DYING IN AMERIKA

Protectionism? The ruling class tries to sell "globalism" as "internationalism" instead of imperialism. Slowly, America becomes the Thrd World, while the Third World remains, essentially, a two-class society. Henry_Allen

Outcry' over Halliburton's planned move to Dubai

The news that Halliburton will move its headquarters from Houston to Dubai, "immediately sparked criticism from U.S. members of Congress," CBS News reports.

"This is an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for their no-bid contracts and endured their overcharges for all these years," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement.

At Time's Swampland, Karen Tumulty says House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., will likely hold hearings on Halliburton's plan.

"I want to understand the ramifications for U.S. taxpayers and national security," Waxman said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The Houston Chronicle reminds us that:

"At least for the moment, Halliburton is not just an oil-field services firm. Through its KBR subsidiary, Halliburton also is the Pentagon's largest private contractor operating in Iraq. Under a logistics contract with the Army valued at more than $25 billion, KBR serves up meals, builds bases and provides other support services for U.S. troops."

The company does plan to spin off KBR "into a separate entity," however, the Chronicle writes.

Dubai, of course, was in the middle of controversy last year when a company based there struck a deal to buy operations at six U.S. ports. There was an outcry from Democrats and others concerned about national security.

At the liberal Huffington Post, Raymond J. Learsy writes that "maybe we should simply bid good riddance to Halliburton. But somebody on Capitol Hill should look into their continuing registration as a United States company."

Crush Liberalism, though, thinks the company may be most interested in getting away from the "tax-oppressive U.S."

For its part, Halliburton says "the opening of a headquarters in Dubai is the next step in a strategic plan announced in 2006 to focus on expanding its customer relations with national oil companies while concentrating more of the company’s investments and resources in growing its business in the Eastern Hemisphere."

Halliburton is, of course, the company that Vice President Cheney ran before becoming the GOP vice presidential candidate in July 2000.
Posted at 02:13 PM/ET, March 12, 2007 in Mideast, Politics, Washington