KBR: Gold Spurs and Sexual Assault

Think Progress shares another in the long line of shameful and scandalous stories about contractor KBR and the actions of some of their employees in Iraq:

Yesterday, two former employees of embattled contract company KBR told a congressional panel that some of their coworkers frequently stole money and artwork from Iraq. One said that “some of her American colleagues doing construction work in Iraqi palaces and municipal buildings took woodcarvings, tapestries and crystal ‘and even melted down gold to make spurs for cowboy boots.’” Another said that “a KBR foreman tried to take military equipment, including two rocket launchers, detonators and ammunition. Two weeks ago, the firm was awarded a $150 million, 10-year contract for work with the U.S. Army.”

KBR is immune to prosecution under Iraqi law and none of the reported incidents of sexual assault leveled by female KBR employees against their male co-workers have been prosecuted by the Justice Department.

This is what you can expect more of with a John McCain victory in November. Four more years of a Justice Department that has turned their backs on Justice and that is irredeemably in the tank for a Republican executive branch and four more years of companies who steal from Iraq and condone sexual crimes by their employees getting paid by our tax dollars.