Buck Naked Politics

Defense Dept. to Take Over State Dept.'s Security Contracts: Will it Matter?

Posted by D. Cupples  |  Yesterday, control of Iraq security contracts was moved from Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice to Defense Sec. Robert Gates. (New York Times)  This comes a week after Rice testified before the House Oversight committee -- and failed to directly answer numerous questions about the State Department's failure to monitor contractors' job performance and billing.

In other words, Rice did a bad job -- so we'll let someone else try.  Will the change do any good?

The Defense Department hasn't done a stellar job of protecting us taxpayers from unscrupulous  contractors.  Consider former Halliburton subsidiary KBR, for example.  Years before the Iraq  war, KBR paid $2 million to settle a Justice Department suit alleging that KBR had defrauded the government during work at a California military base back in the ‘90s.  In 1997, the GAO found that KBR had over-run its estimated costs by 32% on work in the Balkans.

And yet, the Defense Department awarded KBR huge contracts relating to the Iraq war. How did KBR conduct itself under the new contracts?...

NewPoll: Majority of Republicans Support Strike Against Iran

Posted by D. Cupples |  The latest Zogby poll indicates that 52% of 1,028 surveyed  likely voters support a U.S. military strike against Iran (5.8% are unsure).  The breakdown:

                           % Supporting Strike

Republicans                        71%
Democrats                           41%
Independents                     44%

It would be fascinating to know why there's a glaring difference between Republicans and Democrats. Do they have different memories of the Iraq war lead-up?  Rely on different news sources?  Drink from different water supplies?

This poll was released one day after a CNN interview with Atomic Energy Agency director Mohamed ElBaradei, who said that the IAEA "cannot give Iran a pass right now," but the U.S. hasn't provided concrete evidence that Iran has an active "weaponization" program or the nuclear materials needed. It's less than 4 minutes: check it out.

Memeorandum has other bloggers' reactions.

Personal Attack on Journalist Sent from Petraeus Aide's Email Address

Posted by D. Cupples |  Last week, Salon's Glenn Greenwald wrote about links between military public-relations officers and war-friendly media outlets (e.g., selective interviews and info leaks).  This morning, Greenwald received an email from the address of Army Col. Steven Boylan (Gen. David Petraeus' spokesperson), which is as personal an attack as you'd expect from a wife who'd just caught her husband canoodling with her sister. 

The email writer moves from "refuting" points that Greenwald had not argued to stating (among other things) that: Greenwald lacks journalistic ethics, he didn't do good research, and he has no talent compared to Alan Colmes (Fox's bumbling, token "liberal")....

Later, Boylan refused to confirm that he'd sent the email.  Brilliant response -- except that the email reportedly came from this address: steven.boylan@iraq.centcom.mil.  It's the same address from which Greenwald had received other emails from Boylan.  That and after Greenwald hit the reply button to this morning's nasty-gram, his email reached Boylan and Boylan responded.

During this morning's exchange, Boylan implied that his Internet identity had been stolen by someone in Vermont.  I see the comic potential here, yet serious issues are emerging....

Guantanamo Whistleblower Condemns Proceedings

Posted by Cockney Robin   | According to The Independent, an American military lawyer (name withheld) has spoken out against the process used by secret military tribunals at Guantanamo for determining whether detainees are "enemy combatants."  The whistleblower is an army major who is stepping forward to protest the detention of Sudanese hospital administrator, Adel Hamad. The British lawyer who is representing Mr Hamad, who has been held for five years, says that after talking with doctors who worked with Hamad at an Afghan Hospital, he is certain of Hamad's innocence.  "Mr Hamad is an innocent man, and he is not the only one in Guantanamo," he said.(Independent)   Combatant status review tribunals for 558 detainees were held in 2004 and 2005.  Of all of those, only 38 were found not to be "enemy combatants."(Independent   Those classified as enemy combatants could be held indefinitely without charges and without access to a lawyer.(Independent) 

The army major (name redacted), whose testimony will be the "centrepiece" of a December 5 hearing before the US Supreme Court, has taken part in 49 review panels..(Independent)   He is, of course, not the first participant to speak out against the proceedings at  Guantanamo.   

Army Investigating Contractor Bribes -- and Shouldn't Stop There

Posted by D. Cupples |  From Memeorandum, the Associated Press reported:

"A team of specially trained investigators will hunker down in an Army office north of Detroit on Monday to begin poring over hundreds of Iraq war contracts in search for rigged awards.

"This team of 10 auditors, criminal investigators and acquisition experts are starting with a sampling of the roughly 6,000 contracts worth $2.8 billion issued by an Army office in Kuwait that service officials have identified as a hub of corruption."

Army officials shouldn't limit the scope to small-time corruption cases, while bigger schemers go free. This isn't a left-field possibility: evidence suggests that State Department investigators were pressured to focus on smaller cases and to not make waves over bigger ones.

Uncovering bribery is important, but false billing and shoddy performance likely cost the taxpayers more -- and corruption goes beyond Kuwait's borders, likely stretching into our own homeland.

In 1863, Congress passed the False Claims Act to combat contractor fraud. Contractors found guilty of fraud can be barred from receiving other contracts, which may be why many contractors settle False Claims Act suits without admitting or denying guilt....

Oversight Hearing: Rice was Evasive, Republicans Don't Want Probe

Posted by D. Cupples |  At yesterday's House Oversight Committee, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was mostly cucumber-cool, but she didn't give many direct answers.  This forced some committee members to use up part of their alloted 5 minutes repeatedly repeating their questions. (Hearing video.)

For example, Rice acknowledged a "lacuna" (loophole) in regulations, which allowed security contractors to dodge legal consequences for potential crimes, like shooting Iraqi civilians. (New York TImes)  The loophole was created 3+ years ago.

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) repeatedly asked:  Why did you wait until now to work on closing the loophole?  Hodes pointed out that incidents of questionable contractor violence have been reported since at least 2005.

In response, Rice kept repeating that the State Department acknowledges the loophole and agrees that it should be closed.

Everyone at the hearing clearly spoke English, yet Rice's answers suggest that the admirably articulate Secretary of State didn't even hear some questions. That's how it went with most issues....

Oil Market Roil: A Threat or a Promise?

Posted by Damozel   |  The Bush Administration has said that increasing sanctions against Iraq are meant to prevent war. (Washington Post)  Of course, Condoleezza Rice also said that Bush is "committed to a diplomatic course on Iran," but she added that U.S. patience is "not limitless, and allies need to know that." (Washington Post)   

And we've all heard that one before, haven't we?   Or, as Leo Drollas -- the deputy executive the Center for Global Energy Studies -- put it "[I]t's like a crash happening slowly." (Washington Post) 

Oil traders are saying that even the threat of an attack---even a small chance of one--- would create a huge run-up in oil prices because speculators and investment funds would bid up the price of oil.  (Washington Post)  Meanwhile, oil prices closed at a record high as the US tightened its sanctions and the escalating tension between Iraq and the Kurds and uncertainty about OPEC's output also did their bit to raise the price to $90.46 per barrel. (Washington Post)   

While this is probably nice for people who own a few million barrels, it isn't nice for people whose business depends on the availability of oil at affordable prices....   

Talk of Bombing: is Iran the New Iraq?

Posted by D. Cupples |  Military strikes against Iran have been on President Bush's mind since at least 2002, when he declared Iran part of the "Axis of Evil."  Today,  ABC News reported:

"Tucked inside the White House's $196 billion emergency funding request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is an item that has some people wondering whether the administration is preparing for military action against Iran.

"The item: $88 million to modify B-2 stealth bombers so they can carry a newly developed 30,000-pound bomb called the massive ordnance penetrator, or, in military-speak, the MOP.

"The MOP is the the military's largest conventional bomb, a super "bunker-buster" capable of destroying hardened targets deep underground. The one-line explanation for the request said it is in response to "an urgent operational need from theater commanders."

"What urgent need? The Pentagon referred questions on this to Central Command."

This year, alone, various events and officials' statements have hammered home the point that Iran will likely end up a target....

Hearing Today, and Head Rolls at State Dept.

Posted by D. Cupples |  Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may testify before the House Oversight Committee about the State Department's mismanagement of billions in federal contracts (and other things). Yesterday, a Department staffer resigned, perhaps because of contract-related issues.

The New York Times reports:

"The State Department official responsible for overseeing Blackwater USA and other private security contractors in Iraq resigned abruptly today.

"Richard J. Griffin, who has been the director of the department’s diplomatic security bureau since June 2005, faced stiff criticism from Congress over his handling of a Sept. 16 shooting episode involving Blackwater that left 17 Iraqis dead and other acts of violence by the State Department’s security guards.

"A special panel appointed to investigate the handling of diplomatic security in Iraq found a glaring lack of oversight and accountability that was hindering the American diplomatic and military mission there....      

Are  all the State Department's problems are Mr. Griffin's fault? Just last month, we learned that State Department inspector general Howard Krongard may have repeatedly blocked investigations into contractor waste and fraud.... 

DynCorp Joins Blackwater as Probe Target, State Department Stonewalls Congress

Posted by D. Cupples |  The U.S. State Department reportedly failed to manage a billion-dollar contract with DynCorp International -- a contractor involved in the CivPol program, which trained Iraqi police forces.  The State Department has also repeatedly failed to give the House Oversight Committee information on the DynCorp contracts, which the Committee has repeatedly asked for since March 2007.
.

Yesterday, the Committee wrote a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking (again) for the information.  In part, the letter states:

"Questions about the State Department’s management of the CivPol contract were raised by Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, at a February 15, 2007, hearing before the Oversight Committee.  Mr. Bowen testified that DynCorp had performed unauthorized work at a residential camp for police trainers and that the State Department had failed to catch overcharges because of inadequate contractor management...."

Blackwater Seeks More Tax Dollars, Govt. Corruption More Evident

Posted by D. Cupples |  Yesterday's New York Times ran a dot-connecting op-ed by Frank Rich about Blackwater USA's plans to grab more tax dollars and the defense industry's incestuous nature.

According to Rich, Blackwater CEO Erik Prince "staged a rapid-fire media blitz" last week.  Prince also told Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal that (in Rich's words):

"Blackwater no longer cares much about its security business; it is expanding into a 'full spectrum' defense contractor offering a “one-stop shop” for everything from remotely piloted blimps to armored trucks."

Just what we taxpayers need: another middleman to jack up prices. In 2000, Blackwater had  $200,000 in federal contracts.  Since then, it has enjoyed $1 billion in contracts. Prince told the House Oversight Committee that 90% of Blackwater's business came from federal contracts. We taxpayers already funded one Blackwater growth spurt: now, the company wants us to pay for it to become a defense mega-mall?

Blackwater's  track record makes this a frightening proposition....

Jon Stewart: Passive-Aggressive v. Aggressive-Aggressive

Is Bush being passive-aggressive about nucular weapons and WWIII?   Also:  the Turks are mad at the PKK (Kurds).  Will Bush tell them that Iraq is a quagmire and "a nightmare without end"?

Congressman Bluntly Berates Bush & Others

Posted by D. Cupples |  Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) was displeased with President Bush for vetoing SCHIP and with some House Republicans for refusing to help override the veto.  According to Crooks & Liars, Stark publicly expressed his displeasure:

“'I’m just amazed that the Republicans are worried that we can’t pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don’t care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal War in Iraq....

“'President Bush’s statements about children’s health shouldn’t be taken any more seriously than his lies about the War in Iraq. The truth is that that Bush just likes to blow things up – in Iraq, in the United States, and in Congress....'

CNN took a poll, asking "Should Stark apologize?"  When I checked, 9753 people had answered and 9006 (92%) said NO.

After the White House and others criticized Stark, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apologized for him.  Stark's response was as blunt as his original statements....

Jon Stewart to Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: "Now You Tell Us"

Jon Stewart notes that Ret. General Sanchez seems to have a bit of a different opinion from General Sanchez. 

Sanchez:  "There is nothing happening now....that would give us hope." 

And why did he wait to tell us? "The last thing that you want is for currently serving officers to stand up to the political leadership."

Is al Qaeda in Iraq Crippled? Officials Disagree

Posted by D. Cupples |  From Memeorandum: the Washington Post reports that some military officials believe al Qaeda in Iraq has been "crippled" -- but that military leaders have conflicting views on the situation. Al Qaeda in Iraq formed after the U.S. ivaded Iraq and  may not have direct ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.

People who read only the first paragraph of WaPo's article may get the impression that we've had a major victory:

"The U.S. military believes it has dealt devastating and perhaps irreversible blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq in recent months, leading some generals to advocate a declaration of victory over the group."

The sixth and seventh paragraphs, however, indicate that some military heavyweights don't buy it.  Rare as it is, General David Petraeus and his boss Admiral William Fallon agree that this is no time for wishful optimism:

I say 'Torture'; You Say 'Harsh Interrogation Techniques'.... (Updated)

Posted by Damozel | Via Dyre Portents, I found this interview with Jimmy Carter at CNN from a few days ago I otherwise probably wouldn't have read.  I am really in such denial about the issue, and about the reality of it, that I tend I think to gravitate away from writing about it more than I already have or---I admit it----thinking about it. 

The Carter interview was prompted by the October 4 New York Times article which revealed those clandestine memoranda from the DOJ supporting the use of "head-slapping, simulated drowning, and frigid temperatures."  .  "The White House last week confirmed the existence of the documents but would not make them public."(CNN) The White House evidently wasn't bothered enough about this to bother to sidestep or tap-dance.   Not for the first time,  "Bush defended the techniques used, saying, "This government does not torture people.""(CNN)  Why hasn't Laura, who is rightly exercised about the Burmese junta's treatment of the blameless monks, set him straight on this point?  Oh, that's right:  she's from Bush's Texas and in Bush's Texas there are different rules for good guys and bad guys.  I can't think of any other explanation.

But what about the rest of us?  Are we okay with this?

Aussie Contractors Shoot Two Iraqi Women; P.W. Singer on Blackwater et al.

 Posted by Cockney Robin  | Meanwhile, in Iraq, employees of an Australian-run security firm have accidentally though also completely intentionally shot and killed two women.  That is to say, the shooting and killing part were intentional; that the targets turned out to be inoffensive ladies driving home from work (and also a small boy who fortunately wasn't killed) was the accidental part.  "The firm was employed by RTI International, a nonprofit organization that does governance work in Iraq on a contract for the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to David Snider, a USAID spokesman in Washington."   (The Washington Post Ah, the contracts within contracts with which the road to hell is paved.

Here's what their car looked like afterward.

Iraqi Leaders: Key Benchmark Not Attainable.

Posted by Damozel | According to the Iraqi leaders, "[s]ectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government," so the Bush Administration and the Congress need to lose the "political reconciliation" benchmark. (Washington Post)  To the extent that this has been made a marker of success in Iraq, it's something of a setback. But it was always a bit unreal wasn't it? "This is a struggle about power," said Kurdish Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih---as if any other kind existed. (Washington Post)    Just deciding to be "reconciled" isn't going to be sufficient.

Jon Stewart: Blackwater

"Some toothless government oversight problems, killing-wise."  Also:  Chris Matthews says Jon Stewart gave him the worst interview EVER. 

Blackwater to Blame for Shootings, State Dept. Plans to Start Monitoring Blackwater?

Posted by The Crux | Military reports about the recent shooting of Iraqi civilians by guards working for Blackwater USA indicate that they "opened fire without provocation and used excessive force." The U.S. State Department:

"responded yesterday to escalating criticism of Blackwater security guards in Iraq, announcing new measures to more closely monitor their operations as a new Pentagon report depicted a troubling lack of coordination between private security contractors and the U.S. military." (WaPo)

Shouldn't the State Department have started closely monitoring Blackwater a while ago?  Iraqi officials repeatedly complained about Blackwater's questionable violence for some time, yet State Department officials did not respond (BN-Politics-1).  That and Blackwater has contracts worth many millions of tax dollars.

Will the State Department objectively monitor Blackwater?  Two weeks ago, evidence surfaced indicating that...