I don’t mean just the playing of rap music, either. Look at this new project from Halliburton, the company Cheney has absolutely no financial ties to but promotes for purposes of pure evil (thanks to commenter Human for alerting me):
Reuters | June 17 2005
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Halliburton Co. unit will build a new $30 million detention facility and security fence at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States is holding about 520 foreign terrorism suspects, the Defense Department announced on Thursday.
The announcement comes the same week that Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended the jail after U.S. lawmakers said it had created an image problem for the United States.
Critics have decried the indefinite detention of Guantanamo detainees, whom the United States has denied rights accorded under the Geneva Conventions to prisoners of war. The prison was called “the gulag of our times” in a recent Amnesty International report.
An air-conditioned two-story prison, known as Detention Camp #6, will be built at Guantanamo to house 220 men. It will include exercise areas, medical and dental spaces as well as a security control room, the contract announcement said.
The contract announcement did not specify whether the new prison would also hold foreign terror suspects.
Under the deal with the Norfolk, Virginia-based U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, the work is to be wrapped up by July 2006. It is part of a larger contract that could be worth up to $500 million if all options are exercised, the Defense Department said.
The project is to be carried out by Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root Services of Arlington, Virginia. It includes site work, heating ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical work, the Pentagon said.
The first prisoners arrived at the prison camp in January 2002 after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
The Pentagon has said about 520 detainees from more than 40 countries are being held at the prison, without giving a precise figure.
Rumsfeld said on Tuesday U.S. taxpayers had spend more than $100 million on construction costs and no other facility could replace it.
Did you see that, people? It will be AIR-CONDITIONED! That will only allow for more Nazi torture tatics like Senator Dick Durbin described. It’s time we put a stop to this evil and demand that all prisoners be held in buildings with no AC. Someone start a petition!
Ahhhh Halliburton air conditioning. Pure evil coolness. I wonder how many wild animals they killed to make it work.
Well, if it’s good enough for our servicemembers…wait, that’s better than what we had. First we slept four to a barracks room, then when the new barracks were built, we slept two to a room with a bathroom shared with two others… Dang, it must be great to be a prisoner of the US. Screw this. Let’s put Sheriff Joe in charge.
And remind me again why it’s a good idea to let prisoners exercise.
Next, the prisoners will be forced to lay near the ocean, in just their shorts with nothing but a towel to keep the sand off them, while being forced to ingest unholy concoctions called ‘cervesas’ or ‘pina coladas’ being served by women in skimpy bikinis.
…just like the nazis did.
When will the torture end????
Aren’t any of you outraged that Halliburton is very specifically benefitting from this war? Gosh, I wish I’d donated so much money to the Bush campaign! Seriously!
Oasis,
You’re just upset because they out-bid you for the contract.
Well of course.
I say close club Geitmo…yessssssss…close it! Let’s not torture these terrorist. Just charge them with crimes against humanity………….no forget about charging them, put them in the general population of our prison system. I’d like to see them handle that! see how long they last there.
Aren’t any of you outraged that Halliburton is very specifically benefitting from this war?
Uh. Nope. Not outraged at all.
In fact, I kinda like it. Not the war, per se. But the fact that our military is able to fight it, and that companies like Halliburton are able and willing to provide the services to our military to enable them to fight this war as cheaply as possible.
And yeah, this war is the right thing to do. Fighting it now–especially the fight ongoing in Iraq now [Yeah Joe Foo. Come home safe!]–means that we won’t have to fight a bigger war later. I cannot imagine the whining we’d be hearing if, had we not gone into Iraq, and allowed Saddam to develop and pass on his WMDs to the Islamofacists (as he was certain to do), we were hit again by a WMD. The questions we have today about what are we going to do about North Korea’s nukes pale in comparison to what to do about an Islamofacist with a nuke. Kim may be a nut-case who hates America and has a couple of nukes, but Osama is a nut-case on a Jihad who hates America and would love some of that nuke action. In this case, the best defense is very much a good offense.
Sorry to trample on the usual IMAO funny, but I think this had to be said (again).
But other companies aren’t benefitting like Halliburton, which has very specific ties. They’re not doing it “as cheaply as possible”, and it’s very naive to think so.
Also, Saddam was a dictator. Whether they’re on your side or not, it is stupid to sell WMDs to people who are known to be highly emotional and unstable. Plus, his WMD program has yet to be found.
We were hit with PLANES. I know that it’s a very hard time to feel safe and some of us want to feel secure again, but it’s not going to happen. If we get attacked again, it’s not going to be with something efficient and sexy and technologically advanced, it’s going to be a dirty bomb, an easy-to-produce bacteria like cryptosporidium or salonella, or another plane.
Bin Laden’s not gonna buy a nucler bomb. And if he ever does, it won’t come from Iraq, nor would it ever. Don’t forget that he and Saddam HATED each other, and that they are from completely different sects of Islam. I know it’s easy to lump them together, but they’re oil and water.
“Bin Laden’s not gonna buy a nucler bomb. And if he ever does, it won’t come from Iraq, nor would it ever. Don’t forget that he and Saddam HATED each other, and that they are from completely different sects of Islam. I know it’s easy to lump them together, but they’re oil and water.”
Unlike Stalin and Churchill, who would have had each other’s babies if they could.
Nope, there are no examples in all of history of people who hate each other cooperating to confront a mutual enemy.
Ah, the start of a new conspiracy theory. The terrorists were captured so Halliburton could make obscene profits building a prison to house them! I can hear the keys clicking over at Kos right now.
Where’s Sheriff Joe when we need him? Oh yeah, he’s here in Arizona housing our prisoners outside in tents (it’s about 107 degrees here today), dressing them in pink underwear and feeding them green balogna! ….Why he’s worse than Hitler now that I think about it!
Where’s Dick Durbin and Amnesty International?!?!
You mean we cant get any bids to dissappear em so we gotta build more gulags?
FrankJ, Your Welcome. As for Dick Cheney not having financial ties, it was of course a lie when he said it, however his last paycheck was last year. This of course does not include the bundled millions in campaign contributions for last years Presidential selection. With millions to be made the self licking ice cream cone known as the Mighty MIC adds another scoop.
Aubrey- The War was started on false pretenses so Billions could be made(among other reasons). The Intell. and facts were fixed around policy. Or have you not heard. Oh yeah, Rush forgot to tell you.
Yes Human this is what happens when democraticly elected officials get to spend your money. Glad Haliberton is the only one doing this LOL. Less govt. is the answer not the war.
Like Kerry I was against the war before I voted for the war in 2004.
But other companies aren’t benefitting like Halliburton, which has very specific ties….
You’re right. The ties Halliburton has to the government go way back to the Clinton administration when they provided much the same services in Kosovo as they’re providing now in Iraq. The fact here is that some companies choose to specialize in providing services to the military. Other companies are welcome to compete for these contracts. That you see a conspiracy here does not mean it exists. And no. That does not make me naive.
Also, Saddam was a dictator. Whether they’re on your side or not, it is stupid to sell WMDs to people who are known to be highly emotional and unstable. Plus, his WMD program has yet to be found.
So which is it? Did Saddam have the WMDs (which we sold him), or did he not? I don’t think anyone would repeat the sale of WMD material if we could do it over again, but that’s all water under the bridge. The point of going into Iraq was to prevent–to preempt–a Kim Jong Il in the Mid-East, and to begin the work of democracy to bring a stability to the region that they’ve never had.
We were hit with PLANES…. If we get attacked again, it’s not going to be with something efficient and sexy and technologically advanced, it’s going to be a dirty bomb, an easy-to-produce bacteria like cryptosporidium or salonella [sic], or another plane.
Boy. I sure hope you’re sharing this crystal-ball vision with the appropriate authorities. Where were you on Sept. 10th? And yeah–I do remember the planes and how painfully simple it was to take them over. For the record, I am a captain at a major national airline, and am well acquainted with airline security.
Bin Laden’s not gonna buy a nucler [sic] bomb. And if he ever does, it won’t come from Iraq, nor would it ever. Don’t forget that he and Saddam HATED each other, and that they are from completely different sects of Islam. I know it’s easy to lump them together, but they’re oil and water.
The anonymous post at 4:47pm pretty much slays your point here. I’ll just leave it at that.
No A/C AND heat the buildings with burning Korans.
Durbin has now demanded that we supply all terrorists with backpack nukes and provide transportation to NYC. One way tickets will suffice.
Human where were you during the Clinton presidency? I would have loved to hear you spout conspiracty theories about what was going on then. Course you probably didn’t have any….
JMK–real liberals hate Clinton more than Bush. Don’t f***ing stereotype us.
azlibertarian–just because I argue what Saddam would’ve done had he had WMDs and then go on further to say he didn’t doesn’t mean I’ve obfuscated my argument in any way. I simply stated that he wouldn’t have done what some claim if he had them, which he didn’t. How hard is it to follow?
Sure, there are alliances where people collaborate to destroy a common enemy, but this was not that case. Fundamentalists like bin Laden see religious opponents (like Saddam) to be in the same category as ideological opponents. Saddam might’ve loved to have a radical terrorist on his side, but bin Laden would never have been it.
Did you miss my point? I argued that terrorists are not gonna use bombs. Your sarcasm about my “crystal clarity” of the events doesn’t mean that I’m wrong, it means that you’re capable of mocking my point of view. Why don’t you explain to me why I’m wrong by thinking that poor angry Arabs aren’t gonna use highly sophisticated methods to attack us?
Wake up, you fools! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!
Oasis,
You said:
“But other companies aren’t benefitting like Halliburton…”
Um, Lockheed Martin doesn’t benefit?
You said:
“Whether they’re on your side or not, it is stupid to sell WMDs to people who are known to be highly emotional and unstable. Plus, his WMD program has yet to be found.”
First off, what difference would it make to him whether Al Queida (sp?) was stable or not? The fact that they would love to use it against his ememy (the U.S.), would have been enough for him. Second, what do you mean WMDs have not been found yet? I guess you don’t consider enough Sarin Gas to kill thousands of people a WMD?
You said:
“Don’t forget that he and Saddam HATED each other, and that they are from completely different sects of Islam.”
Different sects of Islam? It is my understanding that Sadaam was a secularist, not an Islamist. As to them hating each other, how do you explain the evidence found early after the Iraq war showing a connection between Al Quieda and him, as well as the terrorist training camps he had?
Just wondering…..
He wouldn’t have sold to al-Qaeda because they were opposed to his regime. I cannnot believe that some people still believe the INCREDIBLY thin line that almost comes close to connecting Saddam to Bin Laden. Also, as far as I’m aware, sarin gas isn’t classified as a WMD, although it has been used for terror before.
Saddam was part of the ruling political party in Iraq, which was religiously tied to one sect of Islam, one that’s unique to Iraq. Bin Laden is from a different sect, and is completely opposed to Saddam’s.
I thought the training camps were found in Afghanistan, not Iraq. Source?
Does any one really know what this war is about, and if you do please post it on here so that we can see… thank you
Does any one really know what this war is about, and if you do please post it on here so that we can see… thank you
-A letter I posted to that moron Durbin… I’ll follow up with any respone he may have…
Mr. Durbin,
I am ashamed you are an American. I’m ashamed you allege serve my country.
I do serve my country as an Active Duty Sailor.
I would like to thank you for giving my enemy all the publicity and sound bites he requires to stir up anti-American hatred in extremist Islamic circles.
You are all that is wrong with the political stance this country has to defending itself. The “world body” always has and will hate us. Except when they need defending, grants or subsidies.
Try actually cracking a history book or better yet talking to a Holocaust survivor and learn what truly happened in WW II Germany and in the real Soviet Gulags.
Those atrocities and what happened in my country on September 11th will live forever in memory and history books. You, thankfully, will eventually fade into the past and surely be forgotten… and not too soon as far as I’m concerned.
Sincerely,
Kenneth H. J
…I simply stated that [Saddam] wouldn’t have done what some claim if he had them, which he didn’t. How hard is it to follow?
What you’re stating here is a theory based on conjecture. Yours is not more valid than anyone else’s.
Sure, there are alliances where people collaborate to destroy a common enemy, but this was not that case. Fundamentalists like bin Laden see religious opponents (like Saddam) to be in the same category as ideological opponents. Saddam might’ve loved to have a radical terrorist on his side, but bin Laden would never have been it.
Again, more conjecture.
Did you miss my point? I argued that terrorists are not gonna use bombs. Your sarcasm about my “crystal clarity” of the events doesn’t mean that I’m wrong, it means that you’re capable of mocking my point of view. Why don’t you explain to me why I’m wrong by thinking that poor angry Arabs aren’t gonna use highly sophisticated methods to attack us?
Yeah, I did miss your point. Some “poor angry” Pakistani’s (who aren’t Arabs–but that’s beside the point) developed a nuclear weapon without us knowing about it. And yet you claim that Saddam wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. Tell you what, champ. Do a little google search on “Osirak”. Then tell me again what a “poor angry Arab” can’t do.
Your point might be valid if it is to say that we have to defend ourselves against low-tech as well as high-tech threats. Yet you dismiss the high-tech based on your ideas of what Saddam might or might not do. You’ll color me less than impressed with your analysis.