[NYTr] Gravel Calls for Investigation of 2005 Green Zone Rape f US KBR Employee

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Mike Gravel Campaign 2008 - Dec 11, 2007

Gravel For President 2008      Press Release


Senator Gravel Calls for Investigation of Green Zone Rape, 
Prosecution of Those Involved

Los Angeles, CA - Former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Mike
Gravel called upon U.S. law enforcement to immediately investigate the
rape case of 22-year-old Jamie Leigh Jones in Baghdad and prosecute
under U.S. law those who are found guilty. Ms. Jones alleges she was
brutally gang-raped by co-workers while employed by Kellogg Brown and
Root (KBR) in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Gravel also called upon the Iraqi parliament to immediately revoke
Order 17, which gives private contractors immunity from Iraqi law.

"The issue here is that there are no laws with which to prosecute
Americans who commit crimes while in Iraq," said Gravel. "There is
an atmosphere of lawlessness where government contractors are
accountable to no one. This incident must be investigated, and if
the accused are found guilty they should be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of U.S. law."

Ms. Jones claims the attack occurred two years ago while working
for KBR in Baghdad's Green Zone. She said a medical examination
performed by army doctors confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.
However, the rape kit vanished after it was handed over to KBR
security officers after officials there promised a full investigation.

At the time of the alleged incident, KBR was a subsidiary of
Halliburton.

Today, more than two years later, Ms. Jones says that KBR and the
U.S. government are still covering up the incident. In a statement, KBR
said it was "instructed to cease" its own investigation by U.S.
government authorities "because they were assuming sole responsibility
for the criminal investigations."

"If George Bush refuses to investigate this horrendous crime, we
can add accessory to rape to the long list of crimes committed by
this administration," said Gravel.

Ms. Jones said that after the rape she was held by armed KBR security
guards in a shipping container for at least 24 hours with no food
or water. A sympathetic guard gave her his cell phone to call her
father in Texas, who then called his congressman, Rep. Ted Poe, to
help get his daughter out of Baghdad.

Learn More   http://www.gravel2008.us

Alex Colvin 
Press Secretary 
310-650-7481 alex at gravel2008.us

Gravel For President 2008 | P.O. Box 948 | Arlington | VA | 22216-0948