1115.org

Since everyone seems to be jumping on them with hob-nailed boots, and no one else is willing to come to their defense, it falls to me to point out that Halliburton/KBR are entirely blameless in the matter of female employees in Iraq being raped by male employees:

In a statement, KBR said it “in no way condones or tolerates any form of sexual harassment.”

There you go. They are so sensitive to issues of rape, they can’t even bring themselves to use the word. They do not condone that thing whose name they dare not speak. They do not tolerate that thing whose name they dare not speak. They only cover it up. (Which, you understand, is what any ethical corporation that is cognizant of its duty to its shareholders is compelled to do. The free market demands it.)

And when it comes to covering up the rape of female employees by male employees, they do that very efficiently. (As efficiently as they make money from the ongoing rape of Iraq.)

More than two years ago, Jamie Leigh Jones was “gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad” and then “held in (a) shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave”. We heard about it only this week.

And just yesterday we learned of a “second alleged assault, this time of a woman from Florida who reportedly worked for a KBR subsidiary in Ramadi, Iraq in 2005″. This one too was successfully covered up for more than two years. Details haven’t yet emerged, and maybe they never will.

Under Halliburton/KBR rules, female employees whose rape is not condoned or tolerated by Halliburton/KBR are not allowed to file a lawsuit to express their appreciation. Halliburton/KBR’s extreme modesty compels such employees to express their appreciation only through private arbitration, where there is “no public record nor transcript of the proceedings”. And where the parties concerned are bound by non-disclosure agreements.

Details of Jamie Leigh Jones’ rape emerged because she filed a lawsuit. Since she hasn’t yet been compelled to go through private arbitration, she is still free to talk about her case.

Not so in the case of the Ramadi rape victim. She first “sued KBR and Halliburton in civil court, but the judge ordered the case into private arbitration.” Now, “the woman’s lawyer said the rules of arbitration prohibit her from discussing the case or making her client available for an interview.” There is, however, some ongoing litigation in the matter—Halliburton/KBR declined to comment on the case, by taking the Bush’th: “as this matter is the subject of ongoing litigation.” So perhaps the details will still emerge, and Halliburton/KBR will have to shyly come out and accept their round of applause or standing ovation, as the case may be.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget that Halliburton/KBR didn’t keep these cases covered up for more than two years all on their own. No, sir. They really couldn’t have done it without the masterly assistance of Uncle Sam.

Although the State Department literally came riding to the rescue of Jamie Leigh Jones, and freed her from the shipping container where she was being held captive by Halliburton/KBR at gunpoint, Condi’s State Department obviously decided that the dictates of national security demanded that lips be sealed on the matter. And so Condi’s State Department did what it does best—sided with a contractor against its victims. Murder, rape … what’s the difference? The contractor is always right.