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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Army turned over rape evidence to KBR WASHINGTON — The Defense Department's Inspector General is trying to learn why Army hospital personnel in Iraq who examined a former KBR worker after an alleged gang rape apparently turned the physical evidence over to KBR security officials. Responding to an inquiry from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Assistant Inspector General John Crane, in a Jan. 3 letter, said the Inspector General's office was looking into "whether and why Army officials turned the results of ... (the) rape examination over to company officials." The Inspector General's office also is trying to learn how many other rape examinations have been performed by U.S. military doctors in Iraq, as well as what steps federal departments are taking to ensure similar criminal cases are properly investigated. Jamie Leigh Jones, 23, formerly of Conroe, told a House panel last month she was gang-raped in 2005, just days after arriving at Camp Hope in Baghdad's "Green Zone" to work for the Pentagon's largest military contractor. Jones was taken to an Army support hospital for examination. The doctor took photographs and prepared what's known as a "rape kit," containing forensic evidence, and handed the materials over to KBR security personnel, Jones told the panel. Officials for Houston-based KBR have said the kit was handed over to a company security coordinator and placed in a safe until investigators from the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security — the department's law enforcement arm — arrived three hours later. Jones testified that she spoke earlier this year with a special agent from the bureau, who was unaware of the rape kit's existence. Eventually, the agent found the kit, but the photographs and doctor's notes were missing, Jones said. The bureau eventually turned over its evidence to the Justice Department, which has acknowledged it is conducting an investigation. But questions about the chain of custody of the evidence could make prosecuting the case extremely difficult. When turning over the evidence to the Justice Department, State Department officials did not make any formal recommendation regarding prosecution, Jeffrey Berner, assistant secretary of State for legislative affairs, told Nelson in a letter on Monday. KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne declined to comment Tuesday on the inspector general's probe. Though the inspector general's office is looking into the chain-of-custody matter, Crane, in his letter to Nelson, noted that since Justice officials are investigating the alleged rape "no further investigation by this agency into the allegations ... is warranted." On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the investigation. "Who is in charge here?" asked Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, who was instrumental in bringing Jones home from Iraq after the alleged attack. "With a $400 billion budget, you would think that the Defense Department would have the resources to protect Americans overseas and maybe even have a little left over to investigate allegations of criminal activity as well." Since Jones went public with her story, her attorney Todd Kelly said last month, 11 women have come forward alleging sexual harassment while working for KBR in Iraq. Neither Jones nor Kelly could be reached for immediate comment Tuesday.
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I'll tell them why...
How convenient. Her honor and the blood of hundreds of thousands are on this WH. Contracting out wars is a fool's game, as is the entire war Chimp.
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