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Brain -> Halliburton, KBR drop appeal seeking to block lawsuit from rape lawsuit and The Legacy of Burn Pits (3/23/2010 2:27:59 PM)
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Thank you very much Senator Franken for your amendment against evil.
At the protest in DC everyone went around to their offices (KBR and Halliburton) around town with coffins.
Halliburton, KBR drop appeal seeking to block lawsuit from contractor who says she was raped
HOUSTON (AP) — Halliburton Co. and KBR Inc. have withdrawn an appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit by a former military contractor who says she was raped by KBR co-workers in Iraq.
KBR said in a statement Monday that it withdrew the appeal to not risk violating a recently passed federal provision it called "very broad and vague," that restricts the Defense Department from doing business with companies that prohibit employees from seeking redress for certain crimes through the courts.
"As a result, KBR did not want to risk being in violation of the amendment, so the company withdrew its petition," KBR said in a statement.
Diana Gabriel, a spokeswoman for Halliburton, also confirmed the appeal was withdrawn but declined to elaborate.
Jamie Leigh Jones, of Texas, sued the companies after she says she was raped while working for KBR in Baghdad in 2005. KBR and Halliburton split in 2007.
The companies argued that Jones' contract required claims against them be settled through arbitration.
But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans sided with Jones in September, saying her case could go to trial.
A trial date has been set for May 2011, Jones' attorney Todd Kelly said.
Now that the Supreme Court appeal has been withdrawn, "it looks like we're headed for trial," said Kelly, who is based in Houston.
The Associated Press usually doesn't name people alleging sexual assault, but Jones' identity has been broadcast in media reports and on her own Web site.
No one has been charged in Jones' case or in any other alleged sexual assaults on women who did civilian work in Iraq. At least three women have testified before Congress about being sexually assaulted or harassed while working as military contractors in Iraq.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-iraq-contractor-assault,0,517959.story
KBR « Defense Base Act Compensation Blog
The Legacy of Burn Pits
Leon Russell Keith, who worked for defense contractor, KBR as a paramedic at the Balad base in Iraq from March 2006 to July 2007, and at Basra from April 2008 until June 2009, told a Senate Democratic Policy Committee last November, there was nothing that KBR would not put in the burn pits.
“I have never heard of any KBR restrictions on what could be burned in the pit. The color of the smoke would change depending on what was burned. Sometimes the smoke was a yellowish color. But the worst was when the smoke would be a dark greenish color. On these days, the KBR medical clinic where I worked could expect an increased number of patients, all complaining of burning throats, eyes as well as painful breathing… In my estimation, at least 30 to 40 percent of the total patient traffic at the medical clinic was generated by the poor air quality.”
Today Keith has Parkinson’s disease and pulmonary problems and has been medically disqualified to return to Iraq. He also has no health insurance.
http://defensebaseactcomp.wordpress.com/category/kbr/
I can't believe that anyone liberal, conservative, independent or tea baggers could defend these companies on this rape issue. But low and behold 30 of the 40 Republican Senators did exactly that.
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)
And they have the nerve to claim that they are the moral majority.
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