It seems that the shoddy wiring an US facilities in Iraq had led, not only to the death and injury of US troops, it has also led to 283 electrical fires in one six month period, as well as the death of two US soldiers in an electrical fire in 2006.

Had this been anyone other than KBR, a subsidiary of Haliburton, or any other unbid US contractor in Iraq, they would have doubtless been branded as a terrorist organization by the Bush administration and the full weight of the military brought to bear on them. As it is, the problem was simply ignored until Staff Sgt. Ryan D. Maseth was electrocuted while taking a shower in January. Unwilling to accept the platitudes of the Pentagon and the Administration, his family pushed for an investigation into the matter.

For the full story, go <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/world/middleeast/18contractors.html?_r=1&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pag ewanted=print>HERE</a>.