Reps. Conyers, Scott, and Poe Demand Action from Justice, Defense Departments on KBR Rape Issue

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http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1069

Reps. Conyers, Scott, and Poe Demand Action from Justice, Defense Departments on KBR Rape Issue
January 23rd, 2008 by Jesse Lee

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, along with Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and Rep. Ted Poe have sent a bipartisan letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England to follow up on the Judiciary Committee’s December hearing about the lack of legal protection for Americans working for contractors in Iraq and the alleged rape of a Halliburton/KBR contracting employee in Iraq. Chairman Conyers later met with Justice and Defense Department staff to discuss steps both agencies would take to ensure that government contractor employees are protected under federal law while serving abroad.

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Full text of the letter:

January 23, 2008
The Honorable Michael Mukasey
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530

The Honorable Gordon England

Deputy Secretary of Defense

Department of Defense

1010 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301

Dear Mr. Attorney General and Mr. England:

We are writing to follow up on the hearing held in the Judiciary Committee last month, and the subsequent meetings between you and Chairman Conyers, concerning enforcement of federal criminal law to protect Americans working for U.S. contractors in Iraq. There is a clear bipartisan consensus that American civilians like Jamie Leigh Jones working for contractors in Iraq must receive the full protection of federal law enforcement against criminal activities by other contractor employees. Chairman Conyers was pleased to hear you agree with these goals, and we are writing to express our understanding of the steps to be undertaken to help ensure they are achieved and to formally request a briefing for interested members on the specifics.

Initially, as discussed with Deputy Secretary England and by Ms. Jones in her testimony, training and internal disciplinary and control measures similar to those provided in the Armed Forces to help avoid problems of sexual harassment and assault should be provided with respect to all contractors in Iraq. Deputy Secretary England indicated to Chairman Conyers that this issue would be pursued directly with contractors, beginning at meetings scheduled for early this year, and that the Department would consider what if any changes are needed in contract documents to further pursue this objective.

In addition, it is crucial that the government clearly explain to contractors and their employees how to report alleged criminal activity and get assistance in Iraq, that problems such as the reported loss of a rape kit in Ms. Jones’ case be prevented, and that prompt and thorough investigation and prosecution of alleged misconduct takes place. Several possible methods to help achieve these important aims have been discussed, including designating an Army CID Command office in Baghdad to receive and process complaints and clearly notifying contractors and their employees accordingly, establishing clear procedures so that Army hospitals and others turn over rape kits and any other evidence of crime to such a CID office, and implementing clear procedures for initial investigation of such cases and determining which should be referred to the Justice Department and which should proceed through the Uniform Code of Military Justice pursuant to recently-granted authority. What is most important, however, is that all affected military and other federal government personnel, contractors, and their employees understand and seek to utilize a clear, effective, and coordinated set of procedures that is also transparent to Congress and the American public.

As discussed at the hearing and at your meetings with Chairman Conyers, what happened to Ms. Jones is unfortunately far from an isolated incident, and it is crucial that prompt and effective action be undertaken to ensure that American civilians working in Iraq are fully protected by federal law. We look forward to a joint briefing involving both your departments within the next month to learn with more specificity the particular steps your Departments will undertake and on what schedule in order to address this important issue. We would also appreciate receiving written information from the Department of Justice on how many Iraq MEJA cases have been referred to the Department, how many are still open, and how many concern sexual assault.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

Robert C. Scott
Chairman, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

Ted Poe
Member of Congress

cc: Hon. Lamar S. Smith
Hon. Louis Gohmert
Hon. Brian Benczkowski