Bush Admin Slow to Respond on KBR Sex Assault Questions

Source: ABC News Blotter

A powerful senator says he is still waiting for the Bush administration to respond to inquiries he made last month following reports that American women working in Iraq had been allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by coworkers or a U.S. government official.

...

"We're pressing hard for answers," said a spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. Nelson wrote Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month requesting details on how many Americans in Iraq had reported being sexually assaulted or abused, how they were investigated, and if any had been recommended for prosecution.

He has not received a reply, a spokesman confirmed today. Nor has Nelson received replies from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates or Attorney General Michael Mukasey, to whom he also wrote asking for information and assistance, according to the lawmaker's spokesman.

In one case reported by ABC News, the State Department's Diplomatic Security referred its findings to the Justice Department for prosecution but reported that Justice declined to bring charges. The Justice Department would not discuss the case with ABC News, declined an invitation to appear before a House hearing last month on the issue and has not responded to requests for information on the matter from other lawmakers.

Nelson, who chairs a key State Department oversight panel, had given Rice a deadline of Friday, Dec. 21 to respond. Asked about missing that deadline, a State Department spokesman told ABC News, "If the senator has asked questions, I’m quite sure we will provide answers. But it’s not something I could discuss with you."

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2008/01/bush-admin-slow.html

values are all about money. Crime is ok with Bush corporation.

Can't we throw her in jail already??? Its long past time for Congress to grow a sack and start asserting their oversight authority and responsibility. Jailing a WH Cabinet member on Contempt of Congress charges would be a great (and long overdue) start. I think you'll see the fucking neocons start squealing like pigs very shortly...

going to let this criminal administration thumb their noses at them and smugly walk off before they realize that, hey they're not cooperating!

The administration is going to have to be forced to cooperate and the only way to do that is through the power of impeachment. If they don't cooperate, fine. Run them out.

Sadly, I'm increasingly of the opinion that (assuming they leave office), the Bushistas will walk from this reign of terror without a black mark against them. And then the evidence will start to disappear, the witnesses will start dying off, the revising of history will start (as it already has with Reagan), W will come to be thought of as a good president or simply forgotten and then, in twenty years or so, a new fuhrer (maybe an elderly Jeb, maybe one of the twins) will be there again, ready to continue teh family mission.

Depressing isn't it?

What you are suggesting is a passive approach to the problems that we face today. Passive approaches will not work. They have not worked since 1945 and they will not work now. We must change this government by any means that is necessary to restore it to the vision that our founding fathers had. A nation that is truly of the people, by the people and for the people. Much as the democracy in Venezuela is today.

To say that we cannot do anything is bull-shit and you are a loser to think so. We MUST stand up and defeat these fascist bastards with our dying breaths. I am willing to do so and if you are not then you are on their side. That is how serious this problem is., This is not a problem that is going to be solved by negotiation. we cannot negotiate our freedoms that were paid for with the blood of patriots.

Your kind of thinking is exactly what happened to the German people starting about 1938. They just buried their heads in the sand and said everything will be alright. Adolph, much like Georgie, took advantage of that and pressed his fascist ideals upon a country that was compliant with him. You MUST question authority! You MUST stand on your ground! You MUST demand that your representatives uphold the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic.

This is not some bull shit game to be played with the score of the winners and losers to be displayed in neon lights upon some score board. The losers of this "game" will be the repressed people of the United States that are now living under a fascist regime.

You had better wake the fuck up and smell the coffee before it is too goddamned late.

The leader of venezuela, Hugo Cezar Chaves, is more of a patriot aligned with our founding fathers than any of the people involved with this current administration. If you don't believe this, for the first time in your life do some research and learn about Hugo Chavez and what he is doing for his country.

You might also do some research into the empire building of the United States starting about 1945. Learn how many democratically elected leaders of sovereign countries have been overthrown by the U.S. and replaced with fascist dictators. Go ahead. search and learn. These ass-holes that are in power have lied to you and me for years. You cannot believe one thing that is said by this government. Not one goddamned thing!

I would personally rather have Chavez as our president than George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Huckabee, Giuliani, Fred flintstone..err Thompson, or any of the other repugs that want to carry on this tradition that has been carried on for over 50 years.

If you disagree with what I have said, please leave your comments and back them up with facts. I am prepared to do so. IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DO SO! They want to take that right, along with every other, away from you and especially me.

Think about that.

I didn't say it was a good thing. I hate this passive bullshit. I want to see Georgie stand trial for his crimes as much as you do, I'm just disheartened about how the fuck we go about getting anything done about it. I'm British so I can't vote in your elections and Congress sure as hell isn't listening to you guys, let alone me.

You sounded like one of these people on this side of the pond that thinks everything is going to correct itself or they just stick their head in the sand and forget about it, yet they want to bitch because nothing is done about the many problems we have over here.

I agree that Congress is doing nothing that was asked of them in the last election. They have neither held anyone accountable for this immoral and illegal war nor brought our troops home.

At least you guys replaced Bush's poodle, Tony Blair. we will be replacing a lot of people here come '08. That in itself is not enough. A lot of us over here believe that Bush and Cheney MUST be impeached even if it's the last day of their regime. The crimes committed against the Constitution and humanity have been, and still are, abhorrent to anything that even resembles justice and democracy. They are vile, evil people that do not deserve to be walking the face of the earth. Their crimes need to be punished and punished to the harshest extent possible. To not do so condones their actions and excuses the next administration for the crimes that they may commit.

Our Congress, both Houses, are led by people that have their own agendas and they are, and have been, complicit with this administration in the crimes committed by this administration. Therefore, they cannot investigate these crimes without involving themselves. It is a true case of the fox guarding the hen house. The latest mis-adventure of investigation is in the CIA cover up of the torture tapes being destroyed. The Justice Department with Mukasey (Who can't tell if waterboarding is torture) is going to basically investigate themselves. I'm sure they will be thorough and forthcoming with all information.:sarcasm:

Why don't you guys do what a little town over here did? That is to indict and issue warrants for the arrest of Bush and Cheney if they ever set foot on your land. If we could get every country, including Dubai, to do this, they could not run and hide after their miserable tenure is over. Good idea?

A lot of us are already trying to push Parliament into issuing warrents for the lot of them. My local MP (who also voted against our version of the IWR) is on side but precious few others are yet. The problem with getting them on-side is that Blair is just as much (if not more) complicit than Chimpy and, whatever else can be said of Blair (and I could say a load by the way), he's very good at playing the old boy network. I'll keep working on it.

EDIT: It occurs to me that replacing Brown is probably needed to. As Blair's protoge and friend, he's likely to try and block any attempt to bring him to trial. The way our system is set-up means he an't do it directly but he could probably make things difficult.

Of course, if we could get warrents sworn out by an international body (on illegal war and war crimes charges), it would help.

..why would the leader of the American Taliban CARE if women get raped?

Pffft!

Why wouldn't the State Department want to talk to a reporter about this? There's no apparent investigation going on, and they're not going to answer Sen. Nelson's inquiry, so they can't use the Bush administration's reliable stand-by for refusing to comment of "ongoing investigation" or some similar dodge. They should be singing like canaries.

the only way to get anywhere with this bunch is through the pocket book. How are her options for bringing money damages from the people who did this, to the people who allowed this, all the way up the ladder through, KBR, Halliburton, the state department, and through the white house rear window?

American women. She defends these pigs who raped this young woman. Ashamed it did not happen to her.