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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Iraq contractor fights suit over toxic exposure

WASHINGTON - When the American team arrived in Iraq in the summer of 2003 to repair the Qarmat Ali water injection plant, supervisors told them the orange, sand-like substance strewn around the looted facility was just a “mild irritant,” workers recall.

The workers got it on their hands and clothing every day while racing for 2 1/2 months to meet a deadline to get the plant, a crucial part of Iraq’s oil infrastructure, up and running.

But the chemical turned out to be sodium dichromate, a substance so dangerous that even limited exposure greatly increases the risk of cancer. Soon, many of the 22 Americans and 100-plus Iraqis began to complain of nosebleeds, ulcers, and shortness of breath. Within weeks, nearly 60 percent exhibited symptoms of exposure, according to the minutes of a meeting of project managers from KBR, the Houston-based construction company in charge of the repairs.

...But the company’s own actions have undermined its case: To avoid payroll taxes for its American employees, KBR hired the workers through two subsidiaries registered in the Cayman Islands, part of a strategy that has allowed KBR to dodge hundreds of millions of dollars in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

That gives the workers’ lawyer, Mike Doyle of Houston, a chance to argue to an arbitration board that KBR is not an employer protected by federal law, but a third-party that can be sued.

Thank you for not reading this, Rod.

Comments

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Out Here
Rodney G. Graves

Ceterum censeo Parthia esse delendam
Latin: “Furthermore, Parthia (Persia aka modern day Iran) should be destroyed.”

Rodney Graves on March 25, 2008 at 11:51 am

RGraves:  hahahahahaha!  YES!!


"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

pparets on March 25, 2008 at 11:59 am
Avatar for Hawk

They shouldn’t just be sued.  There should be criminal charges filed against the leadership and they should be barred from ever receiving a federal contract again.

Hawk on March 25, 2008 at 01:08 pm

RBB, Hawk, Next war, you guys volunteer to take the dangerous jobs.  Unfortunately, in wars, people are killed, injured and worse.  If the Muslims had not attacked us on 9/11/01, much of this would not have happened.  In WW II, the JAPS attacked us on 12/07/41.  They raped and tortured (actual, not simulated) our guys as well as ate body parts.  I wonder who sued? 

Your main rub is that somehow, KBR makes .62% profit per year for shareholders like you and I could invest in.  I know many people who volunteered and went over to Iraq as contractors.  They knew what they were risking.  Same for the National Guard troops who also volunteered. 

I will follow this story as the others that you have brought up.  If another company would like to bid on the projects in a war zone, more power to them.  Perhaps you can start up a company?  Want to compete in the real world?


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 01:19 pm

RBB left this out of the story from “The Boston Globe” (another fair and balanced newspaper): 

KBR is citing the law, called the Defense Base Act, as grounds to reject the workers’ request for damages.

OK, so let this go to the courts.
Where is the big alleged word liberals use so much? 

Ever hear of sovergn immunity?  It is part of the constitution.

Next, now it appears that the people from the Cayman Islands are not Americans, but another nationality.  Comments?


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 01:26 pm

On page 2 from the Boston Glove story: 

But the law - approved in 1941, a year when few defense contractors were engaged on the front lines

Nice.  You can tell that to all those Navy yard workers who are suing over asbestos lung damage.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 01:29 pm

Page 4: 

Blacke said that the firm should do more to ensure that the workers do not have to fight for medical treatment if they get sick, and that KBR should pay damages for putting workers’ health at risk

His opinion. Nice.  It is too bad that in wars OSHA is everywhere.  Unfortunately, that is not the case and in fact they would not go because it would be way too dangerous for them.  Notice how many state department bureaucrats objected to manning the Iraqi Embassy.  The UN left when a few shots landed a mile away.

How about the 3,000 of our innocent civilians killed in the WTC.  Shall they sue Al Qaeda terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden?  Don’t hold your breath.
The JAPS still deny their occupation of China, comfort girls or even the war they started.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 01:37 pm
Avatar for Hawk

You think that they knew that their company would lie to them putting their health at risk?  You think that their company would refuse to buy the proper protective gear to keep them healthy?

I don’t think that was part of the bargain.

Hawk on March 25, 2008 at 02:08 pm

BRRRHAAAHAHAAA
Rod is some kinda outerspace soap opera trekkie fool.
JAHAAHHHBHBHAAHAHAAAA
And from other posts I see that others here are as well.

Ahhhhhhh….OK.


“If a conservative is still a republican after the last 13 years, he is blind to the fact that his party of choice has failed him utterly.” – Realitybasedbob

realitybasedbob on March 25, 2008 at 02:47 pm
Proof
Proof
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Speaking of toxic exposure, rbb shows us the tragedy of lead ingested as a child!



For any voter trying to choose between the two candidates for commander in chief, there is no better test than this: When American strategy in a critical theater was up for grabs, John McCain proposed a highly unpopular and risky path, which he accurately predicted could lead to success. Barack Obama proposed a popular and politically safe route that would have led to an unnecessary and debilitating American defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.

Frederick W. Kagan

Proof on March 25, 2008 at 02:52 pm

RZ, at least you are consistent in your inconsistencies.

No one, at least not me, has a problem with the good employees on the ground in Iraq. I don’t know why you constantly try to defend personnel who are not being disparaged. The bad employees are another issue.

If the Muslims had not attacked us…

If there is a finer sentence to sum up neo-conism I would like to see it.

Again RZ, you are conflating stock value with company profit. But you knew that, didn’t you…don’t you? War profiteering disgusts me. Even if it is .62%

I know more than a few over there as well. They expected more from their employers and the government that sent them. But you want a profit and a blind loyalty.


“If a conservative is still a republican after the last 13 years, he is blind to the fact that his party of choice has failed him utterly.” – Realitybasedbob

realitybasedbob on March 25, 2008 at 02:52 pm

rbb:  ... and, speaking of neo-cons, let’s not forget the savage Serbs whose atrocious actions led President Clinton to destroy most of their infrastructure and kill several thousand of them.


"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

pparets on March 25, 2008 at 03:04 pm

If the JAPS had not attacked us.  Yes, the Islamo-Facist Muslims.  I still have the newspaper with the pictures of the 19.  They are fanatical Muslim terrorists.
That is a fact.  Were they Christian fanatics?  Jewish?  Soviets?  Serbs?  Cubans?
No.  Everyone knows The Truth.  Hillary finally said it today.

People know the risks.  This story is a “neo-liberal” story, a neo-communist story, and Anti-American story of a few people who were exposed to a substance in a war zone.  Have you been there?  Things are not pretty, nor OSHA approved.  Neither were the toxic chemicals around the World Trade Centers.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 03:32 pm

Back to the neo-capitalist statements.  Fact:  people work for a living.  There are some who volunteer their services like the Boy Scouts, Churches, State Defense Forces.  I ask you.  Have you ever given blood?  It costs nothing.  You get no money in return if given to the Red Cross.  You are trying to make earning a living dirty.  The top communist party earned 100 times what the other workers did.  They lied about it. Want to talk about profiteering?  Lets talk about the communist party.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 03:38 pm

Nice employer.

ellinas on March 25, 2008 at 03:46 pm

pparets.  yes those savage Serbs who killed maybe 300.  How about the 500,000 tutsis killed.  Oh, they are just africans.  or as Natalin Albright said, “it is not marketable in America”..  ??  Shameful.  neo-democrats


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 03:47 pm

I was a Life Scout.
I was an alter boy.
I started our first guitar mass.
I have never been in the military.
I have given non profit blood.
I am not trying to make a living dirty.
The pay gap in American is estimated to be 364 times what workers earn.
Yes, let’s talk about profiteering.
No, I don’t want to talk about commies.


“If a conservative is still a republican after the last 13 years, he is blind to the fact that his party of choice has failed him utterly.” – Realitybasedbob

realitybasedbob on March 25, 2008 at 03:53 pm

RBB.  Thanks for the answers.
Eagle scout.
Protestant
Served Air National Guard 36+ years; 9+ years on active duty
3 gallons of blood
Thanks.  Me either.  I would wash dishes before I engaged in illegal business deals.
That is not a pay gap.  Some people have more education and experience than others.  Those CEOs did not nationalize (communist talk) the industry.  They were appointed or elected to their positions.
Profiteering:  By unions?  gangs?  dirty politicians?  communists (you say that is off limits), mafia?  monopolies created by our government? 
There is no profiteering in a free economy.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on March 25, 2008 at 07:17 pm
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