“They really don’t want this out”: The biggest Iraq War scandal that nobody’s talking about

"The court did not give a reason for denying the petition, but the Obama administration on Dec. 16 submitted an opinion to the court saying a review is not "warranted at this time."

U.S. Solicitor General David Verrilli noted that the primary case, involving the burn pits, should be remanded to the lower courts to dismiss or narrow the claims.

KBR counsel Mark Lowes said Wednesday the Supreme Court's decision surprised the company but KBR still thinks the cases will be considered by the trial court judges, then the appeals courts and eventually wind up at the Supreme Court."


http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/01/22/kbr-iraq-lawsuits-supreme-court/22158399/

"Another case, Harris v. KBR Inc., addresses a lawsuit over the death of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted while taking a shower in a palace complex in Baghdad in 2008. The suit, filed by Maseth's mother, Cheryl Harris, alleges that shoddy electrical work and poor maintenance caused the death because the water pump in the shower was not grounded.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Philadelphia, overturned the trial judge's decision to dismiss that case in 2013.

Another set of suits allege that KBR violated military orders while performing cleanup of a water treatment facility near Basra, Iraq, in 2003, causing troops to fall ill. A jury awarded $85 million to 12 Oregon soldiers who say they were not warned of the presence of toxic sodium dichromate while they were guarding and helping cleaning the plant, known as the Qarmat Ali water treatment facility."

"The defendants promised the U.S. government they would supply safe water for hygienic and recreational uses and properly and safely dispose of waste products on U.S. bases in Iraq," Burke wrote in the original complaint. "[They] utterly failed to perform their promised duties."

"We are delighted that the Supreme Court refused to accept KBR's effort to delay. ... The service members look forward to their day in court with an American jury hearing their claims," she told Military Times on Tuesday."

Read your own article. "U.S. Solicitor General David Verrilli noted that the primary case, involving the burn pits, should be remanded to the lower courts to dismiss or narrow the claims." The government (i.e. the DoD) knows they were the decision makers on how KBR was instructed to dispose of waste. Drumming up the alleged and/or the ongoing cases of completely different issues is irrelevant. The use (and/or the allowed use) of burn pits was a military decision, not KBR, not the current Admin at the time. As I told you before, the pits continued well into 2013 too. I have the environmental study paperwork in my medical, file just in case I develop issues. Should we hold President Obama responsible? Certainly not KBR, they weren't the ones doing it.

What is your point? I said from the start that the burn pits are an issue that should be discussed. But political tripe from Salon is not the reputable discussion that it deserves. Instead of discussing the merits of what I typed, you jumped on the misspelling of a name.

A statement from KBR, in response to NPR's request for comment, said:

"At the limited number of bases where KBR operated burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, KBR personnel did so safely and effectively at the direction and under the control of the U.S. military.
"Government studies and reports show that military personnel deployed to Southwest Asia were exposed to many hazardous conditions, including the harsh ambient air. The government's best scientific and expert opinions have repeatedly concluded there is no link between any long term health issues and burn pit emissions."
But Capt. Torres disagrees. He and his wife, Rosie, founded Burn Pits 360 — a group that connects veterans who blame their chronic ailments on the practice.

"There's no doubt at all," he says. "I know this has been the result from the environmental exposure. There's no doubt."

Once again, how does this counter anything I said? Or are you just one of those that are so polarized that you just post your rhetoric rather than actually responding to people?