Billions for KBR

Introduction

Whistleblower Charles M. Smith, who oversaw Pentagon contracts in Iraq, says he was forced out of his job in 2004 after refusing to pay defense contractor KBR Inc. for questionable charges, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Instead of cracking down, the Army awarded KBR additional contracts — over $16 billion worth between 2004 and 2006, according to an analysis of contract data in Iraq and Afghanistan by the Center for Public Integrity.

The Center’s analysis also reveals that KBR received the largest single award of any company working in Iraq between those years — over $14 billion. KBR is the largest U.S. contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, a fact first noted by the Center back in 2003, when KBR was still a subsidiary of the Halliburton Company.

In April this year, the Army also selected KBR as one of three companies that will provide logistics support in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations for up to 10 more years.