Halliburton: The Bush/Iraq Scandal that Wasn’t

[TitanTiger 20,519]

Halliburton: The Bush/Iraq Scandal that Wasn’t

The president’s critics come up empty.

by Byron York

National Review

...(Democrat California Congressman Henry)Waxman objects to what he calls Halliburton's "troubling" performance record, suggesting that Halliburton would not have gotten the contract had Vice President Cheney not once headed the company. But Waxman's charges — and their echoes in outraged editorials — overlook Halliburton's extensive history of defense work for earlier administrations. Indeed, far from having a "troubling" past, one could argue that Halliburton was a favorite contractor of the Clinton Pentagon.

The first LOGCAP was awarded in 1992, as the first Bush administration (including then-Secretary of Defense Cheney) was leaving office. Four companies competed, and the winner was Brown & Root, as it was known at the time (Halliburton changed the name to Kellogg Brown & Root after an acquisition in 1998). The multi-year contract was in effect during much of the Clinton administration. During those years, Brown & Root did extensive work for the Army under the LOGCAP contract in Haiti, Somalia, and Bosnia; contract workers built base camps and provided troops with electrical power, food, and other necessities. 

In 1997, when LOGCAP was again put up for bid, Halliburton/Brown & Root lost the competition to another contractor, Dyncorp. But the Clinton Defense Department, rather than switch from Halliburton to Dyncorp, elected to award a separate, sole-source contract to Halliburton/Brown & Root to continue its work in the Balkans. According to a later GAO study, the Army made the choice because 1) Brown & Root had already acquired extensive knowledge of how to work in the area; 2) the company "had demonstrated the ability to support the operation"; and 3) changing contractors would have been costly. The Army's sole-source Bosnia contract with Brown & Root lasted until 1999. At that time, the Clinton Defense Department conducted full-scale competitive bidding for a new contract. The winner was . . . Halliburton/Brown & Root. The company continued its work in Bosnia uninterrupted.

That work received favorable notices throughout the Clinton administration. For example, Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review mentioned Halliburton's performance in its Report on Reinventing the Department of Defense, issued in September 1996. In a section titled "Outsourcing of Logistics Allows Combat Troops to Stick to Basics," Gore's reinventing-government team favorably mentioned LOGCAP, the cost-plus-award system, and Brown & Root, which the report said provided "basic life support services — food, water, sanitation, shelter, and laundry; and the full realm of logistics services — transportation, electrical, hazardous materials collection and disposal, fuel delivery, airfield and seaport operations, and road maintenance."

In 2001, after the Bush administration came into office, the giant LOGCAP contract expired again and another competition was held. Once again, Halliburton won the contract, and it was under that arrangement that the Iraqi-oilfield analysis was done. As the record shows, Halliburton won big government contracts under the Clinton administration, and it won big government contracts under the Bush administration. The only difference between the two is that Henry Waxman is making allegations of favoritism in the Bush administration, while he appeared untroubled by the issue during the Clinton years.

Read the full article here

[War Eagle 96 10]

It's hard to catch an administration in a scandal when they aren't scandalous. I don't know when the liberals are going to get it NOT ALL POLITICIANS ARE LIKE THE CLINTONITES, SOME ARE HONEST. They'd better stop trying to find something scandalous and start finding a direction for their own party, or they risk losing power forever.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

It's hard to catch an administration in a scandal when they aren't scandalous. I don't know when the liberals are going to get it NOT ALL POLITICIANS ARE LIKE THE CLINTONITES, SOME ARE HONEST. They'd better stop trying to find something scandalous and start finding a direction for their own party, or they risk losing power forever.

You HAVE been reading my posts! You are so so so right on this. Not everyone is a snake in the grass with ulterior motives, despite what the Libs think. As I have been trying to point out to the pinkos on this board, if I were a fence-sitter, and was trying to find out what the Dem candidates stood for, I would have to filter out "Vote for us because Bush Sucks! Bush Lies! Bush is Evil!" in order to find their platforms, and that is offensive to a lot of people.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

They'd better stop trying to find something scandalous and start finding a direction for their own party, or they risk losing power forever.

Here's raising a glass of egg nog hoping they remain lost in the forest forever.

[CShine 0]

Hello? Do y'all even read?

As Byron York's article makes plain, the LOGCAP contract is designed to provide support for military logistics in emergency situations. The post-war rebuilding of oil fields is a civilian operation. Do tell us how the post-war reconstruction of oil-fields is a military operation. It isn't.

Mr. York does a nice job of trying to confuse the issue when he talks about the contract Halliburton received to make a pre-war assessment of potential oil field damage due to military conflict. That IS a military operation, and such military damage estimates are completely separate from the question of who will rebuild the oil fields in a peacetime environment. That's a civilian operation that has nothing to do with military logistics or LOGCAP.

I find it rather ironic that you chose to post this old York article today. Especially since it tries to say that Halliburton's pricing policies were proper. And now, lo and behold, just today President Bush announced that Halliburton's pricing policies were indeed improper and that the government expects repayment for $61 million that they overcharged the government.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105599,00.html

The more y'all try to defend Halliburton, the more it blows up in your face. The pathetic spin of Byron York and the National Review does not change the truth. The post-war reconstruction of oil fields is not a military operation, and it is certainly not covered by military contracts like LOGCAP. Furthermore, Halliburton REALLY DID gouge the American taxpayer with its charges to the government. Even Bush has been forced to admit it. Time for y'all to wake up and smell the coffee. Lies from the National Review don't cut it.

[Tigermike 3,058]

Hello? Do y'all even read?

As Byron York's article makes plain, the LOGCAP contract is designed to provide support for military logistics in emergency situations. The post-war rebuilding of oil fields is a civilian operation. Do tell us how the post-war reconstruction of oil-fields is a military operation. It isn't.

I think it would be great if you went over and pointed out what is military and what is not. As far as I am concerned, the entire country is a military operation untill the car bombings & sucide bombers are gone.

[Tiger Al 0]

:blowup:

[Donutboy 0]

It's hard to catch an administration in a scandal when they aren't scandalous.  I don't know when the liberals are going to get it NOT ALL POLITICIANS ARE LIKE THE CLINTONITES, SOME ARE HONEST.  They'd better stop trying to find something scandalous and start finding a direction for their own party, or they risk losing power forever.

If you think this administration is free of scandal, you've had your head buried in the sand for the past three years. Haliburton was becoming an albatross for the Bush administration, so they were forced to take action. The funny thing is that instead of penalizing Haliburton for gouging the taxpayers with their no-bid contract, this administration merely asks that they reimburse us for any overcharges. If they were sincere about stopping corruption from their political buddies and either took no-bid contracts away from companies that cheat us or penalized them monetarily instead of merely asking for reimbursement, other Texas oil-based companies wouldn't be so quick to do the same thing. Can you imagine walking out of a store at the Mall trying to steal something and the store owner catches you. Do you think his response is going to be merely to put the merchandise back and all will be forgotten. Not hardly.

Natural Gas Prices Surge and Fingers are Pointing

By SIMON ROMERO

Published: December 13, 2003

HOUSTON, Dec. 12 - Natural gas prices have surged nearly 50 percent since Thanksgiving despite an apparent lack of events that normally create such spikes, like tight supplies or forecasts of unusually cold weather.

The frenzied climb in prices has led to calls for investigations by politicians and executives of gas-dependent industries into whether traders have improperly manipulated natural gas markets.

Click link for more.....

[Donutboy 0]

Hello? Do y'all even read?

I find it rather ironic that you chose to post this old York article today. Especially since it tries to say that Halliburton's pricing policies were proper. And now, lo and behold, just today President Bush announced that Halliburton's pricing policies were indeed improper and that the government expects repayment for $61 million that they overcharged the government.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105599,00.html

The timing of this post was really quite ironic, wasn't it? Every Conservative on the board comes on here telling us how there is no scandal, how there was no price gouging and calling us pinkos for suggesting that their tax money was being wasted, and the Bush adminstration slaps 'em across the head with the truth. Ah, how refreshing. I think this string needs to be bumped to the top as often as possible.

[TitanTiger 20,519]

Actually, I don't recall saying anything about price gouging except to say that I didn't think tax payers should be bilked (on a previous thread) and I defy you to prove I've said otherwise. What I (and this article) was referring to was the non-scandal of Halliburton being chosen to handle these contracts AT ALL.

Time and again, Donut and other libs have insinuated that Halliburton and it's subsidiaries are getting these gov't contracts because of some cozy relationship with the White House and Cheney in particular. York's article rightly points out that Halliburton was a favorite of the Clinton administration for these kinds of tasks as well...yet no one was raising a stink about it then. But now that the Bush Administration does it, it's some kind of pay back for campaign contributions.

[Tigermike 3,058]

Natural Gas Prices Surge and Fingers are Pointing

By SIMON ROMERO

Published: December 13, 2003

HOUSTON, Dec. 12 - Natural gas prices have surged nearly 50 percent since Thanksgiving despite an apparent lack of events that normally create such spikes, like tight supplies or forecasts of unusually cold weather.

The frenzied climb in prices has led to calls for investigations by politicians and executives of gas-dependent industries into whether traders have improperly manipulated natural gas markets.

Click link for more.....

Natural gas prices have surged nearly 50 percent since Thanksgiving despite an apparent lack of events that normally create such spikes, like tight supplies or forecasts of unusually cold weather.

Has there not already been a fairly heavy blizzard this year? Is there not a major flu scare going on right now? Both of those things could cause consumers to use more natural gas. Also prices for heating fuel & natural gas always spike upwards in the winter. Chuck, you work in that industry don't you? Is this normal for this time of year?

[MDM4AU 336]

Actually, I don't recall saying anything about price gouging except to say that I didn't think tax payers should be bilked (on a previous thread) and I defy you to prove I've said otherwise.  What I (and this article) was referring to was the non-scandal of Halliburton being chosen to handle these contracts AT ALL. 

Time and again, Donut and other libs have insinuated that Halliburton and it's subsidiaries are getting these gov't contracts because of some cozy relationship with the White House and Cheney in particular.  York's article rightly points out that Halliburton was a favorite of the Clinton administration for these kinds of tasks as well...yet no one was raising a stink about it then.  But now that the Bush Administration does it, it's some kind of pay back for campaign contributions.

Bump! How's that, DB?

[Donutboy 0]

Natural Gas Prices Surge and Fingers are Pointing

By SIMON ROMERO

Published: December 13, 2003

HOUSTON, Dec. 12 - Natural gas prices have surged nearly 50 percent since Thanksgiving despite an apparent lack of events that normally create such spikes, like tight supplies or forecasts of unusually cold weather.

The frenzied climb in prices has led to calls for investigations by politicians and executives of gas-dependent industries into whether traders have improperly manipulated natural gas markets.

Click link for more.....

Natural gas prices have surged nearly 50 percent since Thanksgiving despite an apparent lack of events that normally create such spikes, like tight supplies or forecasts of unusually cold weather.

Has there not already been a fairly heavy blizzard this year? Is there not a major flu scare going on right now? Both of those things could cause consumers to use more natural gas. Also prices for heating fuel & natural gas always spike upwards in the winter. Chuck, you work in that industry don't you? Is this normal for this time of year?

As the article stated, there has been no weather out of the ordinary that would warrant such a massive increase in natural gas prices and a flu outbreak has nothing to do with the price of natural gas, unles the flu vaccine is made of natural gas. Of course, just yesterday, you thought that Halliburton's gas prices were not out of line. BUMP!!!

[TitanTiger 20,519]

Still waiting for that explanation of why the Bush Administration using Halliburton indicates some kind of "quid pro quo" because of Cheney's former ties to the company, while the Clinton Administration's use of the same company and it's subsidiaries for virtually the same work was no big deal.

[Tigermike 3,058]

As the article stated, there has been no weather out of the ordinary that would warrant such a massive increase in natural gas prices

and a flu outbreak has nothing to do with the price of natural gas, unles the flu vaccine is made of natural gas. Of course, just yesterday, you thought that Halliburton's gas prices were not out of line. BUMP!!!

There has been single digit temps in the plains states. There has been snow in the mid west & up the east coast. I am sure those folks never used their heaters.

As far as the flu outbreak, do you not think people will be making sure their houses a maybe a few degrees warmer? No I suppose all those people who are worried about the flu, just naturally kept their thermostats set around 50 degrees.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

The timing of this post was really quite ironic, wasn't it? Every Conservative on the board comes on here telling us how there is no scandal, how there was no price gouging and calling us pinkos for suggesting that their tax money was being wasted, and the Bush adminstration slaps 'em across the head with the truth.

For your information, if you re-read a lot of my posts, my comments were that I did not plan to take HENRY WAXMAN's thoughts and opinions with anything BUT a major grain of salt. And I STILL say that I want better proof than initial reports. Bush said they should pay it back - IF IT HAS HAPPENED. One Pentagon source says that no invoices have been paid yet - that the INVOICES caused the questions - no payments have been made. So in my mind, I am going to wait for the whole story before I scream price gouging.

And TT is right - HAL has been a military contractor LONG before Bush et al came to office - why is it JUST NOW an issue, when they worked for Clinton too? Double standard ONCE AGAIN for our resident libs.

[MDM4AU 336]

Still waiting for that explanation of why the Bush Administration using Halliburton indicates some kind of "quid pro quo" because of Cheney's former ties to the company, while the Clinton Administration's use of the same company and it's subsidiaries for virtually the same work was no big deal.

Hey TT, have you gotten a reply from DB yet? I can't seem to find it and I was ineterested in his response. I noticed he has posted a few times since you posted the above. I can't seem to find anything, though. :unsure:

I am with Jenny as well. Nothing has been paid yet so I have no problem as of YET. Let's see how this is handled.

[TitanTiger 20,519]

Hey TT, have you gotten a reply from DB yet? I can't seem to find it and I was ineterested in his response. I noticed he has posted a few times since you posted the above. I can't seem to find anything, though. :unsure:

Nary a word, MDM. Nary a word.