U.S. embassy ‘built with coerced labor’

[CatWoman]

Construction of the colossus U.S. embassy in Baghdad continues, projected to eventually cost $592 million. IraqSlogger reports today that American officials have reported “instances of appalling living conditions, abuse, and coerced labor” among the foreign construction workers:

During a telephone interview last weekend, said the laborers “had their backs to the wall,” and had been living 20 to a trailer. Protests over First Kuwaiti’s bad food, abusive treatment from managers and unsafe working conditions were routine among many of the 2,700 workers during much of 2005 and 2006. <…>

says he found the most basic of medical needs missing and that clinics lacked hot water, disinfectant and hand washing stations. Mayberry also claims that workers’ medical records in total disarray or nonexistent, beds were dirty and the support staff was poorly trained. Prescription pain killers were being handed out “like a candy store … and then people were sent back to work,” to operate heavy equipment or climb scaffolding, he adds.

In 2006, the State Department’s inspector general flew to Baghdad for what he describes as a “brief” review. “Nothing came to our attention,” he wrote in a memo.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/31/us-embassy-allegedly-built-with-coerced-labor/

[ixion]

1. poor working conditions, abusive mangers... yep, everything seems to be just fine

:eyes:

[Tanuki]

2. "coerced labor" = slavery

Thank you for posting this. Just when you think we have plumbed the depths of the moral abyss into which the * administration has dragged our nation, we find this. I had no idea it was this bad. This should be a MAJOR issue of discussion in our country.

K &R

[enough]

3. Welcome to USA-World.

Global nightmare.

[Deja Q]

10. Corporate USA-world.

There is still a difference, even if they give more donations than the rest of us do combined. :)

[MiniMe]

4. In other words - business as usual

[BurtWorm]

5. Just like the Capitol and White House,

:patriot:

[knitter4democracy]

15. I was thinking that, too.

Awful. Just awful. No wonder people hate us.

[Benhurst]

6. How pefectly fitting.

[TahitiNut]

7. Can't have an Imperial City without slave labor.

After all, that's how we got the White House and the Capitol building. :puke:

[CatWoman]

9. Hey Snoogums

:hi:

How ya been? :)

[TahitiNut]

11. Hey there, sweet melon licker!

Hangin' in there ... barely. :hug: :loveya:

[Phredicles]

8. I'd say congress should hold hearings on this, but then

people might get the idea they should do something about it.

[Parche]

12. Bush's Palace

Is this GW Bush's palace after he is forced out of the US?? :hi:



OH MEOW

[sutz12]

16. You don't really think he'd live in a place as dangerous as Baghdad, do you? nt

[CGowen]

13. Why not just built a pyramid? n/t

[Beausoleil]

14. Recent excavations are proving that

the pyramids were most likely not built with slave labor. The pyramid builders were probably treated better than today's corporate slaves in Baghdad.

[Zodiak]

18. That's true

there is no way a slave labor force would be entrusted with the celestial ratios and the location of the actual burial chamber. These guys were artisans, not slaves.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

17. Everytime I figure nothing will shock me anymore,...I'm proven wrong!!!

:puke:

[immoderate]

19. I wonder what the result will be like...

Remember the police station we built with the raw sewage dripping from the light fixtures? And that was just the dining room...

--IMM

[Morgana LaFey]

20. Well, imagine that. Yet another Nazi similarity.

Aren't we just surprised as all get out?

[Decruiter]

21. Compassionate conservatism, didn't you get the memo?

WAKE THE F UP. They are hiring "them" over there so they won't want to come here.

Memos and more memos, amounting to absolutely nothing but Crimes Against Humanity.

To the Hague they all should go. IMHO.