The U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division (CID) has finally changed the status of the investigation of Sgt. Ryan Maseth, a highly decorated, 24-year-old Green Beret, from “accidental” to “negligent homicide.” Maseth was killed in an act of unbelievable negligence and carelessness by KBR in a shower where he was electrocuted. After months of controversy and criticism, the Army finally acknowledges that the company “failed to ensure that work was being done by qualified electricians and plumbers, and to inspect the work that was being conducted.”
KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne is astonished by the allegations since, after all, KBR investigated itself and “KBR’s investigation has produced no evidence that KBR was responsible for Sgt. Maseth’s death.” It appears that Army investigators were able to find a bit more evidence than KBR.
LindyLou,
That is interesting. I’m glad it went on air. A lot of people crack jokes about cheney being undead and eating human parts for breakfast etc. I think it’s significant that just looking at him makes people think this way. “The best image of the human soul is the human body.”
(Wittgenstein)
Mojo,
Thoughts like that crossed my mind, too. But cynical as I am about Cheney, I do believe he’s sickly. Now that it looks like Halliburton and subsidiaries are going to be held accountable, Cheney doesn’t have nearly the motivation to get up and dance those jigs.
Amen Brother Mespo!
Remorse:
“That means Obama is saying he will put tough new restrictions on lobbyists, except when he won’t.
Really? Is this how it is going to be? Just three days into this administration?”
–Campbell Brown
***************************
“Let me say a few words about important values we must demonstrate while all of us serve in government. First, we must always maintain the highest ethical standards.”
–George W. Bush 2000
“WASHINGTON, July 17 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that President Bush had personally decided to block the Justice Department ethics unit from examining the role played by government lawyers in approving the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program.”
–New York Times 7/19/2006
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
–Luke 6:42
LindyLou –
I can’t help but wonder if Cheney didn’t confine himself to a wheelchair so he wouldn’t have to rise for the new president’s swearing in. His own little private snub?
“Wraaah. I will not stand for this man. Wraaah!”
Commentary: Obama breaks his own rules already
By Campbell Brown
January 23, 2009
CNN
(CNN) — Just a couple of nights ago, we heaped praise on the new president for announcing what he called a new era of openness, where in his administration, transparency would rule the day.
And the lobbyists that he was so critical of during the campaign? Well, he told us they will now face even tougher new restrictions.
President Obama: “The executive order on ethics I will sign shortly represents a clean break from business as usual. As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any other administration in history. If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am president.”
Well, anyway that’s what President Obama said two days ago. But as we first told you Thursday Obama already wants and will get an exception to his own new rule.
You see, what happened is, there is this former lobbyist for a big defense contractor called Raytheon. Obama wants him to be deputy defense secretary. So, he wants a waiver to his own rule – now.
That means Obama is saying he will put tough new restrictions on lobbyists, except when he won’t.
Really? Is this how it is going to be? Just three days into this administration?
Wargalley,
You bring up a lot of good questions. Those questions stand a much better chance of being answered honestly and publicly now that we have a new commander-in-chief who seems to value the life of every human being.
Jill,
Thom Hartmann and Ron Reagan were broadcasting together the afternoon of the inauguration. They were talking about former VP Cheney being wheeled out after the ceremony, and it struck them funny. Just for a moment, I think they forgot they were being broadcast live with the sound effects they were making, like a couple of kids. They said it reminded them of the movie when Hannibal Lecter was getting wheeled out. The wheelchair isn’t the strongest part of that analogy.
It’s about time that Halliburton and KBR are held responsible.
I seen this news report on NBC news. From the video, it looked like Sgt. Ryan Maseth was in a small stand up tile shower with exposed metal pipes, and handels. I think Maseth had his own room with bath. I noticed that the news report at the top of this page, or the CNN report dosn’t mention the previouse ocupant had complained about being shocked. Some people have more tolerance than other’s when shocked. Even worse when wet. My theory is that a Sub-Panel wasn’t installed right. The barracks that Sgt. Ryan Maseth lived in, receives power through a Maine service panel. From there the electricity distributes to sub-panels. Water pipes are grounded to these panels. If you haven’t removed a metal strip between the neutral, and the ground of the sub-panel. This could cause metal grounded to become live. This metal strip is okay to be attachted in the Maine service panel. My questions is, did Maseth just move into the room? Did anyone tell him about the shower? Was it a joke to put the new guy in that room?
Mojo,
PCC or global peacekeepers as they like to call themselves, recruit from all the best dictatorships around the world. They like to go with thugs from the poorest countries because they can pay them $30.00 per day. Life is very cheap.
Want to bet the left stops talking about civilians we are killing in the war on terror now that their guy, BOMB AWAY OBAMA is running the show?
Obama bombed Pakistan. Killed 10 people, don’t hear the usual outcry from the left that they were for sure civilians…..
doglover, I have a son in Iraq near Falluja. Their internet is free, just limited to the amount of time they can use because of the high demand.
Stop spreading lies.
Is this just another Feres Doctrine or Government Contrator Defense dead end?
Those no-bid contracts have really paid off. Interesting that visiting U.S. officials always use the private security contractors for protection over there. Elitism is okay when it’s a $1,000 per day private bodyguard who’s protecting your butt …
And doglover, let us not forget Eisenhower’s warning about the military industrial complex.
Being labeled negligent homicide, the American people must demand accountability.
Topic of military contractors: minor compared to the shower, but an example of the daily contractor costs to our soldiers:
Soldiers at Camp Liberty must pay $65.00 a month for internet usage. The only provider is MagicIsland. Try and find something on that company and you will hit a dead end. The company hides behind the firewall of DOD communication and appears located out of this country (Mauritius, I believe). Their service is horrible.
War profiteering during times of war should be criminal.
MARCH 20, 2007
United States Senate,
Committee on Senate Judiciary,
Washington, D.C.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln fought against war profiteers, denouncing them as “worse than traitors.” He pushed for the first Federal laws curbing this abuse. In World War II,
President Roosevelt spoke out against “war millionaires” who
made excessive profits exploiting the calamity of war.
President Truman, when he served in the Senate, crossed this
country holding now famous public hearings to expose gross
fraud, waste, and abuse by military contractors.
I have followed several stories about incidents such as these and it breaks my heart each time. As a mother of two sons, I can’t even begin to imagine the rage and anguish a parent would feel knowing their precious child survived the battlefield only to be electrocuted while showering because of shoddy workmanship!
But, perhaps now, they’ll finally be able to find some redress in seeing these CRIMINALS held to account. I personally give you my solemn vow to continue to follow this story – to write letters to my Congressman and Senators DEMANDING ANSWERS and ACCOUNTABILITY!
I also hope and pray Mary Tillman continues to find the strength to keep pressing forward until the whole lousy coverup the Bush Cabal spun about her son’s tragic death is also revealed.
On a lighter note, Thank You fellow Americans for having the courage to vote for CHANGE – it’s truly a new chapter in our history and it feels really good!
We are constantly told that the GOP is the party that supports the troops. The GOP is the party that enabled Haliburton/KBR to be in the harmful, greedy position that it has now and it’s the party that allowed that garbage to be covered up. There never seems to be support for the troops if there’s cost or effort involved.
There’s a part of me that wishes we could keep Gitmo open to house the CEOs and politicians that allowed this to happen. In my mind, they’re traitors to our country.
Can it really be that Halliburton/KBR will finally be brought to account for its greed induced treason in Iraq, protected by its’
former CEO Cheney? I hope so because what they have done to our troops, as they stole billion$, has been criminal and deserves the full punishment of the law and full public disclosure of the role Cheney played in covering up this criminality.
There is a book that goes into detail about several instances of electocution, in addition showing how private contractors poisoned our troops’ water, left them hungry and without adequate clothing. This has been allowed to continue for some time causing me to grit my teeth every time cheneybush pretended they gave a shit about our people in Iraq. The book is called: Betraying Our Troops, The Destructive Results of Privatizing War by Dina Rasor. In addition she and her co investigator have a website with updated info.
http://www.followthemoneyproject.org/