Shaler soldier's electrocution called negligent homicide(KBR Iraq)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON -- An Army investigation calls the electrocution death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq "negligent homicide" caused by military contractor KBR Inc. and two of its supervisors.

In a document obtained by The Associated Press, an Army criminal investigator says the manner of death for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, has been changed from accidental to negligent homicide because the contractor failed to ensure that "qualified electricians and plumbers" worked on the barracks where Sgt. Maseth died.

The Green Beret from Shaler died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2008. He was electrocuted while taking a shower in his barracks in Baghdad.

A spokesman for Houston-based KBR was not immediately available for comment.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09022/943746-100.stm

---

I'd love to see KBR bigwigs charged with this.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I would also like to see some of the higher ups in KBR go to trial for this....

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

2. Just read this

Great news about an inexcusable incident.

[kpete]

3. Army accuses KBR contractors of 'negligent homicide' for electrocution

Source: Raw Story

Army accuses KBR contractors of 'negligent homicide' for electrocution
RAW STORY
Published: Thursday January 22, 2009

DEVELOPING...

United States Army investigation has accused former Halliburton subsidiary KBR, along with contractors the company used and two of the firm's supervisors, of 'negligent homicide' in the electrocution of a soldier, according to a published report.

"An Army criminal investigator says the manner of death for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, has been changed from accidental to negligent homicide because the contractor failed to ensure that 'qualified electricians and plumbers' worked on the barracks where Maseth died," reports the Associated Press.

"Maseth, 24, of Shaler, Pa., outside Pittsburgh, was electrocuted on Jan. 2 when an improperly grounded electric water pump short-circuited and flowed through the pipes," reported ABC in March 2008. "Since the coiled hose was touching his arm, he was hit with an electrical jolt and went into cardiac arrest and died."

On July 1, New York Times Investigative Reporter James Risen, author of the 2006 book "State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration," took up the subject. According to Risen, General David Petraeus stated to Congress that 13 Americans had been electrocuted since the invasion of Iraq: 12 soldiers and one contractor.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Army_accuses_KBR_contract...

[aquart]

4. Well, it was.

[Hissyspit]

5. Yes, but it is bad form to boo the murderers responsible for it.

[mbperrin]

6. Please hold incompetent and uncaring management responsible for this!

Convict 'em and sentence 'em!

[Career Prole]

7. Recommended.

But I think from this AP account it'll be scapegoated to a couple of supervisors, even though the real responsibility not only goes right up through KBR to the administration who hired 'em and failed to hold them accountable despite foul-ups too numerous to count.

WASHINGTON – An Army investigation called the electrocution death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq a "negligent homicide" caused by military contractor KBR Inc. two of its supervisors, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

An Army criminal investigator said the manner of death for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, has been changed from accidental to negligent homicide because the contractor failed to ensure that "qualified electricians and plumbers" worked on the barracks where Maseth died, according to the document.

Heather L. Browne, a spokeswoman for Houston-based KBR, said in an e-mail that the company maintains that its activities in Iraq did not play a role in Maseth's death.

[appleannie1]

8. While good news, I wish they would charge the source and not just supervisors.

[w8liftinglady]

9. well-let's add that to these

http://www.thelangreport.com/featured/kbr-cover-up-of-d... /
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/dirty-wate...
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/04/kbr-lawsuit-human-r... /