Halliburton's KBR to do Katrina cleanup

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 11:06 AM on September 3, 2005.

For its ineptitude and dishonest business practices, Halliburton's contracts ought to have been cancelled not extended, as they were in 2004. And although it falls under a contract already in place, it's nonetheless disturbing that administration cronies will profit from this catastrophe in any way -- direct or indirect. On your dime no less.

From Halliburton Watch:

"he US Navy asked Halliburton to repair naval facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the Houston Chronicle reported today. The work was assigned to Halliburton's KBR subsidiary under the Navy's $500 million CONCAP contract awarded to KBR in 2001 and renewed in 2004. The repairs will take place in Louisiana and Mississippi."

Here's the kicker:

"In March, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is tasked with responding to hurricane disasters, became a lobbyist for KBR. Joe Allbaugh was director of FEMA during the first two years of the Bush administration."

Allbaugh also happens to be a former Bush campaign manager and chief of staff. (Halliburton Watch)

Evan Derkacz is a New York-based writer and contributor to AlterNet.