In sometimes-graphic testimony in a Houston federal courtroom Wednesday, Naval Criminal Investivative Service agent Kelly Barcino described how Breda's alleged victim said Breda forced himself on her. After helping move her into new quarters, Breda tried to kiss the woman, exposed his penis, and pushed the alleged victim onto the bed, according to Barcino's testimony.
"KBR immediately reported the allegations of assault against Mr. Breda to the NCIS and cooperated fully with their investigation," said KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne in an emailed statement Wednesday. "KBR in no way condones or tolerates unethical or illegal behavior. The safety and security of our employees, subcontractors and customers is our top priority."
Thursday morning, Breda's attorney Roderick White said that "it wouldn't be appropriate for me right now to comment on the specific facts of the case."
Present at Wednesday's hearing was Jamie Leigh Jones, a former KBR employee who alleged in 2007 she had been a victim of a gang rape while working in Baghdad. No charges were ever brought in her case, although a 20/20 investigation of her story brought worldwide attention to the plight of sexually assaulted U.S. workers in war zones.
"I wanted to be here and I just can't believe it is finally happening that one of us does get justice," she said outside the hearing.
The above is from Gina Sunseri and Justin Rood's "Sexual Assault Charges for Former Iraq Contractor" (ABC News) and good for Jamie Leigh Jones for continuing her efforts and good for the reporters for noting her but it's not her and the most recent victim. In fact, 20/20's own aired investigation spoke to more than that. But it's a sign of how little it matters that it still receives so little attention. People will gas bag all day tomorrow about video of an accident in 2004 and what ever other 'important' topic. They'll lose themselves (repeatedly) in the most inconsequential gossip and rumors and all around the world falls apart and women and men are sexually abused but no one wants to face that either -- didn't the big 'news' story of this month teach us that as well?
Veterans testified today before a House Veterans Affairs subcomittee and MST (Military Sexual Trauma) was among the topics. How much attention will that hearing get? Those who followed it learned that some rape victims seeking VA treatment for their assault are forced to report to mental institutions for their therapy. They're victims of sexual assault but they're having to go to a mental ward or institution for therapy? How does that happen? Tuesday in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing we learned that the VA has gynecologist tables facing the door, feet first facing the door, and that in at least once instance, the door opened out into the waiting room.
How does that happen? How do either of those things happen?
Because we don't care that much about sexual assault in this country. We certainly don't care enough to be outraged.
And, let's get really honest, as a country we don't care about the troops. I'm not saying the troops should be your first concern or shouldn't. I am saying that a lot of people spent a lot of time acting like the troops were heroes and their best friends and put a flag here and a yellow ribbon there.
But in both hearings this week, the ones testifying were veterans.
And they weren't just disrespected because they were women, they were also disrespected because they were veterans. I'm not referring to Congress disrespecting them. I'm referring to what passes for the 'news.' Now let's think of the morning 'news' programs. On broadcast TV. They had plenty of time to devote non-stop to a dead entertainer day after day, week after week this month. And they found time to speak to trash Levi whatever, the man who doesn't support his child and is a homophobe who posed shirtless for a men's magazine out this month while the text told you that Levi would beat up any gay man he encountered or any man he suspected was gay. Oh, the passion! I guess those 'straight' readers of men's fashion magazines (surely only straight guys read men's fashion magazines, right?) are supposed to drool over the topless photo of Levi and jerk off to the thought of him beating them? The network 'news' is happy to do that. It's how you get a known homophobe, a person who brags about it, a person who is unemployed and apparently can't hold down a job, a person who is a Deadbeat Dad, a person who does nothing but trash the family raising his child, a person who brags about how he doesn't believe in birth control -- that's how you get such a person on TV as an 'expert.' On network 'news' as an expert.
That crap you get. Coverage of veterans? Forget it. They'd rather sniff the panties and boxers then take the time needed to actually do a report. They'd rather find some non-news topic that's already proven to be popular and tease it and tease it until they climax and the ratings fall. There was the OJ circus in the 90s and seems like it's always a circus. (And we do realize that Levi's nothing but a CW version of Kato Kaelin: The Early Years, right?) It's rarely ever news however.
The Los Angeles Times reports: "About 37% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health problems, a nearly 50% increase from the last time the prevalence was calculated, according to a new study published today analyzing national Department of Veterans Affairs data. The study, which examined the records of about 289,000 veterans who sought care at the VA between 2002 and 2008, also found higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression." You know what? If the trashy people of TV news and can stop stroking and fingering themselves for a few seconds, they may find time for that tomorrow. More than likely, they'll have some more non-news to provide you with.
More trash and some will eat it up. A lot will turn it off and possibly assume there are no big stories in the world today because if there were the TV trash wouldn't be repeatedly allowed to waste your time. Their own time? Hey, fish got to swim and pigs got to wallow. So the TV trash has to wallow in this cesspool. But we don't. And we don't have the time to waste on that garbage.
It's over, I'm done writing songs about love
There's a war going on
So I'm holding my gun with a strap and a glove
And I'm writing a song about war
And it goes
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Oh oh oh oh
-- "I Hate The War" (written by Greg Goldberg, on The Ballet's Mattachine!)
Last Thursday, ICCC's number of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war was 4322. Tonight? 4323. In tomorrow's
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