The Fourth Branch of Government

[Guest guest]

....Halliburton!

 

How to rebuild a country before destroying it. bush has the answers!

 

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http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9118897/

 

Associated Press

 

Aug. 29, 2005

 

Halliburton deal whistleblower demoted

 

Army Corps of Engineers official disclosed no-bid Iraq contract

 

WASHINGTON - A high-ranking Army Corps of Engineers official who publicly

criticized the Pentagon's decision to award Halliburton Co. a no-bid contract

for work in Iraq has been demoted, officials said Monday.

 

Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, who had been the Corps of Engineers' top procurement

official since 1997, was removed, effective Saturday, for what Corps of

Engineers officials called a poor job performance. Her lawyer, however, said her

removal constitutes " blatant discrimination " and violates an earlier agreement

with the Army to suspend her demotion until " a sufficient record " pertaining to

her complaints is complete.

 

" The failure to abide by prior commitments and the circumstances surrounding Ms.

Greenhouse's removal are the hallmark of illegal retaliation, " her attorney,

Michael D. Kohn, wrote in the letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

 

" Her removal will send a message to all concerned that if they dare stand up to

corrupting influences within the Army contracting world their careers will be

destroyed, " he added.

 

Removed from the highest rank

 

Greenhouse was reassigned to a lesser job in the Corps of Engineers and removed

from the Senior Executive Service, the top rank of civilian government

employees.

 

Rumsfeld's chief spokesman, Lawrence Di Rita, referred questions about the

Greenhouse matter to the Army.

 

Carol Sanders, a spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers, said that as a matter

of policy she could not comment on a personnel matter. She confirmed, however,

that Greenhouse no longer holds the title of principal assistant responsible for

contracting, which is the chief overseer of Corps of Engineer contracts. She

also said that the Department of the Army is responsible for actions involving

members of the Senior Executive Service.

 

Kris Kolesnik, executive director of the National Whistleblower Center, which is

advising Greenhouse on contacts with members of Congress and the news media,

said in an interview that Kohn was informed by the Pentagon's Inspector

General's office that it is still preparing a report based on Greenhouse's

allegations.

 

Greenhouse went public last year with her criticism of Iraq-related work awarded

to Halliburton by the Corps of Engineers. Her main objection was the issuance to

Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root of a no-bid, five-year contract to

restore Iraqi oil fields shortly before the Iraq war began in 2003.

 

 

 

" When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, we will have

peace. "

Jimi Hendrix