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NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 09:36 AM

Congressional testimony about a contractor in Iraq had Filipino men kidnapped and sent to Iraq against their will to work as slaves to build US Embassy. All under supervision of the US State Department.

YouTube - Hearing on US Embassy in Iraq: Mayberry's Opening

How will they spin this??

NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 09:47 AM

You know what's REALLY sad? This was put out to the public LAST YEAR!! It's just NOW getting attention it deserves.
Links, one from Oct 2006, and May 2007:
CorpWatch : U.S. Embassy in Baghdad built by trafficked workers in squalid working conditions
http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php...aghdad_Embassy

GV70 · Jul 27, 2007, 09:48 AM

It is not my surprise. And it is not the first similar case.

tomder55 · Jul 27, 2007, 10:25 AM

I thought you all said that we should not impose our values on them . Slavery is very much still a part of their culture evidently . Should the US turn a blind eye towards it ? No .
Should we cast the same eye on the Chinese who stock our big box stores and for that matter most of the rest of the stores with the cheap merchandise we purchase ? Yes... but we don't .

NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 10:28 AM

Ah, I was wondering how you were going to spin that. "The chinese do it so it's ok for us."
Thanks.

tomder55 · Jul 27, 2007, 10:31 AM

I did not say it was OK . Read my response again . I said clearly it is not to be condoned.

The fact is that it is a Kuwaiti contractor and I am not sure that slavery is not a common practice there .

Lowtax4eva · Jul 27, 2007, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Ah, I was wondering how you were going to spin that. "The chinese do it so it's ok for us."
Thanks.

Actually his point was that goods we (the US and Canada too) buy from China are often made using slave labor but apparently that's OK and no one cares since we can buy items we want for less and it's not really talked about. But somehow because it's an office of the US government being built, now everyone cares.

I never knew about this though, reading online it's apparently widely done by middle eastern companies. They hire low skilled workers and take their passports once they arrive at the job site so they can't decide to leave if the work conditions are bad.

NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by tomder55

The fact is that it is a Kuwaiti contractor and I am not sure that slavery is not a common practice there .

Nice try. This was supervised by US State Department. AND take a look at their clients!!

First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting - Major Clients Halliburton, US Military. The clients are JUST as responsible!!

NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lowtax4eva

ABut somehow because it's an office of the US government being built, now everyone cares.

You mean the $592 Million U.S. Embassy In Iraq right?

speechlesstx · Jul 27, 2007, 11:01 AM

Good grief, is that still the best the Bush critics can come up with is hearsay over what a Kuwaiti contractor may have done? Mayberry doesn't know, he said "I believe these men were kidnapped." If they were it was wrong, if they were mistreated it was wrong.

Republican, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III said the hearing "was based on unproven facts in media reports." "It is oversight by firing squad," he said.

Perhaps the most accurate explanation for the left's behavior the past 4 years.

NeedKarma · Jul 27, 2007, 11:05 AM

You guys are funny in a way and sad in a whole other way. I'll leave the politics boards for you and your little Bush apologist friends.

speechlesstx · Jul 27, 2007, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

You guys are funny in a way and sad in a whole other way. I'll leave the politics boards for you and your little Bush apologist friends.

At least we're not just sad...

Lowtax4eva · Jul 27, 2007, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

You mean the $592 Million U.S. Embassy In Iraq right?

Well yeah, but I was also referring to the $24.1 Billion Canada buys in goods from China and the $260 Billion the US buys from China if you want to talk cash ammounts, and that's every year. Of course the actual percentage of that being produced by slave labor is almost impossible to find information about, but even at 1%...

speechlesstx · Jul 27, 2007, 01:54 PM

Does anyone find it ironic that NOW the Dems welcome KBR with open arms? Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Predicted, "the sweet-talking about KBR is going to last exactly one hearing."

tomder55 · Jul 29, 2007, 05:28 AM

Steve ;actually no I don't think it ironic at all. They were the contractor of choice throughout the Clintonoid reign. In fact ;almost all no-bid contracts went to them through their parent company Halliburton.

ETWolverine · Jul 30, 2007, 06:21 AM

Do we have any proof that any of this "kidnaping for slavery" in Iraq actually took place? Or is this one person's allegation? I don't know because I cannot see the video due to firewall issues.

speechlesstx · Jul 30, 2007, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by tomder55

Steve ;actually no I don't think it ironic at all. They were the contractor of choice throughout the Clintonoid reign. In fact ;almost all no-bid contracts went to them through their parent company Halliburton.

You're absolutely right, hypocritical would probably be more appropriate.