Halliburton: Largely Uncovered by FOX
Reported by Ellen - November 27, 2004
There's a very interesting article on FOXNews.com about Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton, which says that MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of government property could not be located by auditors. Despite that, the Pentagon agency that managed KBR (the relevant Halliburton subsidiary), refused to require KBR to change its practices. I'd call that important news. Think it will be discussed by Bill O'Reilly next week? Debated on Hannity & Colmes? Investigated by Major Garrett? I doubt it.
The FOXNews.com article is from AP which means it's a story printed from the wire service, not one written by FOX reporters. AP usually leans conservative but this article is very damning. Here are a few highlights:
"(Inspector General Stuart W.) Bowen reported that an audit earlier this summer found KBR had lost track of more than $18 million worth of equipment in Iraq. Investigators could not track down 52 of 164 randomly selected items in an inventory of more than 20,000 items overseen by KBR, including two electric generators worth nearly $1 million, 18 trucks or SUVs and six laptop computers.
"Pentagon and Halliburton officials have been searching since the summer for the missing items and have tracked down many of them. Some were found in the hands of 'unauthorized users' and 111 vehicles had not been returned for required check-in, they said."
Comment: Who are these "unauthorized users?" We never find out. I hope it's not the same unauthorized users who got hold of the 300+ tons of the missing explosives the US also "lost track of."
Apparently, the KBR thing is no big deal to the Pentagon. "Bowen's report said the Pentagon agency that managed KBR in Iraq did not agree with all of the findings, and the agency declined to force KBR to change its inventory tracking system. The Pentagon 'stated that the contractor has put an accurate property control system in place that is effective, and an analysis of the system does not need to be performed at this time,' Bowen's report said. Bowen told lawmakers the Pentagon didn't provide any information to back its conclusions."
Comment: Keep in mind this is on top of the criminal investigation into "alleged fuel price gouging" by Halliburton and an FBI inquiry into "possible favoritism" by the Bush Administration.
All this from an Administration always ready to pat itself on the back about its morals. Yet I have heard hardly a peep from FOX on this subject. With all the constant airing of the Swift Boat "controversy" and Memogate and God, don't you think a Fair and Balanced network would do some reporting on this? I'm not holding my breath. Not unless they can figure out a way to blame Clinton.
