Ali
12-22-2004, 06:17 AM
From USATODAY (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-12-21-mosul-tent_x.htm) The soft-skinned hall that was attacked Tuesday was a huge white tent about 30 feet high at its peak, built on a concrete slab. It was the only dining hall on base and was open for the three traditional meals, as well as for midnight leftovers for troops on late shifts.
Troops at the base have speculated that local Iraqis hired to work there might be feeding information to militants. The insurgents "probably know about when meal times are and (when) there is a concentration of people. The rest of the day, folks are scattered," Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, told Army Times in an interview Dec. 1.
The new, hardened structure is being built by KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton. It was to be finished by Saturday but "is nowhere near done," Hastings said. "There have been a number of issues, primarily getting the workforce here, weather and getting building materials."
Halliburton, an oil- and gas-services conglomerate once run by Vice President Cheney, would not comment on delays in construction of the hardened dining hall. It declined to answer other questions about its work on the Mosul base.
In an e-mail, Halliburton spokeswoman Wendy Hall said: "It is extremely difficult to prevent these appalling and horrific attacks. We know that safety and security is the top priority for the military."
Halliburton has had contracts worth more than $8 billion in Iraq, mainly to build and maintain U.S. military bases and supply troops with food and fuel, but also to help rebuild Iraq's oil infrastructure.
The Houston-based company has faced intense criticism from Congress and Pentagon auditors, who have withheld payments because of alleged overcharging. Halliburton employees have been accused of taking kickbacks in Kuwait, and the company has fired workers it said were involved.
KBR workers killed
Four employees of KBR and three of its subcontractors were killed in Tuesday's attack, the company said. Sixty-two employees or subcontractors have died in Iraq and Kuwait over the past two years.
Phil Morrell, a Salt Lake City contractor who has done subcontracting work for KBR in Iraq, said his company had worked on the fabric-covered dining hall at Camp Marez but now builds only hardened facilities on bases elsewhere in Iraq.
Morrell said he bid to build a hard replacement for the mess tent but was beaten out by KBR. He said KBR rejected his design for hardened buildings sheathed in a blast-resistant material. The two companies have had billing disputes over charges for troop meals.
Tuesday, Morrell questioned whether KBR's concerns about overbilling have "backed them into a corner to ... where they (have to) justify the pricing. ... I just don't think they care that much about safety." Yeah, fuck safety, we're here to make MONEY!
Troops at the base have speculated that local Iraqis hired to work there might be feeding information to militants. The insurgents "probably know about when meal times are and (when) there is a concentration of people. The rest of the day, folks are scattered," Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, told Army Times in an interview Dec. 1.
The new, hardened structure is being built by KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton. It was to be finished by Saturday but "is nowhere near done," Hastings said. "There have been a number of issues, primarily getting the workforce here, weather and getting building materials."
Halliburton, an oil- and gas-services conglomerate once run by Vice President Cheney, would not comment on delays in construction of the hardened dining hall. It declined to answer other questions about its work on the Mosul base.
In an e-mail, Halliburton spokeswoman Wendy Hall said: "It is extremely difficult to prevent these appalling and horrific attacks. We know that safety and security is the top priority for the military."
Halliburton has had contracts worth more than $8 billion in Iraq, mainly to build and maintain U.S. military bases and supply troops with food and fuel, but also to help rebuild Iraq's oil infrastructure.
The Houston-based company has faced intense criticism from Congress and Pentagon auditors, who have withheld payments because of alleged overcharging. Halliburton employees have been accused of taking kickbacks in Kuwait, and the company has fired workers it said were involved.
KBR workers killed
Four employees of KBR and three of its subcontractors were killed in Tuesday's attack, the company said. Sixty-two employees or subcontractors have died in Iraq and Kuwait over the past two years.
Phil Morrell, a Salt Lake City contractor who has done subcontracting work for KBR in Iraq, said his company had worked on the fabric-covered dining hall at Camp Marez but now builds only hardened facilities on bases elsewhere in Iraq.
Morrell said he bid to build a hard replacement for the mess tent but was beaten out by KBR. He said KBR rejected his design for hardened buildings sheathed in a blast-resistant material. The two companies have had billing disputes over charges for troop meals.
Tuesday, Morrell questioned whether KBR's concerns about overbilling have "backed them into a corner to ... where they (have to) justify the pricing. ... I just don't think they care that much about safety." Yeah, fuck safety, we're here to make MONEY!