Posted on 12/14/2007 8:38:20 AM PST by BradtotheBone
KBR has sent an e-mail to employees disputing allegations by a former worker from the Conroe area who said the military contractor tried to cover up her alleged rape while in Iraq two years ago.
In the e-mail with the subject line titled "Recent media coverage," KBR President and Chairman Bill Utt said the company has disputed allegations by Jamie Leigh Jones.
"While the allegations raised by Ms. Jones are serious, after a review of the case KBR noted inaccuracies in the accounts of the incident in question, and disputes portions of Ms. Jones' version of the facts," Utt wrote in an e-mail obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne confirmed that the e-mail is authentic.
Jones, 22, who now lives in California, filed a federal lawsuit in May. The lawsuit states she was locked in a room for more than 24 hours after she was drugged then gang-raped while she worked in Camp Hope in Baghdad in 2005.
The Chronicle reported in June that federal authorities did not prosecute the alleged suspects. Jones and a Florida woman said they were raped in separate 2005 incidents at their living quarters in Iraq.
Jones has since come forward to announce the creation of a foundation to help other former contractors who have been raped while working for U.S. companies abroad.
Utt stated in his letter that KBR disputed Jones' allegations in a letter sent to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The Chronicle has also reported that the EEOC's Houston office found KBR's investigation into Jones' allegations were "inadequate and did not effect an adequate remedy."
KBR told EEOC officials that one of the men accused in the rape said the woman "consented to have sex with him."
"It is true that KBR expressed their position in detail to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission," said Todd Kelly, Jones' Houston attorney. "I would love for the entire country to read that explanation of events with the same critical eye that they have viewed Jamie Jones."
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble and Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich, have asked the Justice Department U.S. Department of Justice whether it has jurisdiction to prosecute Jones' alleged attackers under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act.
New York's Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has also called for an investigation.
Florida democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees on Thursday demanded that the Justice Department provide a full accounting of the government's handling of a rape allegation by a Florida woman.
“and disputes portions of Ms. Jones’ version of the facts,””
Which version of facts? That she was raped? That she was locked in a shipping container? That she was drugged? Are they admitting to some of these things but suggesting it is more benign? I guess time will tell.
Victim: Gang-Rape Cover-Up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR
I don’t know about these allegations, but KBR provides the most consistent and tasty chow I’ve ever had as a member of the military.
I don't know what the deal is with this case, I have been following it somewhat and will be interested to know what actually happened. I have some questions about all the different stories that have been told. I hope justice is done which ever way that falls.
I had an incident once where folks that worked for me were falsely accused of things by a female that worked for me. Luckily, the truth came out quickly in an indisputable manner. Not saying thats the case here, but its a real bad situation either way.
To be fair Gulf Catering and the other DFAC outfits are KBR subsidiaries. KBR truckers bring up some of the food but again it’s mostly 3rd-party, 3rd-world contactors who do most of the work.
When I got to Kandahar, Afghanistan KBR was operating the DFAC’s. By the time I left it was a European contract, Supreme, and it was bad. KBR ran very good DFAC’s.
Hmmmmm! We all know she called for the same investigations against Bill...
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