Pratap Chatterjee

Kuwaiti Pentagon Contractor Faces Fraud Charges

Agility, a Kuwait-based multi-billion-dollar logistics company spawned by the U.S. invasion of Iraq, is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 8 on criminal charges of overbilling U.S. taxpayers for food supply contracts in the Iraq war zone that were worth more than $8.5 billion. If the lawsuit is successful, the company could owe the U.S. … Continue reading “Kuwaiti Pentagon Contractor Faces Fraud Charges”

Afghan Military Translators Risk Low Pay, Death

Murtaza "Jimmy" Farukhi was killed while on patrol with the U.S. Marine Corps on Sep. 9, 2008, at the age of 23. He was not a soldier, but a local translator employed by Columbus, Ohio-based Mission Essential Personnel (MEP). Farukhi was one of 24 MEP translators killed and 56 injured since the company’s contract with … Continue reading “Afghan Military Translators Risk Low Pay, Death”

Afghanistan Mission Essential, Translators Expendable

Basir "Steve" Ahmed was returning from a bomb-clearing mission in Khogyani district in northeastern Afghanistan when a suicide bomber blew up an explosive-filled vehicle nearby. The blast flipped the military armored truck Ahmed was riding in three or four times, and filled it with smoke. The Afghan translator had been accompanying the 927th Engineer Company … Continue reading “Afghanistan Mission Essential, Translators Expendable”

What They Asked For, They Did Not Get

The convoy of flatbed trucks picked up its cargo at Baghdad International Airport last spring and sped northwest, stacked high with crates of expensive medical equipment. From bilirubin meters and hematology analyzers to infant incubators and dental appliances, the equipment had been ordered to help Iraq shore up a disintegrating health care system. But instead … Continue reading “What They Asked For, They Did Not Get”

Civilian Translators in Iraq Thrust Into Combat Roles

Goran Habbeb had just left his house to get into his car with his brother and his 7-year-old daughter, Soleen, when the armed men opened fire. Taken by surprise because the men were dressed in police uniforms, he just managed to get the white Toyota Previa van into motion and escape. Habbeb was planning to … Continue reading “Civilian Translators in Iraq Thrust Into Combat Roles”

Iraq’s Gas Pumps Buried Under Mountain of Debt

Contract mismanagement and possible corruption in the Iraqi government are fueling a crisis over international gasoline delivery into Iraq. Citing a mountain of unpaid bills, the governments of Turkey and Saudi Arabia have shut off gasoline exports to Iraq. With its options dwindling and beleaguered Iraqis demanding fuel, Baghdad has begun to negotiate with its … Continue reading “Iraq’s Gas Pumps Buried Under Mountain of Debt”

Interrogators for Hire

Just an hour north of the Mexican border, at the base of the cloud-capped Huachuca Mountains, sits a military base with a long history of covert military action. In its early days as a military fort, it was the location of the capture of Geronimo, the last Apache warrior to resist the United States. More … Continue reading “Interrogators for Hire”