Halliburton/KBR Rape Revelations

Posted by on . 5 comments.

When Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by fellow Halliburton/KBR workers, and then held at gunpoint by orders of Halliburton/KBR without food or water for 24 hours in a trailer, it was Rep. Ted Poe, you may recall, who personally intervened with the State Dept. to have her rescued from the trailer.

Suspecting a pattern of Halliburton/KBR turning a blind eye to rape of female employees by co-workers, Poe called on other victims to contact his office. In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, he revealed that three women came forward.

It’s a sickening story. Just as in Jamie Leigh Jones’ case, it wasn’t so much that Halliburton/KBR turned a blind eye. They protected the rapists, threatened and bullied the victims and covered up the rape.

One of the women was raped not by a co-worker, but a State Dept. employee. ABC News has the low-down:

The Department of Justice declined to prosecute a State Department employee who allegedly sexually assaulted a female Halliburton/KBR worker in Iraq, despite a recommendation from the State Department that he be charged, according to an internal document obtained by ABC News.

Ali Mokhtare, who is still employed by the State Department, was investigated in 2005 after a female Halliburton/KBR employee said he sexually assaulted her at the company-run camp in Basra, Iraq. Mokhtare was a diplomatic official in Basra who first came to Iraq as a Farsi translator interviewing detainees.

The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service investigated the allegations against Mokhtare and presented the case to the Justice Department for prosecution, but “the case was declined for prosecution” states the document.

Furthermore, investigators requested that the State Department suspend Mokhtare’s security clearance, but according to a handwritten note at the bottom of the document, that request was denied.

As a State Dept. employee, Ali Mokhtare does not fall through the same legal cracks as murderers employed by Blackwater or rapists employed by Halliburton/KBR. And yet the Justice Dept. decided that justice would best be served by refusing to prosecute him for rape. And this is after even Condi‘s State Dept. agreed that a prosecution was warranted.

(Tracy Barker, Mokhtare’s alleged victim) said that even the State Department agent assigned to her case, Lynn Falanga, advised her to sue the U.S. government when Mokhtare was let off the hook.

“She called me and my husband from her own home and said that the State Department was covering it up and that I needed to get an attorney and that they were going to let him continue assaulting people,” said Barker.

And here is Ted Poe’s report on the other two victims:

The 2 other women are also former KBR employees. They both report sexual assaults and sexual harassment by their coworkers in Iraq and neither woman has seen any federal law enforcement action. One of the women informed my office that she was molested several times and raped once by her KBR coworkers. When she reported the crime to her immediate supervisor, she was told that they would take care of it. She returned to work two days later and found her rapist working alongside of her. She panicked and called Army MPs, who escorted the rapist off of the base. However, she was subsequently fired.

Personally, I think Halliburton/KBR have been working in and for Saudi Arabia too long. Their corporate ethos has been infected by prolonged exposure to the Saudi cultural attitude towards rape. In Saudi Arabia, they sentence rape victims to 200 lashes and 6 months in jail. In George Bush’s Iraq, Dick Cheney’s Halliburton/KBR holds rape victims at gunpoint, threatens reprisals if they dare to seek help (even medical treatment), and fires them when they do.

When Saudi Arabia behaves like that, the world expresses widespread outrage. George Bush, too. And the Saudi king commutes the sentence.

When Halliburton/KBR behaves like that, George Bush’s State Dept. and/or George Bush’s Justice Dept. helps to cover it up. When the House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing, the Justice Dept. refuses to even show up.

Will there be any widespread outrage? Will George Bush stir himself to any kind of action?

Comments

  1. Tracy Barker says:
    January 8, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    The assualted victim state department is Tracy K Barker go to http://www.tracykbarker.com she was actually the first to come forward following Jamie Jones who Barlker introduced to her counsel

  2. Dennis Howland says:
    January 10, 2008 at 12:38 pm

    I am Tracy Barker’s father. I am actually Tracy Barker’s pissed off father. It makes me ill that first of all a major corporation such as Haliburton can continue to wash their hands clean from any responsibility for the safety of their imployees in Iraq. Particularly the female employees. They intice them with big money jobs and then leave them unprotected from their fellow workers, Embassy employees. Hell the enemy may have treated them better. At least you know the enemy is the enemy. It is bad enough that our sons and daughters have to fear the terrorists while serving Haliburton or in serving this great nation – now they have to fear their fellow workers, their supervisors, their employer and yes the U.S. State and Justice Departments. I personally call for the resignation of all top officials involved with the Haliburton contract, the termination of the contract and then continue with the heads of both those government agencies. A lot of publicity has been given to the Jamie Jones case and it is sad that such a situation happened. It is equally sad that a man serving as the Deputry Regional Coordinator for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Ali Mokhtare is allowed to assualt my daughter and hide behind the State Department. And see my daughters case handled with less priority. And sad that a father who served his country as a Marine veteran has to beg his country for justice for his daughter. If I had been in Iraq when this happened there would be no Ali Mokhtare to protect – not enough to sweep under the carpet. I want him to know that he should always look over his shoulder in shame and disgrace. Like a bad rash – this old Marine won’t go away easily. I can imagine his parents who are probably both camels wouldn’t even be proud of him. He is a disgrace to his ethnic background. And to think he slipped his way in to be an employee of this government. Fact is my daughter was ignored and treated worse and with less rights than the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay until she had the courage to stand up – showing more gonads than some representatives of her own country – and seek legal representation. Actually it was my daughter who convinced others including Jamie Jones to come forward and let their plight be known. Check the dates of the incidents – they show the timeline of irresponsible coverup and handling of these problems from start to now. And yet my daughter is willing to set back – let the cameras roll, allow others to take credit for this whistle blowing and be treated as an “oh by the way” victim. I am proud of my daughter and believe it is time to place emphasis on her injustice as well. Combining all these cases may not be the best way to go for prosecution or justice. Perhaps more mileage may be gained by separating them. Knowing my daughter’s situaltion more personnaly – I know I see a lot of her supporting information being used in some additional cases. Way to go my daughter – at least it has merit enough for others to want to borrow it. Strangely enough it is even difficult to find but a few congressional reps that have the backbone to call for and require an investigation into the assaults and an investigation into who at Haliburton and the State Department conspired to coverup all the attacks – those folks should likewise be brought to justice. To hold a judiciary committee and allow the Justice Department to refuse to attend is ludicrous and is not acceptable. Congress has the power to order it so damn it – order it! As far as Ali – what the helll is “declined to prosecute” anyway. BS – that’s what it is. Since when do the law abiding citizens of this nation get the short end of the stick and those in higher level positions get the opportunity to not be responsible. And we conservatives had the gall to chastice Bill Clinton’s activities. At least Monica may have been a willing participant. Wild Bill didn’t have to run and hide behind his Justice Dept., there was just no one with enough gonads to tell the story. Heads should roll somewhere over the attacks and subsequent treatment of all these women. The cover up. New meaning for Haligate or Ali-gate or Justigate or how about rapegate. If it were your daughter you would be screaming for someone’s head on a platter and I am screaming. Everyone – please contact your Senators and Congressman and demand a full accounting of the Haliburton cases. Even in Vietnam we were tasked with taking care of our civilians – and we did a pretty good job at it. Let’s not let the ladies down.

  3. tracy barker says:
    January 14, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    Tracy Barker did not write the comments above .

  4. Denise Howland says:
    January 15, 2008 at 6:13 am

    I am one angry older sister of 39 years of age of Tracy K Barker. Like my father which by the way I agree with whole heartedly I too am also fed up with having to sit by and watch others take credit for my sisters extremely hard work which by the way took Tracy alot of courage and fear to come forward.

    Hasn’t my sister been through enough! And then my sister having to sit back and remain quiet as she watches another case unfold and get more attention because of the different type of the attack upon another women. Tracy had spent over a year in Iraq. Tracy’s goal was to work hard with her husband to serve her country in the best way she could. Her husband had already been serving in the military for 23 years and Tracy could not join the military as well. So my sister sacraficed and went to Iraq, missing her three children at the time.

    My sister gets sexually assaulted, threatend, locked up like a prisoner, someone escorting her to the stall of the bathrooms and because Halliburton did not want Tracy contacting her husband or any one from our US they literally stood there and watched my sister use the bathroom and stated the reason for this is to prevent any communication.
    Tracy returns home to her family and decides to write Sen. Hillary Clinton telling her of this ordeal. Of course Hillary Clinton rejected Tracy by stating Clinton was way to busy as she states in her letter and Tracy was not a NY Resident. Thats BS. Hillary Clinton should have known what it was like to be humiliated in public when her husband had an affair with Monica.
    Now Sen Hillary Clinton backs up Jamie Jones calling for investigation. I ask Hillary Clinton why now, what about my sister in 2005? What about the other victims dont these other violated women be just as important, or is it because Gang Rape sounds better though we can all agree that that Rape is Rape, Sexual Assault is sexual assault. No matter how this is done NO ONE PERSON has the write to violate another.

    I am tired of being told dont speak about this and that Jamies whole entire case that covers a 4 day journey of hell according to Jamie Jones, I am sickened to the fact that because we, our family wants the truth to be told finally the whole truth regarding Tracy’s case, media attention, interviews, and evidence and witnesses we are all accussed of being Jealous and threatened.

    Since when did someones rights to seek Truth and Justice become a crime. Since when was someone allowed and given the green light to treat someone else in such a manner.

    These witnesses gave their statement to Tracy’s case because they witnessed certain acts in Iraq were there, and because they knew Tracy and her case. But my sister gets no credit. My sister is a victim just like Jamie Jones, the other 11 victims and all other victims in and out of the US. Not one person is speacial then the other, this is not compentition, Tracy is a married women with 5 children.

    Since when is it right to say okay to one person and not okay to another. My sister had given birth to twins prematurely. Her baby girl was fighting for her life in ICU after the birth as if my sister had anough to worry about but then accused of being jealous and treated horribly from people on her side.

    My sister never ever came through Jamie Jones foundation! My father is correct if you look at the time line my sister came forward first with much courage and strength.

    EAP employee Woodhams gave Tracy’s contact information to Jamie Jones when she returned. I ask the public why is this is harmful to be told> Its the truth you can view dates and documents on http://WWW.Halliburton watch.com

    My intention here is not to put Jamie Jones down, nor any othr vtims, Our family parents included are sick and tired of being told to keeo quiet. Like some sick conspiracy. Everyone has their hand in the cookie jar.

    Gang Rape does not sell like sexual assault someone once said thats BS. My father fought in the War just had his father (My Grandfather) did before him. Its bad enough to be a veteran and but treated in such a way that they no longer have a home to go too. My father was shot at, he was hit by shackel and carries that scar even today. My father walks with a limp due to being dhot st in Vietnam. As stated before my whole entire family are disgusted that my daughter comes home after being sexually assault, abandoned and coming home for good only to be abandoned from our country. When all of this happened I was embarrassed of how myc ountry handl.

    Now to attack my sister and allowing the State Department to close case without explaining why. My sister has evidence, sworn statements.

    I love my sister with all my heart. For Tracy’s full story and accounts that happened in truth to be told does not make her jealous as she has often been accussed of. My sister wants Truth and Justice and her day in court. My sister does not care about smiling on television and saying look at me. My sister wants a chance to tell Homland Security of the conditions she observed and was subjected to while in Iraq for over a year. If anyone would know it would be her to ask about how to make the security better. My sister wants to make sure that the media and internet stories are getting her ordeal correct, so many errors of reporting her case has been my family is disgusted. My sister is a serious women, she is truthful and has a wonderful heart to help all of the 11 victims that came after her in ’05. Its as if Tracy is being abused all over again when her attacker runs free, when her story is not told in full truth. Life is what we make it this is true. I pray that my sister, her husband and our family is able to see Tracy get Justice on everything she has had to put up with since that horrible night and fighting to get her place in line for justice and truth. The United States of America never said because of yor status you have immunity when attacking another human being. The Declaration of Independance did not state if you hold a certain status of employment in the State Department we will not prosecute if you sexually attack someone. The law is the law. I can assure that is Alil M. was not a state employee he would still be in jail today waiting for trial. Why is it our government is so double standard? Even the politicians! Sen Hillary Clinton rejects Tracy’s plea for help but yet helps another two years later.

    What is happening to our government and the people in it!

  5. sarabeth says:
    January 15, 2008 at 7:02 am

    Don’t mean to be rude, but this is neither the Tracy Barker Fan Club nor the Barker Family Blog.

    This post is now closed for comments.

    All future comments of this type by purported friends and family of Tracy Barker will be deleted on sight.

    (And, guys, comment spam is hardly the way to build sympathy for your cause.)