» 2010 » October Ms Sparky

Testimony emotional, detailed at Fort Hood shooting case

Posted on: October 13th, 2010 at 4:12 pm — by Forseti

Major Nidal Malik Hasan

Megan McCloskey – October 13, 2010 – FORT HOOD, Texas – The opening day of testimony in the pretrial hearing for Maj. Nidal Hasan was emotional and detailed, with many of the wounded speaking about the shooting publicly for the first time.
One soldier who had been shot five times intensely stared down Hasan, locking eyes with him repeatedly. A medical technician broke down when her 911 call was played and had to leave the courtroom. Another soldier talked about having PTSD and needing anger management courses.
Here are some of the quotes that stuck with me throughout the day:

Hasan had “a piercing gaze with eyes.”
- Pfc. George Stratton, who was shot in the shoulder

“I heard ‘Allahu Akbar,’ looked over my shoulder and there was the major with a weapon.”
- Spc. James Armstrong, who was shot in the leg and back

“We looked eye to eye and he just shot me.”
- Retired Staff Sgt. Alvin Howard, who was shot in the shoulder

“I noticed the weapon he was firing had an infrared beam, like a laser site on the weapon.”
- Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot five times

“He went down to the area where soldiers are sitting, where soldiers are scrambling trying to find some kind of cover.”
- Lunsford about who Hasan targeted first

“I heard loud gunfire right in my ears. It was just round after round. Pop, pop, pop, pop.”
- Stratton

“He looked at me and I looked at him. He raised the weapon and pointed at me, and the laser came across my line of sight. I closed my eyes.”
- Lunsford said about right before he was shot in the head.

“He’s one of ours! He’s one of ours!”
- Lunsford said a lieutenant helping him screamed about Hasan

“The worst horror movie you could possibly ever see. Bloody hand prints on the walls from people trying to get up. Pools of blood on the floor.”
- Armstrong said about the scene in the building after the shooting (Click HERE for original article)

Posted in A Soldiers Story, Indictments, Convictions & Arrests, Reports & Investigations. Tags: Fort Hood, Fort Hood Rampage, Nidal Malik Hasan. No Comments »

U.S. judge dismisses case against Agility subsidiary

Posted on: October 11th, 2010 at 3:00 am — by Ms Sparky

Matthew Bigg – ATLANTA (Reuters) – October 9, 2010 – A U.S. magistrate judge has recommended the dismissal of a case against a U.S. subsidiary of Kuwait’s Agility, which is accused by prosecutors of fraud over multibillion dollar contracts with the U.S. Army.

The decision to drop the case against Agility DGS Holdings Inc was expected and is unlikely to stop prosecutors from pursuing a main case against the parent company, Agility, formerly the Public Warehousing Co KSC, according to observers who have followed the case.

“The undersigned recommends that the Government’s motion to dismiss the indictment without prejudice as to Holdings be granted,” said Judge Alan Baverman in a recommendation signed on Tuesday but announced by the defendant on Saturday.

The decision is part of pretrial motions that have followed an indictment of Agility last November for attempts to defraud the U.S. military over supply contracts in a case that is politically sensitive in both the United States and Kuwait.

Agility overcharged the U.S. Army over 41 months on $8.5 billion in contracts first signed at the start of the Gulf War in 2003, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the company would face a fine of twice the gains it realized, or twice the loss to the United States, but it has also been hurt because of a decision by U.S. authorities to suspend it from bidding for new U.S. government contracts.

Agility has subsidiaries in both the United States and Kuwait and prosecutors originally served only the U.S. subsidiary, rather than the parent company.

In arguing that the case against Holdings be dismissed without prejudice, prosecutors said they feared multiple trials against the various entities of the company given that at present only Holdings recognizes the court’s jurisdiction.

They also said they feared Holdings could go out of business, thus rendering any legal proceedings against it moot, Baverman said.

Agility regards the entire case as a contract dispute that should not be seen as a criminal matter.

“A U.S. magistrate judge in Atlanta has recommended dismissal of an indictment against Agility DGS Holdings Inc, a U.S. subsidiary of Agility in connection with Agility’s contract to feed U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait,” a statement by the PWC/Agility said.

The case is United States of America v. The Public Warehousing Company, K.S.C., a/k/a Agility, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, No. 1:09-CR-0490-AJB-TWT. (Click HERE for original article)

Fugitive
Judge Alan Baverman also rejected the government’s charge that Agility is a “fugitive” from US justice because of the way it responded to the case.
Agility said in a statement it welcomed the ruling, which represents a recommendation to the US district court in Atlanta. (Click HERE for this article)

Posted in Agility/PWC/GCC, Indictments, Convictions & Arrests. Tags: Agility DGS Holdings, Agility/PWC/GCC, DDKS, Defense Logistics Agency*, DLA*, DoJ*, Judge Alan Baverman, Tarek Sultan, U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ). 5 Comments »

Dear DoJ: Name that firm! – the news this week

Posted on: October 10th, 2010 at 7:18 am — by Forseti

If you know the names of any of these contractors/firms that the DoJ is protecting, please let us know. ~Forseti
U.S. Army Major Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for False Statements Charge Related to Attempt to Smuggle Currency from Iraq to the United States
WASHINGTON – U.S. Army Major Charles E. Sublett, 46, of Huntsville, Ala., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for making false statements to a federal agency, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.

Sublett was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays in Memphis, Tenn. In addition to his prison term, Sublett was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $107,900 and 17,120,000 Iraqi dinar. Sublett was indicted on Jan. 5, 2010, following his arrest in Huntsville, and pleaded guilty on July 7, 2010. According to the indictment, Sublett smuggled more than $100,000 in currency, concealed in a shipping package, into the United States from Iraq in January 2005.

According to court documents, Sublett was deployed to Balad Regional Contracting Center on Logistical Support Area (LSA) Anaconda in Iraq from August 2004 through February 2005. LSA Anaconda is a U.S. military installation that was established in 2003 to support U.S. military operations in Iraq. According to the indictment, Sublett served as a contracting officer while deployed to LSA Anaconda. As a contracting officer, Sublett was responsible for, among other things, evaluating and supervising contracts with companies that provide goods and services to the U.S. Army. (Click HERE for article)

DOJ: Army Colonel Admits Conflict Of Interest In Contract Bid
The Department of Justice on Friday said U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Gillette pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge for failure to disclose a conflict of interest that involved his role in a United Nations contract.

Gillette, 50 years old, of Orange County, N.Y., on Wednesday pled guilty to engaging in acts as an officer of the executive branch of the U.S. government that affected a personal financial interest. He also agreed to resign his commission with the U.S. Army.

According to the Justice Department’s statement, in December 2004, the United Nations Office for Project Services invited bids for a contract that was eventually awarded to a U.S. air freight forwarder. The contractor is in the business of arranging for the movement of freight for its customers, which include the Department of Defense and private entities. It was also responsible for the delivery of election material from around the world to Iraq.

During the relevant time period, Gillette served on active duty as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He participated, as a U.S. Army officer, in the U.N.’s decision to award the contract to the unnamed company. Gillette helped develop and implement the plan to move election materials to Iraq, including, among other things, coordination with the contractor.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said the name of the contractor wouldn’t be made public. (Click HERE for article)

Retired Navy captain pleads guilty to conflict-of-interest charge in dealing with defense firm
Tony Perry – October 8, 2010 - A retired Navy captain has pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest violation in connection with his dealings with a defense contractor before his retirement.

Patrick Seidel, 51, a veteran submariner, was negotiating with the defense firm about a job while also helping the firm potentially receive a contract with the Navy to provide technology enhancing the service’s anti-submarine program, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

US Contractors Hired Iranian Spies, Taliban, Warlords To Guard US Troops In Afghanistan

Posted on: October 8th, 2010 at 6:52 am — by Ms Sparky

Report: US Contractors Hired Iranian Spies, Taliban, Warlords To Guard US Troops In Afghanistan
Senate Investigators Say Chaotic Security Contracts Pose ‘Grave Risk’ To US Troops

By MATTHEW COLE
Oct. 7, 2010

A scathing Senate report says US contractors in Afghanistan have hired warlords, “thugs,” Taliban commanders and even Iranian spies to provide security at vulnerable US military outposts in Afghanistan. The report, published by the Senate Armed Services Committee, says lax oversight and “systemic failures” have led to “grave risks’ to US forces, including instances where contractors have employed Afghan subcontractors who were “linked to murder, kidnapping and bribery, as well as Taliban and anti-coalition activities.” The chairman of the committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D.-Michigan, said the report was evidence that the US needs to reduce its reliance on contractors. “We need to shut off the spigot of US dollars flowing into the pockets of warlords and power brokers who act contrary to our interests,” said Sen. Levin. The committee reviewed roughly 125 unclassified Department of Defense security contracts between 2007 and 2009, and found that there are some 26,000 private security contractors operating in Afghanistan, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. The review found “systemic failures” of the military oversight for contracts, including the hiring of what Levin called “many too many” security contractors who had been improperly vetted, improperly trained or were not provided weapons.

In some cases, companies were awarded contracts though they had no ability to provide the services needed. In those cases, companies then quickly hired local nationals without proper vetting or security checks. The chaotic system left US facilities and personnel vulnerable to attack. The report found that some Afghan security guards simply walked off their posts at remote forward operating bases. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in GOV. CONTRACTORS, Reports & Investigations, Security Contractors, Senate & House Committee Hearings. Tags: ArmorGroup, EODT, Senate/House Hearings*, Senator Carl Levin*. 2 Comments »

Another KBR employee files suit for Iraq sexual assault by co-worker

Posted on: October 6th, 2010 at 3:08 am — by Ms Sparky

Woman sues KBR, claiming it’s at fault for a sexual assault

A co-worker in Iraq convicted of the attack on her
JAMES PINKERTON – HOUSTON CHRONICLE – Oct. 5, 2010 – A Houston woman has filed suit against government contracting firm KBR, alleging it created a “sexually violent workplace” that allowed a co-worker to sexually assault her at an Iraqi airbase two years ago.

The woman, now 28, was attacked by co-worker David C. Breda Jr. of Pearland while he was helping her move into new quarters at Camp Al Asad on Oct. 8, 2008. Breda, 35, a former U.S. Army recruiter who had previously been sanctioned for molesting an 18-year-old female recruit, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison in January after he pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman in Iraq.

The lawsuit in a Harris County state district court is the latest in a number of claims brought against Houston-based KBR by employees who say they were attacked by co-workers or others at jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the first was brought by Jamie Leigh Jones, formerly of Conroe, who contends she was gang-raped at a KBR facility in Baghdad in July 2005.

“If you’re raising jackals and put a rabbit in the jackal cage, you can’t turn your back and say it’s the rabbit’s fault the jackals attacked,” said Todd Kelly, who represents the Houston woman, Jones and four others with claims against KBR. “That’s what they’re doing. They put young women right in front of these men who have gotten away with this for so long and they turn their back. They do nothing to protect these women.”

Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, denied the assertions in the lawsuit and said KBR’s top priority is the safety and security of its employees. KBR maintains a strong and effective sexual harassment and assault prevention and reporting program, she said.

KBR denies allegations
“KBR adamantly denies the allegations in (the lawsuit) that sexual misconduct is encouraged, tolerated, or ignored,” Brown said in a statement released by the company. “KBR responded immediately to (the) report of inappropriate sexual contact and reported it to military authorities. KBR also fully cooperated with the criminal investigation … ”

Last year, an arbitrator in Houston awarded $2.93 million to Tracy Barker, the wife of an Army sergeant who said she was sexually assaulted at a KBR-operated camp in Iraq in 2005 by a U.S. State Department employee. Her attorney was critical when KBR, after fighting to keep their employee’s claims out of a courtroom, sought to reduce the arbitrator’s award.

Kelly is also representing former KBR employee Anna Mayo, 27, from the Austin area, who says she was beaten, choked unconscious and raped at KBR barracks at a U.S. base in Balad, Iraq, last November. (Click HERE for original article)

Click HERE for petition.

How many does this make now? Too many? KBR hides, protects and even promotes these predators. I hope there are a whole lot of zeros attached to these sexual assault awards.

Ms Sparky

Posted in Franken Amendment*, Indictments, Convictions & Arrests, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Rape, Hazing, Discrimination & Harassment. Tags: David Charles Breda, KBR Convictions, Rachel Wright, Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Todd Kelly. 1 Comment »

ITT awarded Kuwait Base Operations and Security Support Services (K-BOSSS)

Posted on: October 4th, 2010 at 6:53 am — by Ms Sparky

According to a letter from the Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Contracting Center the Kuwait Base Operations and Security Support Services (K-BOSSS) contract W52P1J-09-R-0065 has been awarded to ITT Federal Services International Corporation.

The Government received five (5) timely proposals and one (1) late proposal. Of the five (5) competitive proposals, one was eliminated from the competitive range.

The determination of contract award was based on the overall best value to the Government among the four offers in the competitive range.

K-BOSSS is one of three contracts that will replace the current Combat Support Services Contract-Kuwait (CSSC-K) contract #DASA02-99-C-1234 held by Combat Support Services (CSA) in Kuwait. The three contracts replacing CSSC-K are Kuwait Base Operation Security Support Services, Ammunition Supply Point, and Supply Support Activity. The CSSC-K contract was to end September 30, 2010 unless it is extended again. The total amount of CSA’s CSSC-K contract has approached $3.5 billion since first awarded in 1999.

According to FedBizOpps.gov the amount of the contract is $75 Million! I don’t know what the length of the contract is for and how many options are available.

Regarding the recent scathing DoDIG Report regarding CSA’s lax security on the CSSC-K contract, one has to wonder if that weighed in on the Governments award decision. Not knowing for sure if they even bid, I wonder if it was their proposal that was eliminated.

Let the protests begin!!

Ms Sparky

Posted in CHEMICAL AND OTHER EXPOSURES, Combat Support Ass. (CSA), GOV. CONTRACTORS, Miscellaneous. Tags: Combat Support Ass. (CSA), ITT, K-BOSSS. 1,749 Comments »

Thai court turns down US request in extradition case

Posted on: October 4th, 2010 at 5:16 am — by Ms Sparky

BANGKOK, October 4 (Itar-Tass) – Thailand’s criminal court turned down the U.S. request not to consider extra charges against Russian citizen Viktor Bout, arrested within the case over illegal arms trade. The court’s decision, made on Monday morning, will hamper the U.S. efforts to secure early extradition.

“Now there’s time to prove the partiality and inappropriateness of the charges brought against me, which are also related to my first case,” Bout told Itar-Tass, “I have nothing to do either with the Tajik airline or other cases the United States charged me with. My defence and I are ready to prove my innocence.”

Bout noted that the situation was “unpredictable,” but that “if the case is reviewed under legal norms, it might be possible to win it.”

According to Bout, he hopes Thailand’s parliament would take into account his address and “set up a special commission to investigate his case, in which there’s a wealth of violations and “uncharted areas.”

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to prove the groundlessness of all the charges against me and be able to win all these cases,” the businessman added.

Bout was detained in Bangkok in March 2008, on U.S. extradition request. The USA accuses the Russian businessman of illegal arms trade and other crimes.

(Read the rest of the story here…)