The government is not running Walter Reed's medical facilities.
It's run by private contractors -- although the key group, IAP Worldwide Services, is actually headed by two former execs with Halliburton's Kellogg, Brown and Root, and includes board members like former VP Dan Quayle.
There is far more informaton about a long battle to privatize Walter Reed and what the results of that have been here at Tom Paine. A sample of the report:
"But this time the privatization game may have backfired in the face of the Bush administration and its friends in the corporate world. It is one thing to screw workers—unfortunately, that’s now considered business as usual—but in the case of Walter Reed the ultimate victims are a much more revered group. The stark evidence that the Bush Administration, for all its rhetoric about supporting the troops, is much more interested in supporting the contractors, could be leading to a political earthquake."
IAP has nothing to do with the medical facilities. IAP is a base ops contractor and work for the Army's Installation management command. You would know that if you look at the Walter Reed Garrison homepage.
ReplyDeleteBase operations has been contracted out at most Army posts including Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for over 20 years. I bet that Senator McCaskil never said anything about it during her campaign.
Hey Joe,
ReplyDeleteHow much more evidence is necessary before more people discern that the "support the troops" mantra is a purposeful deception? These soldiers are cannon fodder for corporate profits and geopolitical gain. They have been deceived into fighting a war and others have been deceived into thinking that leaders of the political right are actually sincere in their assertions about war and the troops. People who tout so-called Christian values while beating the drums of war either can't discern good from evil or are actively being deceptive.
War is evil, pure and simple. The only humane way to "support the troops" is by ending all wars and establishing true and just solutions to human needs.
Here is Wisdom !!
hate to disagree, Anon - but even the Army noted the negative effects on all operations from the IAP takeover... from the Tom Paine article cited above: "Last September, Walter Reed Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi sent an internal memorandum to his superiors warning that substantial numbers of skilled workers were leaving because of the impending takeover by IAP. It is also possible that managers at Walter Reed were letting things slide, knowing that any problems would soon be dumped in the lap of a contractor"
ReplyDeleteI hope all of this reaches the light of day & begins the unraveling of Cheney's empire. Wouldn't it be a hoot if he lost his golden parachute-in-waiting.. & Halliburton kicked his ass to the curb?
ReplyDeleteOne can dream..