Jezebel

I was hoping this story would end with "Unlike /America/, the British are taking sexual assault seriously! And then James Bond blew up KBR Headquarters, the end."

This was disappointing.

@Peppermint: like your ending ever so much better than reality, pep.

This is insane. Does the KBR have british employees? Or is this all american employees? Because that is fantastic for our image.

Once again, Haliburton and all its works=Evil with a capital E. Bastards.

Um. Why would you turn over investigation to the investigatee? That's just like handing the prosecutorial job to the defense. And we've all seen enough L&O to know that it simply isn't done.

What this demonstrates is that the British Foreign Office had the KBR guys over for drinks and mentioned that they hated meatsocks, too.

Jesus.

Seriously this is beyond ridiculous. Beyond. I hope they get kidnapped and beaten by these women and the government renounces their citizenship, leading to even more beating because now no sovereign entity will fight for their rights

the corruption of these private companies in Iraq is mind blowing. I did a research assignment on them, it was horrifying and depressing the more I learned about what these people are doing in Iraq.

@warmaiden: I think it's standard practice for contractors. At least, on evidence so far...

Men? Abusing power? That's not possible!!!

I would like to see soem israeli krav-maga (or whatever it is) trained women infiltrate KBR and seriously fuck some dudes up when they experience an attempted assault. That would brighten my day.

I know we're not supposed to advocate violence and such, but that is a reality show I would quit my job to watch all day.

@warmaiden: You're merely advocating self-defense. Extremely AWESOME self-defense.

Because of some BS laws, even if there's enough evidence, the attackers might not be able to be prosecuted.

I know less about that but do know that because of other laws, the American women who were assaulted can't even file a civil suit against their employers. Some in Congress are trying to change these mandatory arbitration clauses, and many are on board to do so (it's a wider civil rights/employment issue than just these KBR crimes) but don't know if it will actually pass.

@cate3710:
Self defense is fine. AND LEGAL.

'Country justice' (worst term ever, plus it's classist), vigilantism, harming someone instead of using the justice system (no matter how shitty it can sometimes be), not fine and not legal.

man privatization is so much more EFFICIENT at raping women and disposing of the evidence than plain old government run wars...

@freedc: Understood and agreed, but key part of warmaiden's comment: "seriously fuck some dudes up WHEN they experience an attempted assault" (emphasis mine). I'm no advocating that we send super-assassins after them, but if they ever assault a woman who has incredible self-defense skills and get their asses kicked I won't be upset.

@warmaiden: Investigation by the investigated = precisely how the U.S. military handles these things! I mean, it's all about this useful fiction that the power structure of some entity is disciplining and punishing rule-breakers within that entity. (Which, conveniently, makes it impossible to demonstrate that the entity itself has any culpability for what happened, because they can say: hey! we don't condone this! we investigated and punished the wrongdoers!)

@warmaiden: Hell yes they deserve a life-altering dose of Krav Maga....from a woman.

So this is crap of the Foreign Office BUT I just read that the FO has "paid to have the film [a documentary about rape in the Congo] translated into Swahili and Lingala, and they are going to buy time on Congolese television ..."

Which was good. Although doesn't balance out the ignoring Iraqis thing. Or the employing KBR thing.
[lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk]