As I've said before, the hype about Border Security that came out of the blue and was suddenly a HUGE issue spread across all the media - talking heads, radio, newspapers - was a hyped crisis towards an end, not least of which was to create the need to hand out more of your dollars to the corporate backers of Bush/Cheney. And Raytheon was/is always at or near the front of the line for these handouts. More on the border contracts here:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13597________________
Raytheon means "light from the gods." Makers of "Bunker Buster" bombs, Tomahawk and Patriot missiles, this company loves big noises and large civilian casualty counts. When a missile killed 62 civilians in a Baghdad market, that was Light from the Gods.
CEO: William H. Swanson
Military contracts 2005: $9.1 billion
Campaign contributions in 2004: $954,150 (defense related)
This company loves to make things that go boom and kill lots of people such as Patriot & Tomahawk missiles including a missile that struck Baghdad market Shu'ale, killing at least 62 civilians, during the second Gulf War. About 100 Raytheon million dollar land-attack cruise missiles were lobbed at Afghanistan from U.S. Navy ships since October 7th, fifty in the opening salvo alone.
Raytheon also makes the "bunker buster" GBU- 28, a 5,000-pound bomb and missiles like the TOW, Maverick and Javelin, all being used in Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition to missiles, Raytheon also builds sensors and radars used on unmanned and manned reconnaissance airplanes used extensively in Afghanistan.
The company has paid millions of dollars in fines for illegal activities. In October 1994, Raytheon paid $4 million to settle government charges that it had inflated the cost of a $71.5 million radar contract. In October 1993, Raytheon paid out $3.7 million to settle U.S. government charges that it had inflated the cost of Patriot missiles. The year before the company paid out $2.75 million for overpricing missile test equipment. In March 1990, Raytheon pleaded guilty in federal court to Judge Albert Bryan, Jr. in Virginia for illegally obtaining secret Air Force budget and planning documents. The company paid a million dollars in fines. In October 1987, the Justice Department signed on to a $36 million lawsuit originally filed by a former Raytheon employee, which alleged that Raytheon submitted false claims for work done on missiles.
One of Raytheon's more secretive subsidiaries is E-Systems, whose major clients have historically been the CIA and other spy agencies like the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. An unnamed Congressional aide told the Washington Post once that the company was ''virtually indistinguishable'' from the agencies it serves. ''Congress will ask for a briefing from E- Systems and the (CIA) program manager shows up,'' the aide is quoted as saying. ''Sometimes he gives the briefing. They're interchangeable.''..cont'd
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=13 
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