My Friend's Son Killed in Iraq: By Contractors and U.S. Agency?

Last night, I was surprised and happy to find a photograph of my friend Cheryl Harris at the top of the New York Times' web site. She was hugging her young son, Ryan Maseth, an Army sergeant who was dressed in his uniform and cap. The were both smiling broadly. A few months later he was dead. The military told her this past January that he had foolishly carried an electrical appliance into a shower in Baghdad.

That was a lie.

It turned out the fault was an improperly grounded water pump. With a little help from me, she found out that at least 10 other military personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq in recent years. Now she is suing the contractor KBR, though there is evidence that the military and the Defense Contracting Management Agency are also to blame for being lax in its own inspections. The Times article carries word of early alerts about this, which were ignored.

Cheryl Harris is quoted by the Times today, asking, "My biggest question is really, why would KBR do a safety inspection, know about the electrical problems and not alert the troops?" The article, still on the paper's home page, is headlined, "GIs Electrocuted in Iraq Despite '04 Alert on Wiring."

Just after I reported on the Maseth electrocution for Editor & Publisher back in January -- no one else in the national media bothered to do so -- Cheryl, who lives in western Pennsylvania, contacted me wondering how she could find out how many others had met his fate. She was especially concerned because -- unmentioned in the Times story today -- she has another son in Iraq and yet another in the military serving elsewhere. I directed her to some sources and we have corresponded often ever since then, most recently today.

Of course, the Bush administration aptly catches plenty of blame in the Times article for outsourcing so much work in Iraq (directing billions to the KBRs of the world) and then not providing enough oversight.

Two months ago I wrote, "Rep. Henry Waxman and Pentagon chief Robert Gates are looking into reports that the 12 deaths, and probably more, were caused by shoddy wiring and construction where our troops are housed. It is not known how many of these cases involved KBR. Cheryl Harris's lawyer has obtained military documents indicated that KBR told the Defense Contracting Management Agency there were wiring problems in the building before Maseth's death, and nothing was done about them. The question is: Who is to blame? And what about all those other cases.

"Also, Harris was originally told by the military that her son had been electrocuted after he took a small electrical appliance into the shower area. She couldn't get answers herself and contacted a local member of Congress. Now documents show that Ryan was killed when an electrical water pump shorted out after he had stepped into the shower and turned on the water. An electrical current then passed through the water pipes to a metal shower hose in the shower."

Cheryl informed me then, "I'd like to have questions answered about who is accountable, and I'd like to know that this can't happen again to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan." Today she told me that she just did a CNN interview: So the story widens, at last.
*
Greg Mitchell's book So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Fails on Iraq includes several chapters on "nonhostile" deaths and suicides in Iraq. It features a preface by Bruce Springsteen. Mitchell can be reached at [e-mail].

Comments

[ForeignAffairs]

www.alternet.org/waroniraq/83035/ 12 Reasons Why Leaving Iraq is the Only Sane Thing to Do

Representative Lynne Woolsey has drafted an Iraq troop withdrawal bill called HR5507. www.govtrack.us It would withdraw all U.S. troops within one year, send in peacekeepers for two years, and cancel the outdated Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force. HR5507 would direct the Bush Administration to treat Iraq as a sovereign nation, instead of a U.S. colony that we presume to micromanage.

This month, Congress will vote on Iraq War appropriations. That debate will be our last chance to block Iraq war funding this year, so we have a window of opportunity to end the war now.

Please ask your representatives to block Iraq war funding. Urge them to ignore Presidential threats to furlough personnel if funding is withheld. Remind them that House leadership has the power to block funding bills from being introduced. www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2008/04/28/sheehan-files-to-oust-pelosi/ Remind them that Democrats were elected to end the war, not fund it. Remind them of this poll www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/04/28/MNCU10BATO.DTL which shows 88% opposed to funding the war in Iraq.

In the time it takes to read this, you can write your representatives via www.congress.org Please ask them to block war funding and pass HR5507.

Please ask Hillary and Obama to block war funding and endorse HR5507.

[ebanks84]

My heart aches for this mother who lost her child in this unforgiveable war. May God bless her and keep her son safe until they can be together again. He's in a much better place than this hell on earth. It makes me wonder what did I do in my last life to be condemned to this God forsaken world.

[bacaja]

ANY illusions about Iraq should
have been dispelled years ago.

[erykah]

My heart goes out to this mother and all other parents who have loss sons and daughters in this war as well as those who lose sleep at night because their children are inolved in the war. We need to bring our troos home.

[CalexenderJ]

The bottom line is that this administration has not done right by our troops. Despite the rhetoric of republicans being the party of the military, this administration's behavior towards the military has been shameless. Troops haven't had proper equipment, they are being burnt out from being called back for multiple rotations, they are dying from sheer negligence, and when the get back home as veterans they aren't recieving the benefits they were promised. Hopefully this fall, we can sweep the republicans out of power and elect a party that will treat out military with the respect and care that they deserve.

[WrongwayFeldman]

.....if only such a party existed!

[nunzia]

The Repugnicans are, as they have always been,
the party of the RICH. Period. That's all.
They have never been the party of the military.
Or, the party of sound economics. Or, the party of morality.
Or, the party of patriotism.
Of course, your average American still doesn't know that.

[Moshe]

Dear Mr. Mitchell:

This senseless and unnecessary lose of life is deeply saddening, but the attempt to cover up an act of negligent homicide through a lie and conspiracy is shocking and infuriating far beyond the acceptable.

It is time to take names and hold these rat bastards accountable.

When will we learn: If we keep letting these greedy bastards just take the money and get away with no consequences, they just keep doing the same thing over and over, and more people will die unnecessarily.

Please do all that you can do to see that justice is done in this case and that the truth comes out in full.

We cannot allow these greedy contractors to kill innocent people and then have people in our own government covering up their dirty deeds by trying to blame the victims.

As Justice Brandeis said: "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

If the American People actually knew what is being done in their names and with their money, we would finally see some real change and accountability.

That used to be the role of a free press, but we can't count on the current MSM to do anything contrary to the bottom line of their wealthy corporate sponsors.

So it's up to people like you to expose the truth.

[hip dibler]

how's having that beer w/ jackass sound now?

[northcan]

humeskeptic; They want the $30 instead of hope. The one's that buy into Hillary's gas tax credit don't look at hope at all and that is sad. So she thinks she has defined him. Truth is he outsmarted her. He is defining himself and will continue to do so. He doesn't have the personas' that Hillary has so less complicated, less scandalous years in the WH. Less bickering across the isles. Actually, the Kool - Aid of Obama's supporters is inspirational and hope, plus action, plus strength. Hillary's Kool-aid kills you one way or another, relying on an entire movement to move her. Funny how weak she really is, isn't it.

[LOL123]

First of all my condolences to her and the other parents who have dead children because of the Government deliberately putting them in harms way. It's bad enough that they are there policeing the area for contractors that in my opinion need to be footing the bill for their own security. Someone is makeing big bucks from these projects coming up in the area and our soliders to pay the price with the most precious and expensive value of all ....their lives. It angers me so much but all I can do is blog, try to inform people of real accounts of what is going on. I feel like everyone else who is of the same mindset ...my hands are tied.
Thanks for bringing this to the forefront at least you and some other responsible journalists are doing your job the best you can. Thanks.

[speakingtruth2power]

Good luck on suing KBR. If they loose, they will take it up the court system

all the way to SCOTUS if they have to & we all know how that will turn out!

The military has always lied to protect it's image but under BushCo, only

the most ethically flexible of the general staff remain. Jr officers who want

to advance know the score but we can only see the tip of the huge iceberg.

[MikeDu]

I had heard this story 3rd hand, its heartbreaking to be able to put a name and face to the incident now. Its especially awful that the Pentagon played CYA in announcing the death, like they've done so often before. Friendly fire incidents, suicides, accidents, civilian death... does the Pentagon EVER tell us the truth about these things the first time around?

[Ramus]

The answer to your question is no. This administration and the Pentagon most often speaks the exact opposite of the truth. So in order to interpret what they say, figure out what the exact opposite is and then you can translate their messages.

[northcan]

Why didn't the senate oversight committee look into the 10 young soldiers death? Why didn't the armed services committee Hillary serves on....look into this. I would think the media would do this, after all, some programs have the names of those killed in Iraq on their weekend shows, such as George Stephenopoulos's show Sunday Morning. This should be outrage. Instead they focus on stupid issues, like Jeremiah Wright, and all the other trash and burn politics. But U.S. has had a coverup of many things over the years, that have seen innocent people dying, but will not, for political reason's display this tragedy as headline news. I could tell you several. It all goes back to the power of the media, threats against the media and threats against whistleblowers..

Some post's are nervous, that someone mentions one of these 'issue's or tragedy's, but coming from their side...they also have a family and business to run. It really is a shame. Those at the bottom rung of the poverty level, do not feel empowere, so it goes on and on, eventually forgotten. Many countries share the same problem. Many countries have a human right's and constitution that are very strong. But politically, when your'e at the top the power to harm you for snitchin' is overwhelming for most.

Barack Obama I have a gut feeling, that his Presidency is going to be much cleaner WH, eroding the strength of the 'ulmighty powerful politician's' in OUR HOUSE.

[new logic]

Billary and McCain are establishment candidates.....the
American proletariat are consumers, cogs. .......we are tolerated as long as we are useful in achieving the desired end of those in power. .......we are not looked upon as intelligent or worthy enough to elect our president, ....this country is in the early phase of fascism. I believe Obama can slow this steady march, but the people MUST open their eyes and realize what is happening to our country. remember IKE's goodbye address upon leaving office, his warning about the military industrial complex

[bronceye]

It's a sad and deplorable way to die. However, since other people died bfore him, it is still a noble death. The surge is working, as is the power surge.

[MuskyGuy]

Before the 2000 elections my brother-in-law (former Army helicopter pilot) told my wife that he always votes republican because "they care of soldiers"...8 years later, 4000+ dead, families to sending body armor to loved ones, inadiquate armor on HumVees, disgraceful conditions at Walter Reed, Fort Bragg, soldiers electicuted (then lying about it), Pat Tillman, Jessica Lynch...and don't forget the "You go to war with the army you have—not the army you want"... ARGH...I'm so pissed...throw these pigs out NOW!!!

[situationcritical]

You left off the part about how your brother-in-law still votes republican because it's not about who really cares for whom, but all about lockstepping.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"Just after I reported on the Maseth electrocution for Editor & Publisher back in January -- no one else in the national media bothered to do so"

No big suprise. MSM must concentrate on more pressing news...such as who married the Obama's and baptised their children...ANYTHING that will keep Obama from closing the gap between "the haves" and "the have nots". MSM simply MUST protect the hands that feed them.

OBAMA '08!
HOPE & CHANGE!

Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta