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An auditing board sponsored by the United Nations recommended Friday that the United States repay as much as $208 million to the Iraqi government for contracting work in 2003 and 2004 assigned to Kellogg, Brown & Root, the Halliburton Co. subsidiary. The work was paid for with Iraqi oil proceeds, but the board says it was either carried out at inflated prices or done poorly. The board did not give examples of poor work. Some of the work involved postwar fuel imports carried out by KBR that previous audits have criticized as grossly overpriced. But this is the first time that an international auditing group has suggested that the United States repay some of that money to Iraq. The U.N. group, the International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the Development Fund for Iraq, compiled reports from an array of Pentagon, U.S. government and private auditors to carry out its analysis. A spokeswoman for Halliburton, Cathy Mann, said the questions raised in the military audits, carried out in the Pentagon's Defense Contract Auditing Agency, had largely focused on issues of paperwork and documentation and alleged nothing about the quality of the work done by KBR. The monitoring board relied heavily on the Pentagon audits in drawing its conclusions. Mann said, in an e-mail response to questions, that it would be completely wrong to say or imply that any of these costs that were incurred at the client's direction for its benefit are 'overcharges.' The monitoring board, created by the United Nations specifically to oversee the Development Fund -- which includes Iraqi oil revenues and some money seized from Saddam Hussein's government -- said that because the audits were continuing, it was too early to say how much of the $208 million should ultimately be paid back. The KBR contracts that have drawn fresh scrutiny also cover services other than fuel deliveries, like building and repairing oil pipelines and installing emergency power generators in Iraq. The documents released Friday by the monitoring board do not detail problems with specific tasks in those broad categories but instead summarize a series of newly disclosed audits that call into question $208,491,382 of the company's work in Iraq. The monitoring board's authority extends only to making recommendations on any reimbursement. It would be up to the U.S. government to decide whether to make the payments, and who should make them. Vice President Dick Cheney's former role as chief executive of Halliburton has led to repeated charges, uniformly dismissed by Cheney and the company, that it received preferential treatment in receiving Iraq-related contracts. The Bush administration repeatedly gave Halliburton special treatment and allowed the company to gouge both U.S. taxpayers and the Iraqi people, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, the senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, said in a statement on the new audits. In Iraq on Friday, insurgent attacks -- including one in which the attackers disguised themselves as women -- left at least 16 Iraqis dead. Al Qaeda in Iraq, the leading insurgency group, said in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site that two Moroccan Embassy employees had been condemned to death, the Associated Press reported. There was no indication Friday that they had been killed. The U.S. military said Friday that two more soldiers had died the previous day, one in a noncombat incident and one when his convoy struck an explosive. In the day's deadliest assault, insurgents dressed in women's clothing attacked a police checkpoint in Buhruz, 35 miles north of Baghdad, killing at least six Iraqi police and injuring at least 10 others, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. The gunmen were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, and pulled up in five cars, an Interior Ministry official said. The policemen managed to kill at least two of the gunmen, he added I'll give him my respect for serving but not my vote...no one owes him that. nm 4 Don't owe anyone an apology ...BTW nobody has apologized for calling me a liar....not that I expected it....grow some skin. No apology necessary...nm Apology...sm I wouldnt suggest anyone hold their breath waiting on any apology from Bush. Bush really does believe that it is *unacceptable to think* anything differently than what he is able to articulate. He does not get it. It is because we do not want to be compared to islamofascist that we (dems and reps alike) *think* America should follow Geneva Conventions and not redefine them because it is only right. If we redefine, others will to. You can take that to the bank and cash it. Will the terrorist follow the GC anyway - probably not - but we will be in a better position to deal with them if we have legally handled our POWs. I guess, it is *unacceptable to think* that Bush will get it. I own you a apology for.... When I engage in political discussions, I try my best to keep things in the 3rd person as much as possible, especially since I try to promote mutual respect and tolerance. I find that even in the most oppositional debates, it helps keeps things more civil. I do not always succeed, and at times have been known to abadon that principal, especially when facing someone bent on personal attack or who is presenting ill-informed arguments. I have followed some of your other posts and know that you certainly do not fit that category. On close review, I notice I got a bit sloppy with the 3rd person thing. I apologize if I came across as too presumptive, particularly since I cannot assume anything about your (or you family) in terms of being conservative or bigoted. The 59 flea market is alive and well, although it is a bit of an anachronism by now. Don’t know about the crime, except to say that there is usually a patrol car within sight cruising that vicinity on the weekends. I used to go there all the time back in the day, but it is too hot and I am too old for that now. That’s why I frequent those modern day flea markets along Harwin which can be found in air-conditioned buildings. Bellaire was relatively middle class when we moved there. It is its own city, so they have actually gone in the opposite direction and have gentrified the joint. over the last 10 years, give or take. Unfortunately, our post-war bungalows are rapidly disappearing and those obnoxious, abrasive McMansions are popping up everywhere. I suppose that’s progress to some, sad for me. We moved there after my parents divorced from We are also bound to revisit the legal vs illegal immigration thing…it is not likely to go away anytime soon. I am more intrigued by your issues post above and hope to respond to it in a day or so, Dem turned independent, are you? Even though I stay pretty much left of center, and have been more radicalized further in that direction after 8 years of Bush, I hear ya. My issues with the party are not based so much on the candidate but rather lay with the party itself and the need to broaden our two-part system. Whether or not I like Obama (and I do), I would still be voting along party lines in spite of that, because I see McCain as an instant replay in many respects, particularly where the war is concerned. The "economy is not my strong suit" confession makes me rea nevous. I do respect your decision to pull out, though. I listen to CNN and Fox, mostly with my teeth clenched. I think Lou Dobbs' obsession with the immigration is a bit inflammatory and counterproductive (no suprise there) in terms of reaching a viable bipartisan consensus, but I will say this much for him. For the most part, he presents himself in a respectable and respectful manner. He raises some interesting points that have made me question some of my more radical views on other issues. I do think he is the type of person that could engage and promote bipartisan cooperation, so in that respect, when I watch his show, my jaw is more relaxed! Anyway, I think that a write-in vote is a great way to resolve any disenchantment you may have for the other 2 candidates. My apology then (nm) x I owe an apology to no one... and I am not the one obsessed with ice cream on this board. I prefer to keep my svelte figure rather than pigging out on ice cream and becoming rotund. An apology for what? The UN didn't do anything - or did I miss something? If customary deference to a sitting president by president elect for the rest of us who understand such concepts as respect and traditional protocol, it would qualify as a darned good reason. She did loan her campaign 10 million dollars - she owes over 20 million - but... Hillary says she is not worried about paying herself off, just the other people she owes money to (but I bet she will get her money back somehow). I just read where Barack personally wrote her a check himself for $2300 (the most by law any individual can contribute to a campaign). The problem is her donors expect him to help her pay this money off if he wants them to continue to support his campaign financially, and he needs their money to finance the general election campaign. Also, they say Hillary can devote more time campaigning and helping his financial situation if she is not having to try to raise money still for her debts. So anyway, there it is in a nutshell... Where did you go? No apology for Democrat? You're as likely to get an apology from Ann (sm) as we're likely to get an apology from PK and the other trolls. Let it go. The thread has been hijacked, so we'll slip away and let them have their temper tantrums. When they find out no one is listening they'll crawl back under their bridge and/or troll their other haunts. The other solution is that is adults here could just ignore them and continue on with our conversation. It's your call Apology accepted Thank you. Apology accepted S/M One great thing about this country is our freedom of speech. A good thing for me too as in another country I might be beheaded or something as I'm pretty outspoken about things I believe in strongly. Also, anyone has the right to agree or disagree with either of us and that is partly what makes this country great, I think. I would love to hear of your life's journey. I came from near poverty....my dad was a farmer, both parents uneducated....their goal was to make a better life for their children through education. I made it all the way to upper middle class which is good enough for me. I traveled many a rocky road though during my life. I used to love going to the 59 flea market but like you, I now prefer my comfort over flea marketing outdoors. One thing I can say is since I left Houston in 1990, it sure has changed. My husband, a Chicago native, and I were visiting the kids once and we were going to drive back to my daughter's house in Tomball to spend the night from my son's house in Magnolia. Well, not being so familiar with the Magnolia/Tomball area from living there....except for the famous chicken fried steak place in Tomball...forget the name right now, we missed a turn. I'm about half night blind and after we drove around for quite awhile looking for something I recognized, finally saw the street sign for Gesner so I knew exactly where I was, right? Wrong. Didn't realize they'd opened up Gesner half way to Conroe. LOL We finally got to my daughter's house after a couple of hours, she and my son were about to send out a search party. We didn't have a cell then. Have a good day and I do enjoy your posts. Well, TT...please accept my apology... I spoke out of turn. While I do have personal knowledge of Mexican immigrants who became citizens, I don't know anyone in the DAR personally. I should not have made that comment. Not like me, but as I stated, trotter pushes my buttons. At any rate...shame on me. And as to being a daughter of the confedracy, I have no problems there either. I have a friend who is a descendant of Robert E. Lee. He was a fascinating man. His decision to secede took a horrible toll on him. He wanted to preserve the Union as much as Lincoln did. Both great men with great vision. So, TT, accept my apology for the "tea" comment. Fell prey to stereotypical comment, was wrong of me to do. I would love to learn more about the DAR, so I am going to practice what I preach, and start reading. You go girl! :) Okay...apology inside. Sorry for involving everyone in what turned into a personal confrontation. In stepping back as some of you have suggested, I examined my feelings and I do feel badly. I took it too personally and I should not have, though when someone says "you this" and "you that" it is hard not to take it personally. It is hard not to take it personally when someone calls you a bigot, ignorant...and many other not-so-nice names. I got my back up...but that is a human reaction in my opinion. I jus should have shut it down sooner, I agree. In GW's defense, I think she is very frustrated with the immigration situation because of incidents close to her, understandable, and I became the personification of all she hates about Republicans, conservatives etc., in effect, the object of venting. Again, I should not have taken it so personally and tried to understand more where that hatred was coming from. So, I apologize to GW, I apologize to all of you, that I let it get out of hand. Hard as it may be for some of you to believe, I am not a confrontational person. Every one of us, at some point, gets all we can stand and feel like we have to stand up. I just should not have kept it going so long. We were beating a dead horse and we should have stopped...both of us. So...sorry, GW. I know we do not agree on many things and never will. However, I am as responsible as you for it going on for so long. And for that I apologize, to you and to others on the board. And I appreciate the wise moderator who just let it play out. Apology accepted s/m Now I really gotta git over yonder and git a haircut before I have to start payin' dog tax on my shaggy head! Apology accepted - thank you. (sm) I agree with you about the pork - I know it's always been there, but that's not an excuse to keep it there, especially when most of it is just for trash that couldn't pass on its own merit if put up for a vote. I try not to go off the deep end about what's going on, but I don't think being concerned at this point is unreasonable. My concern is where is all the money going to come from, even if the stimulus happens? This is the largest national debt we've ever run up and somewhere along the line, we're going to have to pay for it and our kids are going to have to pay for it. And even if all's going well and we all have jobs and our mortgages are no longer in crisis, it's still going to mean higher taxes somewhere (not just income - could be gas, produce, city taxes, state taxes, property taxes, etc.), and not just for the wealthy. It's gonna hit all of us and all of our children. It is a nonpartisan issue and I can't stand to see this country divided by 'right' and 'left.' I think I can say with quite a bit of certainty that everyone on this board is a taxpayer (since we're all working) and we should be mad as he11 with BOTH sides for doing what they're doing. No one is in the right here, it's just all wrong and has been for a long time. I just wish something had happened about it years ago instead of letting it get this far. Apology accepted - thank you. (sm) I agree with you about the pork - I know it's always been there, but that's not an excuse to keep it there, especially when most of it is just for trash that couldn't pass on its own merit if put up for a vote. I try not to go off the deep end about what's going on, but I don't think being concerned at this point is unreasonable. My concern is where is all the money going to come from, even if the stimulus happens? This is the largest national debt we've ever run up and somewhere along the line, we're going to have to pay for it and our kids are going to have to pay for it. And even if all's going well and we all have jobs and our mortgages are no longer in crisis, it's still going to mean higher taxes somewhere (not just income - could be gas, produce, city taxes, state taxes, property taxes, etc.), and not just for the wealthy. It's gonna hit all of us and all of our children. It is a nonpartisan issue and I can't stand to see this country divided by 'right' and 'left.' I think I can say with quite a bit of certainty that everyone on this board is a taxpayer (since we're all working) and we should be mad as he11 with BOTH sides for doing what they're doing. No one is in the right here, it's just all wrong and has been for a long time. I just wish something had happened about it years ago instead of letting it get this far. 
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