Halliburton Wins Iraq Contract

[NightTrain]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
How do they know no other company could satisfy the mission requirements if they didn't take bids from anyone else?

This was discussed ad nauseam at the time. The ACoE gave the contract to the same company that wrote up the contingency plan for fighting the fires.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: rbV5

The Corps of Engineers is a highly competent group of folks, imo

LOL, they have got to be one of the biggest bungling bunch of bozos that we ever entrusted our country's resources to, are you kidding me?

And this is based on..... ??

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: NightTrain

Originally posted by: SuperTool
How do they know no other company could satisfy the mission requirements if they didn't take bids from anyone else?

This was discussed ad nauseam at the time. The ACoE gave the contract to the same company that wrote up the contingency plan for fighting the fires.

Then they should have asked competing companies to submit contingency plans and how they would execute them. Why was favoritism shown to Halliburton?
This is our taxpayer money we are talking about. The taxpayers of this country deserve better than to have contracts paid for by our taxes awarded to the VP's former company not only without competition, but not even considering other alternatives.

 

[rbV5]

And this is based on..... ??

Its based on their performance.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: rbV5

And this is based on..... ??

Its based on their performance.

Such as....?

Why do I feel like I'm pulling teeth?

 

[NightTrain]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

This was discussed ad nauseam at the time. The ACoE gave the contract to the same company that wrote up the contingency plan for fighting the fires.

Then they should have asked competing companies to submit contingency plans and how they would execute them. Why was favoritism shown to Halliburton? [/quote]


I don't know that the original plan wasn't contracted. I can't remember and certainly don't feel like looking it up again.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Then they should have asked competing companies to submit contingency plans and how they would execute them. Why was favoritism shown to Halliburton?
This is our taxpayer money we are talking about. The taxpayers of this country deserve better than to have contracts paid for by our taxes awarded to the VP's former company not only without competition, but not even considering other alternatives.

Well, perhaps they (the Pentagon) knew in their years of experience in dealing with companies capable of such work that no other company was qualified to perform such classified work on such short notice. Or did that possibility never work its way into your thoughts?

 

[rbV5]

Such as....?

Why do I feel like I'm pulling teeth?

Where do you start? Corps of Engineers projects include some of the most damaging environmental mistakes ever made.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Such as....?

Why do I feel like I'm pulling teeth?

Where do you start? Corps of Engineers projects include some of the most damaging environmental mistakes ever made.

I got this one conjur

And some of these environmental mistakes ARE?

CkG

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Then they should have asked competing companies to submit contingency plans and how they would execute them. Why was favoritism shown to Halliburton?
This is our taxpayer money we are talking about. The taxpayers of this country deserve better than to have contracts paid for by our taxes awarded to the VP's former company not only without competition, but not even considering other alternatives.

Well, perhaps they (the Pentagon) knew in their years of experience in dealing with companies capable of such work that no other company was qualified to perform such classified work on such short notice. Or did that possibility never work its way into your thoughts?

It has crossed my thoughts, but so did the question of why the Pentagon didn't ask other companies what capabilities they have? If Halliburton is the only one that had the capabilities, they would have won the contract anyway in a fair bidding process.
Maybe Dick Cheneys connections with Halliburton played a role in awarding the contract without taking any bids. Or did that possibility never work its way into your thoughts?

 

[rbV5]

And some of these environmental mistakes ARE?

The Mississippi/Missouri River flood control projects and the Florida Everglades Reclamation projects are a good place to start. The Department of Pork would be an appropriate tag for their legendary support of congressional pet projects throughout the country.

 

[rbV5]

or the Kissimmee River

The Corps has channelized rivers nationwide, often with devastating environmental results. But its conquest of the Kissimmee stands out as a marvel of engineering brilliance and ecological folly, described by the late Everglades author Marjory Stoneman Douglas as "among the most radical alterations of a river in human history." At the request of the state of Florida, the Corps wrestled a meandering and unpredictable 103-mile river into a 56-mile ditch that never overflowed its banks. The $35 million project was designed to whisk floodwaters away from Orlando, Disney World and the upper Kissimmee basin, and it succeeded.

But the project destroyed the basin's biology; it dried up 35,000 acres of its wetlands, chased away 92 percent of its waterfowl and 74 percent of its bald eagles and ruined its sport fishing. The project also conveyed tons of filthy cattle runoff into Lake Okeechobee.


They say they'll do better, but will/are they?

Link

 

[rbV5]

Or the Delaware River:
The General Accounting Office yesterday joined the long line of critics of the Army Corps of Engineers, concluding that the agency botched its economic analysis of a Delaware River project so badly that "the adequacy and effectiveness" of its quality control is in doubt.

Link

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

It has crossed my thoughts, but so did the question of why the Pentagon didn't ask other companies what capabilities they have? If Halliburton is the only one that had the capabilities, they would have won the contract anyway in a fair bidding process.
Maybe Dick Cheneys connections with Halliburton played a role in awarding the contract without taking any bids. Or did that possibility never work its way into your thoughts?

Actually, they did but my better judgment ruled that due to past performance in Iraq/Kuwait after the 1991 Gulf War...it was pretty much a given they should do it again. And, considering the short timeframe, a bidding process was not feasible. And, the classified nature of the situation also precluded a bidding process for companies not cleared. Do I know for sure that Haliburton and its subsidiaries are the only ones with proper clearance? No, but I am placing my trust in those at the Pentagon to get things done right and do it in the most expedient fashion to prevent an environmental disaster.

I would imagine if there had been a huge environment disaster that people would be lambasting the administration for taking its time to do a bidding process and not just send someone over there who had experience. No-win situation for the targets of the Bush haters.

 

[naddicott]

Originally posted by: rbV5

At the request of the state of Florida, the Corps wrestled a meandering and unpredictable 103-mile river into a 56-mile ditch that never overflowed its banks. The $35 million project was designed to whisk floodwaters away from Orlando, Disney World and the upper Kissimmee basin, and it succeeded.

Sounds like a problem with the Florida state government to me. It is a shame the Corps doesn't do their own environmental due dilligence and refuse to do stupid projects, but ultimately they're doing whatever they've been contracted to finish.

Are you arguing that Dick Cheney's old company is going to be more mindful of environmental concerns? I find that a little hard to believe.

[edit - spelling]

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: SuperTool

It has crossed my thoughts, but so did the question of why the Pentagon didn't ask other companies what capabilities they have? If Halliburton is the only one that had the capabilities, they would have won the contract anyway in a fair bidding process.
Maybe Dick Cheneys connections with Halliburton played a role in awarding the contract without taking any bids. Or did that possibility never work its way into your thoughts?

Actually, they did but my better judgment ruled that due to past performance in Iraq/Kuwait after the 1991 Gulf War...it was pretty much a given they should do it again. And, considering the short timeframe, a bidding process was not feasible. And, the classified nature of the situation also precluded a bidding process for companies not cleared. Do I know for sure that Haliburton and its subsidiaries are the only ones with proper clearance? No, but I am placing my trust in those at the Pentagon to get things done right and do it in the most expedient fashion to prevent an environmental disaster.

I would imagine if there had been a huge environment disaster that people would be lambasting the administration for taking its time to do a bidding process and not just send someone over there who had experience. No-win situation for the targets of the Bush haters.

Considering Dubya's FERC looked the other way while his energy industry friends manipulated CA energy markets, I wouldn't be suprized if he hooked up his oil industry buddies too. Cronyism is alive and well in this White House. Clearly enough appearance of inpropriety to warrant an investigation. But you won't be hearing any of that from the GOP congress, which spent millions investigating Whitewater to find nothing.

 

[rbV5]

Are you arguing that Dick Cheney's old company is going to be more mindful of environmental concerns? I find that a little hard to believe

Hardly, I'm just responding to Conjur's comment
"The Corps of Engineers is a highly competent group of folks, imo"
My argument is that the Corp is rotten to the Core. Despite pledges and oversights to clear up that mess that is the Army Corp of Engineers, its really just a huge congressional money furnace.

 

[frugal1]

Originally posted by: lupy
You think Halliburton won fair and square? They won because of a secret bidding, British firms were not allowed to bid even though the Brits are also part of coalition to free Iraq.

Before you ask me for proof, here it is:

Secret bidding

ABCNEWS has obtained a copy of a 99-page contract worth $600 million.
This is less than 1% of the cost of the war. Pretty cheap.

The USAID contract is filled with details about plans to construct Iraqi schools, airports, roads, bridges, hospitals, power plants and more.
This sounds like good stuff that Iraq SHOULD spend some of their oil money on.

But other details are being shielded by the USAID, which chose to conduct the bidding in secret.
"It's the scope and breadth that, I think, has made people take a second look at this in terms of the secrecy and the limitations of competition," said Steven Schooner, a law professor at George Washington University.
Oooh, a conspiracy!

Normally, USAID puts out contracts on the Internet, and any company can bid. But to move this through quickly, the agency said it went to firms with track records and security clearances. It asked seven ? about half the number that normally would have sought the business ? to bid.
What, did they want to get this done faster than the usual 3 year government process? Can't those lazy Iraqi's wait just 3 years?!?

Among the companies believed to be bidding are Bechtel, Fluor, Parsons, the Washington Group and Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm.
All are experienced. But in addition, all are generous political donors ? principally to Republicans.
Can you name even ONE successful company that isn't conservative? Any company smart enough to get rich, is also smart enough to be conservative.

The secret bidding is legal, but controversial.
Those dem's need something to bitch about. Everything is going too well.

"If you don't have an open process, the odds are you may not get the best price, you may not get the best contractor, you may not have the best quality control, which may impact your mission success," Schooner said.
You also might have to wait the usual 3 years...

British troops are serving alongside U.S. troops in Iraq. But the closed process blocked British companies, as well as any foreign firm, from bidding.
The U.S. has paid for the Lion's share of this and all other recent world (UN) spending. Let's try and have some of our tax money come back home once in a while... Although we could at least let the French in on this...

"We have a very keen diplomatic interest in ensuring that others not only are involved, not only will be involved, but feel as though they are part of this post-conflict exercise," said Eric Schwartz of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington think tank.
We need to "buy" our friends by giving them lots of money. Clinton understood this concept.

Also left out were international development groups, which historically have been essential to nation rebuilding because they emphasize the involvement of local people.
Yeah, several African countries could probably give some pointers on how to conduct a good civil war.

"They must have ownership over this full development process," said Mary McClymont, chief executive officer of InterAction, an alliance of dozens of U.S.-based nongovernmental relief organizations. "Otherwise, it's a recipe for failure."
Yeah, let's just leave and see how well anarchy really works.

USAID denies politics are involved in any of this.
It's a shame that they want to use common sense and try to do the best thing possible, when they could have been political and tried to buy some ignorant liberal votes.

The agency says within a year, Iraqis will have better lives because of the rebuilding. But the secret bidding process makes it impossible to know how much better, or possibly worse, things might have turned out.
Yeah, I don't really care if we do good things for the Iraqi's, I just wish we could have given some of this money to Greenpeace.

 

[NightTrain]

Originally posted by: frugal1

Originally posted by: lupy
You think Halliburton won fair and square? They won because of a secret bidding, British firms were not allowed to bid even though the Brits are also part of coalition to free Iraq.

Before you ask me for proof, here it is:

Secret bidding

ABCNEWS has obtained a copy of a 99-page contract worth $600 million.
This is less than 1% of the cost of the war. Pretty cheap.
[/b]

This is a different contract. The original uproar was about this but Halliburton apparently never even entered a bid.

The contract now under discussion is one given to a subsidiary of HB by the ACoE just for fighting oil well fires. This was also discussed at the time but apparently it's come back up because Waxman has his panties in a bunch over it.

 

[fwtong]

That's why we should just annex Iraq anyways. We did all the hard work, why the Iraq people get a voice in in governmemt. We took down the Iraq government, so we should be able to do whatever we want, including annexing Iraq. Besides, annexing Iraq would get rid of all the controversy, give jobs to Americans and stimulate the economy even more. Not to mention, it'll give the US a permanent base in the Middle East, and help spread democracy by invading, occupying and annexing Iran, Jordan, Syria, etc...