skygeek

I want to thank every one for the replies here. I feel alittle better about it but still praying for my cousin. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Here is the article from the tribune. The Chicago Tribune requires you to sign up so I posted the entire story. U.S. stalls on human trafficking Pentagon has yet to ban contractors from using forced labor By Cam Simpson Washington Bureau Published December 27, 2005 WASHINGTON -- Three years ago, President Bush declared that he had "zero tolerance" for trafficking in humans by the government's overseas contractors, and two years ago Congress mandated a similar policy. But notwithstanding the president's statement and the congressional edict, the Defense Department has yet to adopt a policy to bar human trafficking. A proposal prohibiting defense contractor involvement in human trafficking for forced prostitution and labor was drafted by the Pentagon last summer, but five defense lobbying groups oppose key provisions and a final policy still appears to be months away, according to those involved and Defense Department records. The lobbying groups opposing the plan say they're in favor of the idea in principle, but said they believe that implementing key portions of it overseas is unrealistic. They represent thousands of firms, including some of the industry's biggest names, such as DynCorp International and Halliburton subsidiary KBR, both of which have been linked to trafficking-related concerns. Lining up on the opposite side of the defense industry are some human-trafficking experts who say significant aspects of the Pentagon's proposed policy might actually do more harm than good unless they're changed. These experts have told the Pentagon that the policy would merely formalize practices that have allowed contractors working overseas to escape punishment for involvement in trafficking, the records show. The long-awaited debate inside the Pentagon on how to implement presidential and congressional directives on human trafficking is unfolding just as countertrafficking advocates in Congress are running into resistance. A bill reauthorizing the nation's efforts against trafficking for the next two years was overwhelmingly passed by the House this month, but only after a provision creating a trafficking watchdog at the Pentagon was stripped from the measure at the insistence of defense-friendly lawmakers, according to congressional records and officials. The Senate passed the bill last week. Delay seen as weakness The Pentagon's delay in tackling the issue, the perceived weakness of its proposed policy and the recent setbacks in Congress have some criticizing the Pentagon for not taking the issue seriously enough. "Ultimately, what we really hope to see is resources and leadership on this issue from the Pentagon," said Sarah Mendelson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a national security think tank in Washington. She also had called for creation of an internal Pentagon watchdog after investigating the military's links to sex trafficking in the Balkans. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), author of the original legislation targeting human trafficking, said there seems to be an institutional lethargy on the issue at the Pentagon below the most senior levels. He said he was concerned that the Pentagon's overseas-contractor proposal might not be tough enough and that the delays in developing it could mean more people "were being exploited while they were sharpening their pencils." But he pledged to maintain aggressive oversight of the plan. `We're addressing the issue' Glenn Flood, a Pentagon spokesman, said he did not know why it has taken so long to develop a proposal but said, "From our point of view, we're addressing the issue." An official more directly involved with the effort to draft a formal policy barring contractors from involvement in trafficking said it might not be ready until April, at least in part because of concerns raised by the defense contractors. Bush declared zero tolerance for involvement in human trafficking by federal employees and contractors in a National Security Presidential Directive he signed in December 2002 after media reports detailing the alleged involvement of DynCorp employees in buying women and girls as sex slaves in Bosnia during the U.S. military's deployment there in the late 1990s. Ultimately, the company fired eight employees for their alleged involvement in sex trafficking and illegal arms deals. In 2003, Smith followed Bush's decree with legislation ordering federal agencies to include anti-trafficking provisions in all contracts. The bill covered trafficking for forced prostitution and forced labor and applied to overseas contractors and their subcontractors. But it wasn't until last summer that the Pentagon issued a proposed policy to enforce the 2003 law and Bush's December 2002 directive. The proposal drew a strong response from five defense-contractor-lobbying groups within the umbrella Council of Defense and Space Industries Associations: the Contract Services Association, the Professional Services Council, the National Defense Industrial Association, the American Shipbuilding Association and the Electronic Industries Alliance. The response's first target was a provision requiring contractors to police their overseas subcontractors for human trafficking. In a two-part series published in October, the Tribune detailed how Middle Eastern firms working under American subcontracts in Iraq, and a chain of human brokers beneath them, engaged in the kind of abuses condemned elsewhere by the U.S. government as human trafficking. KBR, the Halliburton subsidiary, relies on more than 200 subcontractors to carry out a multibillion-dollar U.S. Army contract for privatization of military support operations in the war zone. Case of 12 Nepali men The Tribune retraced the journey of 12 Nepali men recruited from poor villages in one of the most remote and impoverished corners of the world and documented a trail of deceit, fraud and negligence stretching into Iraq. The men were kidnapped from an unprotected caravan and executed en route to jobs at an American military base in 2004. At the time, Halliburton said it was not responsible for the recruitment or hiring practices of its subcontractors, and the U.S. Army, which oversees the privatization contract, said questions about alleged misconduct "by subcontractor firms should be addressed to those firms, as these are not Army issues." Once implemented, the new policy could dramatically change responsibilities for KBR and the Army. Alan Chvotkin, senior vice president and counsel for the Professional Services Council who drafted the contractors' eight-page critique of the Pentagon proposal, said it was not realistic to expect foreign companies operating overseas to accept or act on U.S. foreign policy objectives. "This is a clash between mission execution [of the contract] and policy execution," Chvotkin said. "So we're looking for a little flexibility." He said that rather than a "requirement that says you have to flow this through to everybody," the group wants the policy to simply require firms to notify the Pentagon when their subcontractors refuse to accept contract clauses barring support for human trafficking. Still, Chvotkin said, "We don't want to do anything that conveys the idea that we are sanctioning or tolerating trafficking." In a joint memo of their own, Mendelson and another Washington-based expert, Martina Vandenberg, a lawyer who investigated sex trafficking for Human Rights Watch, told the Pentagon its draft policy "institutionalizes ineffective procedures currently used by the Department of Defense contractor community in handling allegations of human trafficking." Without tough provisions requiring referrals to prosecutors, they said, contractors could still get their employees on planes back to the U.S. before investigations commenced, as they allege happened in several documented cases in the Balkans. They said some local contract managers even had "special arrangements" with police in the Balkans that allowed them to quickly get employees returned to the U.S. if they were found to be engaged in illegal activities. ---------- [email protected] Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Ok again point well taken I will however point out that the next paragraph says: During the conflict A10 “tankbuster” planes — which use munitions containing depleted uranium — fired 300,000 rounds. The substance — dubbed a “silver bullet” because of its ability to pierce heavy tank armour — is controversial because of its potential effect on human health. Critics say it is chemically toxic and can cause cancer, and Iraqi doctors reported a marked rise in cancer cases after it was used in the first Gulf conflict. this is my point and it seems to be raised in alot of places both mainstream and "fringe" Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

point well taken Trent. Is this mainstream enough? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2047373,00.html Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Thanx for the info, I really appreatate the time you took to awnser me. I found this info on DU shell impacts.> here http://serendipity.nofadz.com/nato/du.htm Bullets, shells and missiles tipped with radioactive depleted uranium made every weapon in Iraq's arsenal obsolete. The higher weight of DU shells allows American tanks to shoot twice as far, giving them a range of two miles. During the [1991] Desert Storm terror campaign at least 944,000 rounds of DU ammo were fired from American A-10 Warthogs all over Iraq and Kuwait. The A-10 is an aircraft built around a 30mm, 7-barrel gattling gun that can spew 3900 rounds per minute. When a depleted uranium tipped shell strikes a tank or armored personnel carrier it easily penetrates the armor and burns the crew alive. The impact also vaporizes the depleted uranium, creating an aerosol of radioactive heavy-metal particles which can spread as far as 190 miles on the wind. When inhaled or ingested, the depleted uranium particles cause chemical and radioactive damage to the bronchial tree, kidneys, liver and bones. Cancer often results, and the effects can even include genetic damage. The Dutch Laka Foundation estimates that the United States terror campaign left behind 300-800 tons of radioactive waste from this [depleted uranium] ammunition all over Kuwait and Iraq — poisoning the air, the land, the water and the people everywhere. Afterwards, wherever the depleted uranium firing had been concentrated, there were cancer epidemics among Iraqi civilians living nearby. In the ten years since then, sanctions, polluted water and depleted uranium together have killed somewhere between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 Iraqi civilian people. At least 600,000 of the dead are children. Cancer rates have quadrupled in areas of southern Iraq bombed by the American and British state terrorists. http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/abom/uran/special/index3.html Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

ok I can understand that but what about this line from the WHO website # DU, consequently, is weakly radioactive and a radiation dose from it would be about 60% of that from purified natural uranium with the same mass. # The behaviour of DU in the body is identical to that of natural uranium. is 60% enought to worry about ? does that mean that it would take double the deadly does of regular uranium to kill you? any idea what the lethal dose is? Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Halliburton_other_lobbyists_stall_Pentagon_ban_1227.html WOW didnt see this coming! http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Governor_writes_Rumsfeld_on_human_trafficking_1230.html Has anyone heard an update on this? Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

http://www.laka.org/teksten/Vu/where-how-much-01/main.html I'm no ammo expert but this seems to be a load of shells made from this shit. http://www.idust.net/Tutorial/DURadiation01.htm Can anyone explain the above link? i got lost. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

As unreliable as news can be, the internet is by far the WORST source of them all. No editors, any joe blow can write whatever the hell he wants on the internet. Not so much in print media. Umm isn't that the point of freedon of the prress? Being able to say what you belive without a filter or censorship? Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Anyone know first hand? I have family in Iraq who has a high possiblity of being exposed to this substance. And frankly I dont know which articles to belive, the ones that claim its harmless, or the ones that claim it causes horrid birth defects and cancer. Exapmles below: http://www.iacenter.org/depleted/du.htm http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs257/en/ Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Anyone eles see this story? http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Sheen_interview_on_911_garners_media_0323.html Gotta love this quote: It's like they want to pigeonhole all of us into conspiracy nutbags when we're not debating things that are related to UFO's bringing down the towers or Building 7 or the Pentagon and so its feels like there's things in there that we’re not the conspiracy theorists on this particular issue," said Sheen. "It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airliners and hitting 75 percent of their targets: that feels like a conspiracy theory." Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Hey do your own research if you dont trust the site. Its not the only one out there and the evidence exists soooo If you belive what the mainstream media tells you maybe its better if you dont research it. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Wham! http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/OK/ok.html Bam! http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=9810&c=111 it all ready happened..... Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

MINI cooper S ya baby!!! Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

I don’t see how on one hand people are screaming to ban smoking in all public places and at the same time your tax dollars are going to subsidize the tobacco industry and farmers. Pick one people. If you’re so concerned with public health in general stop whining about people smoking around you and get your elected reps to stop sending money to something you think is SO detrimental to the public health. O ya and while your out saving the world can you please ban cell phones in public places? All those microwaves are making my brain hurt. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Nothing is more fun that jumping with your Dad!!! Have a great time!! Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Or try rash gaurds they rock, saved my pasty ass from the burn in Barbados. got like 50+ spf protection Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

On it's way? I think that train is just about to pull into the station. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

What if he was Deaf? Great welcome to the nation's capital! The tackling line is to the left please stand clear. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Soon I hope!!! Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

right in front of the guys in the mask. who was a airforce PJ doc. really cool guy. Its funny because his daughter was the one who "found the downed pilots" I've never seen a more proud Dad! here is a better pic of the landing area. Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Ya theme games do rock! I jumped into one in SA and me and my jumping partner played the role of "downed pilots" and had to be rescuded. IT WAS A BLAST!!!! here is a pic Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Ive been plating ball for about 2 years now great fun! we mostly play 3-on-3 been to a couple tourney's. Now here is a paintball marker for ya http://www.thematrixcenter.com/pc/viewCat_h.asp?idCategory=87 at about 22 balls per second this thing will make ya run for a bunker! Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.

He's a question for ya: Since I was in a Tv ad can i put "Stuntman" on my resume? Welcome to the New World Order. Expect no Mercy.