Hightower Lowdown

Is any low too low for Halliburton?

This giant government contractor with tentacles running straight into the White House has previously been caught overcharging U.S. taxpayers and shortchanging U.S. troops for its work in Iraq. But now we learn that Halliburton has been profiting in Iraq by mistreating foreign workers. By "foreign," I don't mean Iraqis. Even though thousands of folks there are desperate for jobs, Halliburton has brought thousands of laborers from southern India, Thailand, and the Philippines to work in U.S. bases as cooks, electricians, launderers, custodians, etc. They are mostly 20-somethings, powerless... and exploited.

When recruited, most have no idea they are headed for a war zone. Once there, they are branded as TCNsThird Country Nationalswhich is both a derogatory term and an assurance of third-class treatment at best.They are paid a fraction of what other Halliburton workers get, and their meager paychecks are often several months behind, keeping them in debt and in place.They work 12-hour days and are allowed only one day a month offwithout pay.

The TCNs are housed in cramped trailers jammed endto- end with bunk beds. They're not allowed to eat with the Americans, nor do they get to eat the same foodtheirs is shipped in, cold and tasteless.They cannot use phones or the recreation facility. Even though their bases regularly come under attack, TCNs are issued no body armor or helmets.

It's bad enough that Halliburton is doing this at all, but it's far worse that these actions are taking place under our flag and in our name. What must Iraqis and Asians think as they watch how one of our country's most-favored corporations treats workers who are nonwhite and poor?

For more: www.corpwatch. org.