A federal judge has overturned on a technicality a $10 million jury verdict against a military contractor accused of defrauding the U.S. government in the initial months of the Iraq war.
The verdict, awarded in March against Fairfax-based Custer Battles LLC, had been the first civil fraud verdict arising from the Iraq war. Custer Battles based most of its operations in Rhode Island.
A former Custer Battles employee filed the lawsuit under a whistleblower statute, alleging that Custer Battles used shell companies and false invoices to vastly overstate its expenses on a $3 million contract to assist in establishing a new currency to replace the old Iraqi dinar used during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
The verdict reached $10 million because the law calls for triple damages, plus penalties fines and legal costs.
But U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, in a ruling made public Friday, ruled that Custer Battles’ accusers failed to prove that the U.S. government was ever defrauded. Any fraud that occurred was perpetrated instead against the Coalition Provisional Authority, formed shortly after the war to run Iraq during the occupation until an Iraqi government was established.
Ellis ruled that the trial evidence failed to show that the U.S. government was the actual victim, even though U.S. taxpayers ultimately footed the bill.
My electric bill was triple what it was two years ago. Gas prices are almost triple what they were three years ago. Candy bars, milk, education, etc. They’re all higher in price… not because they’re any more valuable today than they were before… not because the companies are greedy… Nope. Our money is worth less.
You might want to watch this video on the devaluing of US currency…
Here’s a quote from the above link on what you can do about it:
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A friend of mine passed along a link that he saw highlighted (dugg) on Digg.com. Basically, someone got onto a computer, saw the links that had been clicked, and then took a screen shot. Here it is:
I have received several emails about my statement above this video. Yes. I do have new hope for my country. I do.
Does this mean I will agree with every decision the leaders make? No. I certainly will not. And that’s okay. I am not in their position. I am not faced with the same challenges and circumstances that they are. And I should be grateful that I am in an environment where I can disagree, where I can object, where I can speak out… I can go beyond simply doing good… I can object to wrongdoing.
My point in saying that “I have new hope for my country” has more to do with the people… That my fellow Americans could rise above past (hopefully past) prejudices in this election, for me, offers hope.
Do my wife and I still get stares when we go out to dinner? Do people still say some mean things to us in front of the kids? Do people still (assuming that I’m Jewish or Amish) have Muslim-bashing conversations in my presence? Did it break my heart when my daughter came home and asked me, “Abu (Daddy), why do so many people hate Muslims?”
Of course.
But you know what? There is more of the opposite. More people start out ignorant, but later want to know. More people smile at my wife and kids. More people ask where we are from and are amazed when we say, “Right here” – they want to talk more. They genuinely want to learn. They want to understand.
So, yes, I have hope.
…and here’s another reason why…
For every one person that has the ignorance of that woman speaking to McCain, there is one who knows better, and one more who wants to know better.
Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’ala mentions in a hadeeth Qudsi (the rough meaning of which is…) “If you find something good, then praise Allah. If you find something other than that, then blame no one but yourself.”
Mumbai Suffers a Series of Coordinated Terrorist Attacks
May Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’alaa protect the innocent, guide the ill-intentioned, and give knowledge to the ignorant. Ameen.
This was published on the DNN site before I moved it over to the new format…
10 locations in Mumbai were simultaneously attacked and scores were killed or injured. Of course, I was not there, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
Assumptions to Avoid
Let’s not rush to judgment… Watching shocking news is more of an emotional experience than an intellectual one. So be careful.
This clip ends abruptly, in mid-thought, when the victim is describing interactions with one of the gunmen. If he was actually interacting with the gunmen, why not hear all of what he has to say? (Does anyone have the full clip? If so, send me the link.)
The pause in his voice as he says, “Islamic… terrorist… I suppose,” can have pretty powerful emotional effects on watchers of the clip. Although, his full sentence was, “He did not look like your typical Islamic terrorist, I suppose.”
And who is this lady (below)? And why is she an expert? It is CNN’s Kelli Arena, but what gives her the qualifications to make all of these speculations?
Some Things That Don’t Make Sense
Whose cause does this help?
Is it really possible for a small group of extremists to pull off such a well-orchestrated series of attacks in the financial capital of one of the world’s up-and-coming countries? Or would you need the resources of, say, a foreign nation or an intelligence agency?
One of the targets was a hospital for women and children. Islam has pretty clear laws regarding war. And women and children are clearly and absolutely off limits. Even livestock and fruit-bearing trees are off limits, so there’s no way that anyone could religiously justify an attack on a hospital for women and children. No way. Personally, I don’t think this was orchestrated by Muslims. Period. (Maybe some ignorant Muslims were duped into carrying it out, but I don’t think they orchestrated it.)
It is always ultra-important to step back and ask yourself, “Who benefits?” There will be reports of “Islamic terrorists” and “Muslim extremists” who “hate our freedoms”, who “want to spread violence and bloodshed”, who “hate the West”, who “blah, blah, blah”… C’mon. Do you really think there are people out there that want to just spread destruction on the earth… that just want gore and violence?! I don’t buy it.
But, let’s just say that it’s possible… maybe there are people like that. Well, then, how do they benefit? Is it just spreading chaos? Is that their goal?
Is that where you are going to stop your analysis? Let’s look past the obvious…
Does the fact that some of the nations of the world object to the US bombings on Pakistani soil have anything to do with it? Does this help justify those attacks?
Are there any parties or countries or movements that benefit from a portrayal of Islam as evil?
Does this distract from any other world events?… The passing of important legislation? The recent re-invasion of Gaza? The decline of world economies?
Are there any nations (outside of the obvious) that would like to slow India’s rise to economic power?
