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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (18755)	5/25/2005 3:30:02 PM
From: geode00	Respond to of 361303

LOL. You'd think they'd learn from history but they're well-connected knuckleheads. Republicans: absolutely, incontrovertibly incompetent in all matters pertaining to warfare EXCEPT getting the DLC Dems and other idiot Republicans to vote for funding. ========http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Custer_Battles The company's founders are Scott Custer, a former Army Ranger and defense consultant, and former CIA officer Michael Battles, who ran for Congress in Rhode Island in 2002 and was defeated in the Republican primary. Battles is a Fox News Channel commentator. [1] (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002058470_contract09.html) Custer Battles was a newly formed company with no experience in the security industry when it landed one of the first contracts issued in Iraq in the spring of 2003 to secure the airport. The no-bid contract was worth $16 million when it was awarded in the chaos after the fall of Saddam Hussein. [2] (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002058470_contract09.html) On July 1, 2003, the company announced that it would "bring its security training expertise to the State of Maine." [3] (http://www.custerbattles.com/press/news_070103.htm) On April 9, 2004, BBC News reported that a Custer Battles employee and former British soldier, Michael Bloss, "was killed while guarding electrical workers near the town of Hit, west of Baghdad." [4] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3614697.stm) A litany of complaints against Custer Battles can be found in the Forum section of ALI Capital Partners.[5] (http://www.alicp.com/) Custer Battles is currently banned from further Department of Defense contracting.[6] (http://www.taf.org) A qui tam lawsuit has been filed against it by several parties seeking recovery, on behalf of the US, of allegedly fraudulent claims by Custer Battles. A copy of the complaint can be downloaded from here. (http://www.taf.org/custerbattles.pdf) [edit] Allegations of Unrestrained Force "These aren't insurgents that we're brutalizing," says Craun. "It was local civilians on their way to work. It's wrong." Capt. Bill Craun is one of four former Custer Battles employees in an NBC report (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6947745/) that allege civilian contractors used such unrestrained force in Iraq, they had to quit soon after because of disgust. "What we saw, I know the American population wouldn't stand for," Craun said referring to subcontracted local youth shooting the place up. [edit] Whistleblowing on Massive Billing Fraud * CorpWatch has details. * Democracy Now! has a segment with interview on 1 March 2005. [edit] Contact Information Custer Battles 8201 Greensboro Drive Suite 214 McLean, VA 22102 Email: info AT custerbattles.com Web: custerbattles.com