Note these contractirs could have been barred under Clinton rules that Bush rescinded. He's tough on crime - as long as its not corporate crime.


AP: 10 U.S. contractors in Iraq penalized

By MATT KELLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

The graphic shows penalties paid in the past four years by contractors handling assignments in Iraq. (AP Graphic)

WASHINGTON -- Ten companies with billions of dollars in U.S. contracts for Iraq reconstruction have paid more than $300 million in penalties since 2000 to resolve allegations of bid rigging, fraud, delivery of faulty military parts and environmental damage.

The United States is paying more than $780 million to one British firm that was convicted of fraud on three federal construction projects and banned from U.S. government work during 2002, according to an Associated Press review of government documents.

A Virginia company convicted of rigging bids for American-funded projects in Egypt also has been awarded Iraq contracts worth hundreds of millions. And a third firm found guilty of environmental violations and bid rigging won U.S. Army approval for a subcontract to clean up an Iraqi harbor.

Seven other companies with Iraq reconstruction contracts have agreed to pay financial penalties without admitting wrongdoing. Together, the 10 companies have paid to resolve 30 alleged violations in the past four years. Six paid penalties more than once. But the companies have been awarded $7 billion in Iraq reconstruction contracts.

There are very few companies qualified to do the work. If you banned those ten companies the cost to the tax payer would be 10x if the government had to do the work. Name one comapny that has the qualification of Haliburton?

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

GH,

SAIC is a good company I was a vendor of theirs a few years ago.Not even close to what Haliburton and Subsidiaries can do.

Not true. Halliburton is simply the lead on many of those contracts, same as SAIC, Anteon, Allion, or Northup Grumman, et al would be. Any of those companies could have KBR and the like as a sub just as easily.

Of course, SAIC being wholly employee owned would help me out a little. I'm still waiting for my turn to borrow the H2 they shipped over there.