Pentagon Inspector General Refuses To Probe KBR Rape Case
Pentagon Inspector General Refuses To Probe KBR Rape Case
Last month, after ABC News reported that former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones had been gang-raped by her co-workers while working in Baghdad, multiple lawmakers — including Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) — pressed the Bush administration to reveal the state of the case and to explain how an earlier investigation “had not resulted in any prosecution.”
The Bush administration has been anything but cooperative. Both the State and Justice departments refused to give Poe “answers on the status” of the investigation. The DoJ “refused to send a representative” to a Congressional hearing last month, and the State, Defense and Justice departments all missed Nelson’s deadline for answering questions.
Now, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense has written to Nelson and other lawmakers, saying that his agency will not investigate the allegations:
In letters to lawmakers, DoD Inspector General Claude Kicklighter said that because the Justice Department still considers the investigation into Jones’ case open, there is no need for him to look into the matter.
“[T]he U.S. Justice Department has issued a statement that they are investigating the allegations,” wrote Kicklighter’s office to Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who had requested he look into the matter. “No further investigation by this agency into the allegations made by [Jones] is warranted.”
Though Kicklighter is refusing to investigate Jones’ allegations, he did say he would explore ‘whether and why’ a U.S. Army doctor handed to KBR security officials the results” of Jones’ “rape kit,” which then disappeared. Nelson’s office told ABC that the senator is “not satisfied” with Kicklighter’s letter.
Nelson is right to be disappointed, especially since Jones’ assault may not be “an isolated case.”
Former Halliburton/KBR employees have described an atmosphere of “rampant sexual harassment.” Poe has also confirmed that his office has heard from multiple other women who were victims of sexual assault while working for KBR in Iraq.
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IMPEACH CHENEY FRIST!
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January 8th, 2008 at 12:20 pmOf course.
Did anyone expect anything else from the Busheviks…?
January 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pm.
Hell,
America’s been raped and what has Congress done but turn a blind eye to the whole issue, save a select few. But really, with an abjectly immoral Congress, does this KBR rape surprise anyone?
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January 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pmI guess if I keep my checkbook open, I don’t have to actually pay my bills.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pmMy question is simple: Why are we not marching in the streets over this? An American is attacked by OTHER AMERICANS ON OUR PAYROLL and nothing is going to be done about it?
Bush has pushed this once proud country to the depths of embarassment.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:26 pmThings are seriously f_cked up in this country.
Apparently it’s open-season on women outside this country — so I’m guessing if a woman manages to kill a couple of her attackers, she won’t be prosecuted. It’s the only defense she’ll have.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pmI’d like to hear what all the presidential candidates opinions on this are. Doubt any media outlet will have the brass ones to ask.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pmWhy should bush/cheney change now? They’ve stonewalled every inquiry and all congress does is “get very upset” and threaten to hold headings. With just a year to go, why not keep spinning the crap as they have done for the past seven?
January 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pmSee, if this gang of thugs had been impeached, further obstruction of justice would not now be occurring! We’re getting what we ask for – Pelosi takes impeachment off the table and things are bound to get worse, much worse.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:37 pmLaws, we don’t need no stinking laws.
Some how, GW666’s administration reminds me of the Bandidos in that old Clint Eastwood movie.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
January 8th, 2008 at 12:38 pm“They’ve stonewalled every inquiry and all congress does is “get very upset†and threaten to hold headings.”
Comment by SWBob — January 8, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
And write letters. And wring their hands.
Oh well, the next Democratic administration that gets in the White House will have a nice road map, all laid out, on how to do, well, whatever the hell they want to. And get away with it.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:38 pmVeritas:
Oh yeah, Bush/Cheney have lots of ways they can continue to screw the pooch until they leave office. Unchecked and unfettered.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:40 pmSexual misconduct only counts if it’s done by a Democrat….That’s what it sounds like they are saying to me at least.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:41 pmBush administration & (most) Republican response: “They knew the job was dangerous when they took it”…
January 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pmExporting Democracy across the globe the W way!
Who are the evil doers now?
January 8th, 2008 at 12:43 pmThis administration is a disgrace to the country. Their interests are not the American people, but for each other. Why should this be ignored, dismissed or just plain buried. This should become a campaign issue. Bush should be shamed into investigating this by his own party.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:46 pm.
Comment by Frosty Cupcake — January 8, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
This is why we should be laying this at the feet of our own Congress people. If they aren’t acting against it, to stop it, then they are tacitly accepting it.
I know it seems harsh, but the truth never is easy:
I write this to members of Congress, daily. My Rep finally signed H.Res. 333.
Just what is Congress supporting and defending IF NOT OUR RIGHTS?
Each evasion and obfuscation, each attempt to justify issues that act against deeply sacred and American values such as Habeas Corpus, the Right to redress and Due process, WARRANTS, council, etc, is an act AGAINST AMERICA AND EACH AMERICAN.
T R E A S O N!
The terrorists didn’t suspend Habeas Corpus, nor did the president or V.P….
… CONGRESS DID!
The terrorists didn’t refuse council, redress and due process…
… CONGRESS DID!
The terrorists haven’t been briefed about WARRANTLESS WIRE TAPS OF AMEIRCANS or TORTURE…
… CONGRESS HAS!
T R E A S O N!
If Congress refuses to fix the problems they “LET HAPPEN” then they also accept the responsibility for letting those problems happen, ON.THEIR.WATCH.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:46 pmThis administration and it’s appointees just keep giving Americans more and more ammunition to oust them in 2008 so that we can begin to set things right.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm.
Comment by judyinnm — January 8, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
I have bit one retort:
“So, that makes it acceptable?”
Most people say no yet defend the incompetence anyway.
I usually retort, one last time, “If that makes it acceptable, how do you defend duplicity, a character tell?”
They usually get pissed at me because people hate to reflect on their own principles. They tend to NOT guard their principles well, agreeing to compromise them out of appeasement. But what is .5 of 1? and the .5 of that and so on… How is that getting closer to the base of 1? It isn’t, yet most people fail that test.
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE.
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January 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pmI have a question — one I honestly don’t know the answer to. If an American civilian commits a crime in Iraq against another American civilian working with the same contractor, under whose jurisdiction does this fall? American law? Iraqi law? The UCMJ? Or are they beholden only to the terms of the contract under which they serve?
If this happened in the United States, the victim could go to the police. They would be obligated to follow up her accusation with an investigation into the matter, and if a viable suspect was found, an arrest would be made.
It appears that there’s no police to help the victim in this situation. The “law” here, apparently, is Halliburton/KBR — hardly a neutral party. Is it asking too much that our contracted companies adhere to at least the same standards while working abroad as working here at home? A victim of a crime should ALWAYS have some recourse.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:54 pmCan these women file lawsuits against KBR/Helliburton in a US Court? It seems to me that the company has an obligation to provide a safe work environment for their employees (I know its a war zone, but you know what I mean…).
January 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pmComment by missmolly — January 8, 2008
Supposedly all KBR employees signed an agreement to go to arbitration on any dispute they have with KBR. I cannot, for the life of me, see how anyone could call Rape a “dispute”. Rape is a crime and should be prosecuted.
Congress needs to jump on this bandwagon and ride it home. It is a win-win situation for them since none of the Democrats in Congress were briefed on this. Not even the Republiscums can justify not prosecuting this as a crime. They will yell about “innocent until proven guilty”, but if there is no investigation, then how can we know if they are innocent or guilty?
January 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pmSo now the Pentagon is helping cover up rape by private contractors. Moral clarity indeed.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:05 pmAh, the Bush crime family investigating the Bush crime family. Do you think that they will find any Bush crime in their investigation of the Bush crime family?
January 8th, 2008 at 1:12 pmThe settlement could cut into Dick Cheney’s deferred compensation.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:14 pmYup, looks, acts, and smells like a cover-up by the Administration. Something smells rotten in Denmark for the Pentagon IG to refuse the KBR rape probe. Dick’s fingerprints and bank acoounts are all over this probe.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pmthis story needs more exposure… shame the Bushies into action…
January 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pmbtw, what is the rationale for not revealing the status of an investigation like this? “national security,” no doubt… yeah, right…
January 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pmI wonder if gang rape is in the KBR mission statement.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pmComment by Pete Bogs — January 8, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Usually it’s executive priveledge – just like the Pat Tillman murder and subsequent cover-up.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pmRepublicans are actually on the wrong side of GANG RAPE! LOL!
January 8th, 2008 at 1:41 pmJust when you think they can’t get any worse. Holy crap.
MissMolly, I have a tangential question.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:46 pmHow would the Pentagon have jurisdiction?
KBR/Hallliburton employees are under the authority of the state dept, aren’t they?
Then why would the Pentagon IG have interest/jurisdiction? Except to do the right thing, which, of course, we know wouldn’t happen under this regime…
RUCerious,
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
January 8th, 2008 at 1:50 pmI bet if KBR employees were banging Terry Schiavo’s unconscious body you’d give a sh!t…
January 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pmNow we know that DoD is doing nothing and the DoJ is stonewalling–the question is does anyone in Congress have the gumption to play hardball or will they all be accessories after the fact?!
January 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pmBushies don’t hold women in high esteem. Women only hold a minority rank in their point of view. Might you say be used.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pmNo questions asked. No whistleblowers allowed. Gang rape? Silence. Everyone shut your mouth. Remember it didn’t happen.
Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
Ah — you’re right. That part of my brain which held the fact that KBR and other contractors were there at the pleasure of the State Department and not the DoD was obviously out to lunch. Therefore, the UCMJ would be completely irrelevant.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:00 pmSupposedly all KBR employees signed an agreement to go to arbitration on any dispute they have with KBR. I cannot, for the life of me, see how anyone could call Rape a “disputeâ€. Rape is a crime and should be prosecuted.
Comment by bilbobaggins — January 8, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Kind of makes you wonder how much more awful the situation would be if it was murder instead of rape. The victim wouldn’t be able to go to arbritration, so I imagine no crime would have been committed — officially.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:02 pmRUCerious,
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Comment by lefty — January 8, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Absolutely. These were civilian employees, under the jurisdiction of the State Department.
In no way am I condining the actions of the KBR employees, company, or trying to find a cop out for them.
If this administration had one ounce of integrity they’d be doing everything they could to investigate, charge, and bring the perps to justice.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:05 pmIt is evident that they aren’t.
But that doesn’t mean the Pentagon should be investigating this, does it?
There’s only one other issue I hadn’t taken into consideration.
Did it happen on a military post? If so, then that might open the door for a Pentagon investigation.
A lot depends upon whether KBR was employed by the military or State Dept. The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000 gives the US jurisdiction over felonies committed by contractors or their employees while employed by or accompanying the military overseas. It was amended in 2005 to extend coverage to contractors and their employees or any other administrative/provisional authority supporting the military mission. Additionally, the Defense Appropriations Act of 2007 extended UCMJ jurisdiction over contractors accompanying or deployed with the military.
The attack took place in the Green Zone. Even if employed by the State Department, I believe that one could find that participating in the defense of the Green Zone would be a military mission just as the defense of any embassy or consulate has traditionally fallen to the military.
The real issue here is one of willingness to assume responsibility. The Republicans are just following their usual instincts. One, shift money to the contractors by giving the jobs that should be done by the military (one reason is because of the discipline necessary in a war zone and the need to exempt personnel from local criminal jurisdiction that may not come close to what we expect in the United States); second, exempt the contractors and their employees from local jurisdiction; and third, wash their hands of responsibility for people. Just as they said of our soldiers, AT LEAST THEY ARE NOT DRAFTEES, they will say of civilian contractors THEY SIGNED UP FOR THIS OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:13 pmJMOHR, thanks for that clarification. I knew I was missing something.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:18 pmComment by RUCerious
The party of moral clarity needs 150 words to explain why this girl gets no justice. THAT is my point.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pmlefty ~ got it.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pmMax-1 – I didn’t say it was acceptable.
But to the the right wingers, yes that does make it acceptable. Kinda like the fact that we have an all volunteer military somehow diminishes the tragedy of their death or injury.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pmA troll free thread? Can it be?
January 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pmThis is one more reason why going to war should be avoided at all costs. Because crap like this just goes with the territory. War is hell, that’s why we shouldn’t do it. No I don’t think it was worth it.
January 8th, 2008 at 3:34 pmThe excuse given by the Pentagon IG is also BS. If he has jurisdiction, it doesn’t matter a flop whether another agency is investigating.
January 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pmIf they want to know more about the how, why, who, when and where, all they have to do is investigate.
They are interested in how the Army doctor handed off the rape kit, so why not keep going?
Hey, when you’ve led an attack on your own country.
January 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pmWhen you’ve subsequently lied your country into war.
When you’ve killed thousands of innocent people from your own country
and hundreds of thousands of innocent people in the country that you’ve
illegally invaded.
What’s a little rape . . right ?
This is unacceptable. It is outrageous.
January 8th, 2008 at 6:45 pmThis is beyond Tailhook, where demotions occurred – this is criminal. Our own people attacked one of our own, and it is going to be allowed to slip away. We hired KBR and yet no one is responsible.
This would be like the character of Jack Nicholson winning in the legal battle with Cruise and Moore.
I bet if Bill Clinton was banging(raping) Juanita Broderick, you wouldn’t give a shi*… Wait, he already did that, and nobody on the left gave a shi*….
Patriot my ass!
Comment by Southern Man — January 8, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Huh, case thrown out for lack of evidence, no witnesses, a Repig operative, yeah, that’s a good one to keep afloat, sm, like one of your turds. maybe you should eat it.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pmI guess “crime” doesn’t mean much when there’s no one who will enforce the law. Maybe it’s up to us…
January 9th, 2008 at 4:31 pmStart at the Top Impeach Cheney….Pelosi…and the rest of them….talk about selling out of America…R any of these morons running for President going to do anything what they say…NO…..WAKE UP PEOPLE
January 21st, 2008 at 9:43 am