Seven U.S. Contractors Missing in Iraq (Halliburton Contractors)

Washington Post ^ | 4/12/04 | Reuters

[NYC Republican]

Seven civilian contractors working for a subsidiary of Halliburton are missing in Iraq after an ambush on a convoy last week, the Texas-based firm and the U.S. military said on Monday.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, told Pentagon reporters in video conference from Baghdad the contractors were working for Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of the U.S. oil services firm run until 2000 by Vice President Dick Cheney.

The contractors vanished after an attack on a U.S. convoy in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers also disappeared in the incident.

A Reuters photographer saw the aftermath of an attack on a convoy carrying fuel in Abu Ghraib on Friday. He saw at least nine dead bodies, many badly burned.

One of those missing, an American man being held hostage, is believed to have been taken captive after the same attack. Thomas Hamill, whose pictures have been aired on various television networks, was reported as saying he was the only survivor of the ambush.

[NYC Republican]

Let's all hope that things turn out OK here...

I can see the libs now... Halliburton employees? They're corrupt. They're Cheney's partners in crime... who cares... they're there to steal the oil... they reap what they sow... etc etc etc...

[Pukin Dog]

Can we at some point recognize that these are the same persons from the last 3 days, and NOT some new hijackings? This story keeps getting posted as though there are new kidnappings when there are not. The media can try this, but we should be smarter.

[Maria S]

I heard this morning (for the first time!) that at least 30 Halliburton employees have died so far in Iraq.

[Steven W.]

why is it that the media always refers to "Halliburton" unless they're employees taken hostage or killed in which case they become "US Employees" or "Americans" ... the closet they even come then is "employees of Kellog, Brown & Root" like that's not Halliburton.

[Libertarian Jim]

I bet those you-know-whats at the Democratic Underground are celebrating.

[ex-snook]

When Perot's employees were captured, he broke them out.

[Killborn]

Yeah. What happened to all the "love" and "peace"? Libs are full of it.

May God keep these brave men safe from harm. May the terrorists recieve their just punishment at the hands of our troops.

[Jaded]

Ha. Root-n-Scoot was building military facilites way before Nam.

I know someone who had signed up to go work over there. He ended up not going because of the dangers. This is just more pandering by the media.

[Allegra]

told Pentagon reporters in video conference from Baghdad the contractors were working for Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of the U.S. oil services firm run until 2000 by Vice President Dick Cheney.

Good grief...they never fail to get that in there...even in a story as sad as this one is.

As if Cheney has anything at all to do with this...why do they feel compelled to mention him? Every time??

OK...rant is over.

[Allegra]

On the other hand, now it's easier to justify the salaries paid to the company's employees. High risk, high reward. LBJ (a Democrat) helped build KBR into a global force, when he first helped arrange contracts for them to build dams in Texas. Later during the Vietnam conflict KBR again benefited from LBJ. So the Democrats should be more aware of the stones they throw re KBR.

KBR was also awarded rebuild contracts in the Balkans after that war...

During the Klintoon Administration.

[optik_b]

Bechtel is involved in one of the worst examples of cost overruns in the country, Boston's Big Dig project. In partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff, Bechtel was hired to build a harbor tunnel and highway beneath Boston streets for $2.5 billion, but the price escalated to $15 billion.

[optik_b]

I conversed with an anti-war person This was his take on the Halliburton casualties:

"one word - evil. They lived off death and miseries"

[optik_b]

There is a lot of hate out there. Some people are consumed by hate. Fortunately not all those on the left are so filled with hatred that they would wish death upon American contractors. It is just an extreme and small hate consumed group that is so filled with hate they are pulling for deaths because they somehow think it hurts Bush politically.

[Cold Heat]

KBR was also awarded rebuild contracts in the Balkans after that war...

How about going back to Roosevelt!

My mother worked for Brown and Root on the rebuild of Okinawa.

They were a prime contractor all over the place.

[CurlyDave]

When Perot's employees were captured, he broke them out.

There is a book about it "On Wings of Eagles".

I was very impressed with Perot. He hired the toughest ex-GI he could find, gave him adequate funding, and then left him alone to do the job.

Carter couldn't get the people from the embassy out, but Perot stood by his people and was a whole lot smarter.

[ex-snook]

"Carter couldn't get the people from the embassy out, but Perot stood by his people and was a whole lot smarter. "

Righto. Let's see what Cheney and the Halliburton company will do.

[dighton]

I can see the libs now... Halliburton employees? They're corrupt. They're Cheney's partners in crime... who cares... they're there to steal the oil... they reap what they sow... etc etc etc...

The loathsome Michael Moore is doing just that. Quote:

First, can we stop the Orwellian language and start using the proper names for things? Those are not “contractors” in Iraq. They are not there to fix a roof or to pour concrete in a driveway. They are MERCENARIES and SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE. They are there for the money, and the money is very good if you live long enough to spend it.

Halliburton is not a "company" doing business in Iraq. It is a WAR PROFITEER, bilking millions from the pockets of average Americans. In past wars they would have been arrested -- or worse.

[kcvl]

Osama bin Laden agrees with Michael Moore according to his "message" that he put out over the weekend about Halliburton. Moore and his crowd could care less that they are in complete agreement with a terrorist killer of Americans. That is pathetic!