Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Undersupplied US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

Raw Story, with video.

You thought the lack of armor-plated Humvees was bad.

US soldiers are now being forced to steal water in Iraq. With supplies tight, and the number of trucks carrying potable water even tighter, troops have resorted to stealing water from civilian contractors. Many have also reportedly suffered from dysentery because they were forced to drink untreated water from Iraqi wells.

The shocking news aired Wednesday on Houston-based CBS affiliate KHOU. (G's note - go read.)

It gets worse. Soldiers say the situation has become so dire they were forced to raid the United States’ own airbase in Baghdad for bottled water. They found the water stored in pallets held by civilian contractors, who were supposed to be distributing it.

Soldiers averred that they’d been given two to three liters of water per day by their commanders. But according to the Army’s own field manual, the human body can lose as much as four gallons of water daily in the desert.

Two to three liters isn’t enough, Robey said. “You’ll see guys throw up, you’ll see them pass out.”

Who’s supposed to be maintaining the water supply? At least in some parts of Iraq, it’s the US engineering contractor KBR. KBR is a spinoff of Halliburton, which it separated from in 2007.

KBR again. Plenty of 180 volt water for the troops to shower in and be electrocuted by, but not enough water for them to drink. We keep paying them plenty for their malfeasance. Bastards.

Not only should everybody at KBR be in jail, in Iraq if there's any justice in this world, but so should everybody at the Pentagon who keeps giving them contracts.

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