Next Version Of Telecom Immunity Will Be For Halliburton

Citing "the Bush administration's failure to take aggressive action to enforce and punish wartime fraud," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on Friday introduced legislation to crack down on the massive fraud and theft by some defense contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan and allow the government to criminally prosecute guilty parties even after the war is over.

S. 2892, the Wartime Enforcement of Fraud Act of 2008, would close a loophole in the 66-year-old Wartime Suspension of Limitations Act, that allowed the government to investigate and prosecute contracting fraud up to three years after the end of a war, but that does not apply to the current Bush-McCain war in Iraq because it was never formally declared.

"In times of war, we often do not learn about serious fraud until years after the fact," said Leahy. "What we do know is that tens of billions of dollars are unaccounted for, and potentially lost to fraud. The problem is not new, and Congress has the opportunity now to address it, starting with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The Wartime Enforcement of Fraud Act would clarify that the term "war" includes Congressional authorizations for the use of military force, such as the ill-advised blank check given to George W. Bush in 2002 and would extend the statute of limitations for such criminal offenses from three to five years after the end of a war.

"This country recently marked the 5-year anniversary of the war in Iraq -- a war that the Bush administration refuses to end," said Leahy in introducing his bill on Friday. "The losses in this war have been staggering. More than 4,000 American soldiers have been killed and nearly 30,000 wounded. Hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars has been spent to fight this war, money which could have been -- and should have been -- used to help American needs here at home. Estimates for the cost of the President's adventure in Iraq are now into the trillions."

"Through it all, the Bush administration has chosen essentially to ignore one of its primary obligations during wartime -- to protect American taxpayers from losses due to fraud, waste, and abuse of military contracts."

Leahy also spoke of the sheer number of hearings he has chaired on war profiteering since the war began and how all of that testimony fell on deaf ears with Bush and Congressional Republicans.

"The testimony at those hearings has exposed the Bush administration's failure to take aggressive action to enforce and punish wartime fraud," said Leahy, adding that "These problems have been exacerbated time and time again by the Bush administration, as tens of billions of dollars in no-bid' and cost-plus contracts have been awarded with little, if any, oversight or accountability."

All of this begs an obvious question: With Bush so rabidly trying to get telecommunications companies off the hook for participating in his illegal domestic spying program, how long before he similarly begins blocking any attempt to hold his buddies in companies like Halliburton accountable for ripping off Americans and cheating our troops?

We know the party that fancies themselves the guardians of fiscal responsibility, doesn't actually give a damn about driving the next generation hopelessly into debt for a useless war, but is there any doubt that the support-the-troops types in the GOP will try to protect the same people who supplied our combat troops with faulty ammunition, unsafe bulletproof vests and unsanitary drinking water?

Republicans will always play the 9/11 card as they have with all attempts to hold companies responsible for aiding in Team Bush's domestic spying program, saying that Democrats hurt -- you guessed it -- national security by simply asking that big telecommunications companies obey the law.

Said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) earlier this month: "It's time for us to get serious and protect the companies that protect us."

It's only a matter of time before Congressional Republicans and their master in the White House apply that rationale to companies supplying American troops with bulletproof vests that do everything but, well, stop bullets.

Leahy's bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

You can read more from Bob at The Agonist.

Comments

[LivingStardust]

Interesting what Profiles say is posted and what is actually posted.

[ajax2]

The nightmare scenario would be for GW, Pelosi and Reid to come to some ungodly agreement just after the general election for a blanket pardon. It's not unthinkable because if there is a new super majority, Reid and Pelosi, as Bush enablers, know their days are numbered.

[jcorrington]

Congress cant even get Miers and whatshisname to the hill to testify! Certainly something this big will never get off the ground. Sad Sad day in America.




del8300
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[LivingStardust]

Nothing W can do will protect Halliburton from We the People. Nothing the SCOTUS can do, either. Halliburton will not be saved. And the day W tries to declare martial law, the war will go to their door step.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

I hate to break the news to you, Bob, but all american contractors in Iraq already have immunity from prosecution. In addition, you cannot pass legislation to retroactively prosecute a violator. It would be immediately struck down by SCOTUS.

[MadVillianous]

They have immunity from prosecution by the Iraqi government for crimes committed in that country. Fraud and theft of American tax payer money does not fall in that category.

[LivingStardust]

No, but a law can be ruled unconstitutional on its face and be nullified ab initio.

[Independent_voter]

You ain't seen nothin' yet.

On his last day in office Bush will write an executive order granting immunity to war crime prosecution to himself and his sleazebags.

[Titonwan]

A lot of people are like my labrador. They run fetch if you fake a throw, and will do it, over and over. To think that Bill and Hillary Clinton are democrats is insane! Bill Clinton saw the elitist wealthy lifestyles of the Republican's, and quietly changed allegiance. The Democratic Party was taken over during Bill's years and They helped to get Dubya elected. The Clinton's are Neoconservatives! And the Fat Cats figured out how to get another one in POWER. Call one of their own a Democrat!! It doesn't get anymore Rovian than that. This will be the biggest coup of the century, if they fool enough people to vote for Hillary/McCain/Neocon. It's a plan so ingenious, nobody will figure it out for sometime. FIGHT!

[duffman209]

I just emailed all three of my congressional reps to support the bill. I feel better for it.

[dadw5boys]

BLACK WATER IS ALSO IN PARAGUAY TRAINING MILITIAS TO TAKE ON CHAVEZ AND BOLIVIA AND STOP THEM FROM TAKING CONTROL OF THE OIL AND GAS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.

[HearNoWeasel]

I wonder each time I see the line about what we could have done with all that war money here at home - such as the Democrats' ads about what you can buy for a trillion dollars. Since much of it comes from debt, that portion of it was never available to be spent - not on the war, not on Democrats' fantasies. All the candidates should have at least enough honesty to say that any tax cuts are completely out of the question. The best we can do is cap our losses by getting out of Iraq as fast as possible and, more immediately, stop wasting money on those military bases. And for crying out loud, don't shovel even more money at the M-I complex by building the European missile shields! Then maybe we - and our kids and grandkids - can get down to working our butts off trying to dig ourselves out of this hole.

Or, we can always de-value the dollar more. That way, if we just start reporting our foreign debt in Euros it'll be a much smaller number. And we can still sell our ports and businesses to the Saudis and Chinese...

[Merg]

I fear their are just too many members of congress that take money from the Halliburtons, KBR's etc for this to get off the ground. On the other hand, if the Media (and we know it won't be GE-NBC) decides to really let the American People know these dirty secrets and with the average citizen feeling the true pinch of a stressed economy, They might just really start asking questions about it and wanting to know ...'What did GWB & Co do with all my money'

[patriotscholar]

War profiteering is already a crime. But there is no Department of Justice now to enforce it.

[CatfishJohn]

many have cogently argued that corporate war profiteering - of course along with the self-evident oil hegemony- was the reason for the war itse;f..the data is already in and has been knwon for some time regarding halliburtons criminality- e.g. Halliburton willfully serving troops int he field toxic, parasite infested river water unfiltered at 63 of their 67 "water purification " sites...but with the warm season upon us, the dems in congress will be dining on lawn party quiches and fine chardoannays, while impeachment remains off their table's board of faire...tyou see--the spineless congressional dems are too busy doing their best impression of eunuchs and the corporate media is aghast in unrgently informing us of the vital national news that that poor sandra bullock was in a fender bender!

[duffman209]

LOL, spineless dems, eunuchs....priceless. I hear you. I am a democrat and cannot stand how little they've been able to accomplish with both houses in two years. Feinstein is part of the judiciary commitee and my senator so i emailed her a letter asking her to support the bill. I have no idea what to expect. Someone care to enlighten?

[dadw5boys]

TOO MANY REPUBLICANS STILL IN CONGRESS TO GET IMPEACHMENT OR DESCENT LAWS PASSED SO THE DEMS HAVE TO WAIT TILL AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.

[fourex]

Why will Pelosi and Reid allow it? The usual BS?

[indypete]

Hmm... you're asking if the fox will punish himself for raiding the henhouse?