» Fisher vs KBR Ms Sparky

David Isenberg: KBR Gives Uncle Sam the One Finger Salute

July 4, 2010 — Forseti

David Isenberg – July 3, 2010 – Let’s take a brief look at the world of rent a generals. Specifically, Lt. Gen. Sanchez. (USA-Ret.). Gen. Sanchez had a distinguished Army career and honorably served his country. He was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the United States Army when he retired on November 1, 2006.

Those who can remember past yesterday will recall that he served as the V Corps commander of coalition forces in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004. While his time as commander was not without controversies ( hostile relations with Paul Bremer, torture scandal at Abu Ghraib, development of the Iraq insurgency) I assume he did the best he could.

For most retired officers that would have been enough. But evidently not for Gen. Sanchez. Evidently he felt the need to continue the fight; only now against U.S. civilians and injured veterans.

In February it was reported that the U.S. Army was trying to stop him from continuing to be an expert for KBR in a lawsuit against it over civilian truck driver deaths and injuries.

Sanchez is being paid $650 an hour and has reviewed documents and written a report that support’s KBR’s contention it should not be held legally responsible for the deaths of six civilian truck drivers and the injuries of others in a 2004 ambush in Iraq. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, LOGCAP III - KBR, Sodium Dichromate @ Qarmat Ali. Tags: David Isenberg, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, KBR, LGEN Ricardo Sanchez. 2 Comments »

In desperation KBR attorneys attempted to “encourage” Army to reconsider

June 2, 2010 — Ms Sparky

So...just what kind a person does it take to be a KBR attorney?

On February 23, 2010 the law firm of McKenna Long & Aldridge sent a letter to the Army on behalf of their client KBR. The letter was entitled:

Re: Request for Reconsideration of Denial of Use of LGEN (Ret.) Ricardo S. Sanchez as Expert Witness

Apparently the Army’s recent decision to not allow LGEN (Ret.) Ricardo S. Sanchez to supply expert testimony on KBR’s behalf didn’t sit well.

I first blogged about LGEN Sanchez testimony in March but didn’t have the letter at that time. I have it now and am disturbed at the sheer level of arrogance of KBR’s attorneys.

I am not going reprint the entire three page letter in this post. If you want to read it in it’s entirety click HERE. I am going to highlight what I consider to be the most disturbing and desperate statements in the letter followed by my Ms Sparky (snarky) interpretation. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Fisher vs KBR, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, LOGCAP III - KBR, RIO-KBR, Rants. Tags: General Crear, Judge Gray Miller, LGEN Ricardo Sanchez, Lt. Col. James Gentry, McKenna Long & Aldrige, Secretary Pete Geren. 6 Comments »

Wheels of justice turning slowly in deadly KBR convoy case

March 25, 2010 — Forseti

Oops he lost his cap and lanyard

Judge permits convoy ambush trial, but delays it

By TOM FOWLER HOUSTON CHRONICLE – March 25, 2010
A federal judge ruled today that most of the lawsuits claiming Houston-based KBR should have stopped a deadly 2004 truck convoy in Iraq can move toward trial, but a May 24 trial date is off to allow KBR time to file an appeal.

The case centers on April 2004 attacks on a convoy of supply trucks KBR ran in Iraq, during which six civilian truck drivers were killed and 14 wounded.

The drivers caught in the ambush were delivering fuel under KBR’s multibillion-dollar contract to transport supplies, build bases, serve meals and provide other support services for American troops in the Middle East.

Plaintiffs in the Houston lawsuits — two injured workers and the family of one who was killed in the attack — allege that the company knew of the likelihood of the attacks in advance and had the authority to cancel the convoys.

U.S. District Judge Gray Miller previously dismissed the collection of lawsuits, saying the U.S. Army had control over KBR and thus KBR wasn’t responsible.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Donald Tolfree-KBR, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Lawsuits Against KBR. Tags: Good Friday Massacre, Judge Gray Miller, Kevin Smith-Idol, Kristen Martin, Toby Cole, Tommy Fibich. 1 Comment »

Judge rules against Army in favor of KBR and the retired General who has sold his soul for $650.00hr

March 4, 2010 — Ms Sparky

Ex-commander in Iraq to give deposition in KBR case

By MARY FLOOD – March 3, 2010, 11:03PM

Despite the Army’s efforts to block it, retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who once led U.S. forces in Iraq, is scheduled to be deposed today as an expert for KBR in a lawsuit over a deadly civilian truck convoy attack in Iraq.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson refused Wednesday to grant the Army’s request to prevent Sanchez from giving his expert opinions in the case.

Drivers and family members suing KBR contend the company should have stopped the convoys when it was warned that attacks would increase on April 9, 2004, the first anniversary of the day allies in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq reached Baghdad.

Sanchez, who at $650 an hour is already owed about $91,000 in expert fees, says KBR is not at fault for the six deaths and other injuries.

Sanchez wrote a report saying it was an Army communication error that led the attacked convoys to go down a road some in the military knew was supposed to be closed to civilian traffic. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Lawsuits Against KBR, Reports & Investigations. Tags: Daniel Hu, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, Judge Gray Miller, Judge Nancy Johnson, Lawsuits Against KBR, LGEN Ricardo Sanchez, Mark Lowes, Retired General's Club, Tommy Fibich. 33 Comments »

Judge allows trial of suits over KBR convoy deaths

February 8, 2010 — Forseti

By Tom Fowler – Houston Chronicle
Feb. 8, 2010

Lawsuits claiming Houston-based KBR should have stopped a 2004 truck convoy in Iraq before six civilian drivers were killed and others injured in an ambush can go to trial, a federal judge ruled today.

U.S. District Judge Gray Miller had previously dismissed the case, agreeing with KBR’s argument that it didn’t have the authority to keep the fuel convoys off the road and that a trial would be an improper challenge to military decision-making. KBR contracts with the military to provide logistical support.

But after an appeals court overturned his decision, Miller allowed the parties to gather more evidence, which turned up e-mails of KBR managers saying they thought they could stop the conveys and had done so in the past. (Read the rest of the story here…)