http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1086940180945Thirty-nine Halliburton workers have been killed in Iraq and two are unaccounted for. But last Friday, 250 Americans lined up outside the Houston Hilton to apply to work for the company's KBR subsidiary in Iraq.
Some wore suits and ties, others T-shirts and jeans at this hiring session, one of four being held in Houston. Only half a dozen were women.
Many could not find work in the US, some wanted to help the government fight terrorism, and still others were looking for a way to boost their financial standing.
Halliburton has been the most high-profile government contractor in Iraq, where KBR has more than 24,000 people working for it as civilian contracts and subcontractors.
Critics have accused the Bush administration of favouring Halliburton because Vice- President Dick Cheney is its former chief executive.
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