I was wrong? No way. Well, maybe......The following refers once again to the post about the corruption in Iraq. I have since removed the inaccurate post.
This is an edited copy of an email I received from a totally reliable source with a resume' that would knock your socks off. He has asked me to keep him anonymous, and I will. He has sent me to sources before that were right on. In a nutshell he, as did the comment guy who pointed out the errors in the laundry and other facts, says that there isn't nearly the corruption I stated in my piece, that the Vanity Fair article was a hit piece---using Waxman as a prime source is the tip off----and the reportorial research was selective (what?) Here is the letter:

The very same sorts of things took place when DynaCorp had the Balkans LOGCAP (contract) - where was Waxman then? Likewise, and the article fails to note this, the Clinton Administration awarded the LOGCAP to KBR.

The ties between KBR and Halliburton are clear. (I once drove a truck for
Halliburton in my pre-college days - I earned every penny of my wages.) The current ties between Cheney and KBR are not.

One of the exemptions to competition under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) is for National Emergencies. Wartime counts. Whatever internal politics were driving the Army Corps of Engineers to make the selection, the fact is that no one has ever successfully challenged the awarding of the contracts. That was legal.

What is also clear is that in a war zone, you don't get the same prices you
would get if you were purchasing small amounts on the open market. They
aren't any Costco's there who can sell to us in box car loads. It is simply
supply and demand. If we drive demand up, and factor in the danger of
delivery the price goes much higher than it would otherwise - and don't
forget the bite.

Yes, the LOGCAP agreements are cost plus. The risk of price increase fallscompletely on the government, but they are cost plus precisely because the government cannot forecast with ANY certainty what the prices will be at an unfixed future point under unknown conditions in an as yet to be determined location. No contractor would bid if it were a firm fixed price contract -the risk of loss is too great.The reason LOGCAP is used, is simply to free up marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen to engage in warfighting, rather than support functions. To me, it is worth the money. 3% profit for working in a war zone is reasonable as Hell. I grant you that the bite is alive and well in Iraq - but we have a nation to build, and certain practices can be negotiated once the shooting stops.

So there. I have now deleted what was an inaccurate post.