

Posted on Jul 27, 2011
By Amy Goodman


“War is a racket,” wrote retired U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler, in 1935. That statement, which is also the title of his short book on war profiteering, rings true today. One courageous civil servant just won a battle to hold war profiteers accountable. Her name is Bunnatine “Bunny” Greenhouse. She blew the whistle when her employer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, gave a no-bid $7 billion contract to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) as the invasion of Iraq was about to commence. She was doing her job, trying to ensure a competitive bidding process would save the U.S. government money. For that, she was forced out of her senior position, demoted and harassed.

Just this week, after waging a legal battle for more than half a decade, Bunny Greenhouse won. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers settled with Greenhouse for $970,000, representing full restitution for lost wages, compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees.

Her “offense” was to challenge a no-bid, $7 billion+ contract to KBR. It was weeks before the expected invasion of Iraq, in 2003, and Bush military planners predicted Saddam Hussein would blow up Iraqi oilfields, as happened with the U.S. invasion in 1991. The project, dubbed “Restore Iraqi Oil,” or RIO, was created so that oilfield fires would be extinguished. KBR was owned then by Halliburton, whose CEO until 2000 was none other than then-Vice President Dick Cheney. KBR was the only company invited to bid.

Bunny Greenhouse told her superiors that the process was illegal. She was overridden. She said the decision to grant the contract to KBR came from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, run by VP Cheney’s close friend, Donald Rumsfeld. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/war_is_a_racket_20110727/?ln

[Stuart G]

1. Thanks for posting this story.. k and r.

[Butch350]

2. All along I thought wars were fought for betterment of mankind.

[bemildred]

3. America loves rackets, rackets are the best way to get rich quick. nt

[saras]

4. The real reason America loves rackets is that you get to hurt people while getting rich

There are quicker ways, and ways to get richer. Most involve ownership of resources.

But a racket is by far the best way to get paid for torturing and betraying people, in one way or another.

[femrap]

5. I believe there is a typo

regarding Stiglitz' quote that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will end up costing '$5 billion'.....that should read TRILLION.

Hell, when Iraq was going full tilt, we were spending $2 billion/week!!!!

And we wonder why the Debt Ceiling has to be raised.....shit.

War is a racket....and the rich sell weapons to both sides.