Via Richard Bennett, this really bad idea:
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…
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.
Maybe they can hire Ken Blackwell, Katherine Harris, Ken Lay, Paul Wolfowitz, and Ahmad Chalabi to oversee the construction, thus making sure that Henry Waxman’s head explodes on the floor of the house.
Geek, Esq.
It’s hard to imagine buying worse publicity for $30 Million.
Obviously no conspiracy, but idiotic in terms of P.R.
Jeff
Serious question here, but is there anybody that posts here in a related field who can say if Halliburton/Kellog Brown & Root services is the best company to do this stuff?
My point is, I voted for Bush and even I don’t necessarily have confidence that this administration won’t fuck up certain decisions, but what if Halliburton (or one of their subsidiaries) is the best company for the job? Are they supposed to give it to the second or third best company just avoid the appearance of impropriety?
Like I said, it’s just a question because I don’t know if they are or aren’t the best company to do it.
cfw
It looks like a crazy location. I thought they only went to Cuba in the first place to try to bootstrap the case for denying trials. USSCT said who cares if you are in Cuba. So why go back to Cuba now??
Halliburton seems qualified for the work, but why invest more in Cuba as opposed to, say, Arizona desert?
Pug
Jeff,
I have spent over 25 years working in the oil & gas industry, including refining, exploration & production and oil services. Halliburton is generally well though of and I’m sure they are qualified for this work.
That being said, I doubt they are the best qualified company to build a damn prison. Have they ever built a prison before? I don’t know.
I think I might check to see who built Pelican Bay or New Folsom in California. Those boys know how to build a Big House.
Pug
Jeff,
I’ve worked in the oil & gas business for over 25 years, including exploration & production, refining and oil services companies. Halliburton is generally well thought of and I assume they are qualified for this work.
That being said, are they the best qualified to build a prison? I doubt it.
I think I’d check with the builders of Pelican Bay or New Folsom in California. Those boys know how to build a Big House.
Hell, the inmates built Old Folsom and San Quentin themselves. Now there’s an idea.
Pug
So soryy. I know that wasn’t worth reading twice.
Jon H
“could be worth up to $500 million if all options are exercised,”
The cynical side of me wonders if those “options” are Halliburton stock options with low strike prices granted to the relevant government officials.
(No, of course that isn’t what was meant, but such an arrangement is entirely plausible.)
The Lonewacko Blog
Why didn’t they just choose Wackenhut? See Black helicopters on the Rez if you aren’t familiar with them.
Kimmitt
I wonder who they’re planning on putting in there?
CalDevil
Doesn’t it seem obvious to just about everyone by now that the experiment of Halliburton owning KBR no longer makes sense?
I thought they’d have seen the light and spun them off by now.
With the demand for oil and gas exploration and drilling, you can’t say that Halliburton’s core business is suffering.
I know that the business (oil & gas) is cyclical and that in the long run, KBR’s consistent performance can smooth out earnings bumps, but is this really worth it?
Barry
John, you’re missing Titan Corp (sp?) which was contracted to provide ‘translaters’ for Abu Ghraib and other similar sites.