The Halliburton Agenda: The Politics of Oil and Money

During the 2000 vice presidential debate, when Dick Cheney was asked about his financial success as Halliburton’s CEO, he responded that the government had played no role in it. But even Cheney himself couldn’t really believe that. Halliburton has taken the idea of the military-industrial complex to a level never before seen. And in its seemingly unstoppable march to becoming the vendor of choice for the United States military, Halliburton continues to court controversy.

In The Halliburton Agenda, Halliburton and its subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root, form the foundation of an intriguing story of cronyism and conflict of interest that has only increased in momentum over the last decade.

Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Dan Briody cuts through the veil of secrecy that cloaks this controversial company, and reveals how the confluence of business and politics has led to questionable deals as well as financial windfalls for Halliburton, its executives, and its subsidiaries.

The Halliburton Agenda digs deep to expose:

• A pattern of cost overages by the company dating as far back as World War II and extending forward through Vietnam, Somalia, and Bosnia
• How Halliburton has been doing business with terrorist states such as Libya and Iran for decades–and why the company continues to do so
• The questionable legality of the U.S. government’s contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, including LOGCAP–the government’s contract to provide logistical support to the Army–and the contract for the work in rebuilding Iraq’s oil infrastructure
• Why the company paid a $2.4 million bribe to a Nigerian tax official, acquired $4.4 billion of asbestos liability, and changed its accounting procedures without notifying its shareholders–an action that has led to an ongoing SEC investigation
• The current allegations against Halliburton for overcharging the U.S. government for gas in Iraq

Halliburton’s inextricable links to politicians and the United States military, its dealings with countries known to sponsor terrorism, and its controversial $2 billion government contract to rebuild Iraq are only the tip of the iceberg. The Halliburton Agenda untangles a complex web of political power plays and deceptive deals–revealing how a company with the right connections can finesse its way to success.

Following upon his earlier , business journalist Briody turns his attention to another corporation intimately linked with the national security state, Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton. The growth of Halliburton cannot be understood without looking at its assiduous cultivation of links into the halls of power, especially the military, suggest Briody. He chronicles the company's activities from its founding; through its purchase of Kellogg, Brown & Root, which had already perfected the insider game; and on to its involvement in George Bush's war in Iraq. He also details the many incidents of war- profiteering and other scandals surrounding the company and its subsidiary, some dating back to World War II.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This work discusses where Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas suppliers, and its subsidiaries have been conducting business and the nature and ramifications of those dealings, including terrorist links and charges of bribery.

DAN BRIODY is the author of the national bestseller The Iron Triangle: Inside the Secret World of the Carlyle Group (Wiley). Briody is an expert on the commingling of business and politics, particularly as it pertains to the war on terrorism and the so-called "military-industrial complex." An award-winning business journalist, Briody has written for Forbes, Wired, Red Herring, and The Industry Standard. He has been a guest on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, and a host of other television and radio programs.

"Having been a lifelong public servant with no business experience, Cheney was hired by Halliburton in 1995 because of his understanding of the nation’s political tendencies and his extensive contacts both on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon. And he delivered on that expectation. . . . [Halliburton] is the embodiment of the Iron Triangle, the nexus of the government, military, and big business that President Eisenhower warned America about in his farewell speech. . . . Halliburton has transcended its existence as an unromantic provider of oil-well cementing and Army logistics support to become a political chess piece in a match that won’t be decided until November 2004."

–From the Prologue

Prologue.

PART I. THE EARLY YEARS.

1. Erle P. Halliburton and the Million-Dollar Boast.

2. The Road to Riches.

PART II. PUBLIC MONEY, PRIVATE PROFIT.

3. The Man Behind the Dam That Built Brown & Root.

4. Guns or Butter.

5. Collateral Damage: The Leleand Olds Story.

6. Our Man in Office.

PART III. FROM VIETNAM TO IRAQ.

7. Vietnam and Project Rathole.

8. Empty Pockets.

9. The Big Score.

10. Backseat Cheney.

11. Fall from Grace.

Notes.

Bibliography.

Index.