An Iraqi cleaner and two cooks claim that a culture of sexual harassment,
abuse and bullying exists at the British Embassy in Baghdad.
The middle-aged cleaner told The Times that a British contractor with
KBR, the company hired to maintain the embassy’s premises, offered to double
her daily pay if she would stay the night with him. When she refused, she
said, her pay was cut and she was later dismissed.
The Iraqis accuse the embassy of leaving the abuse unchallenged and failing
adequately to respond to complaints against several British managers for
KBR. The company was allowed to conduct its own inquiry, an arrangement
criticised as a very serious conflict of interest.
The complainants – the cleaner and two male cooks who worked in the embassy
canteen – say that some KBR managers groped Iraqi staff regularly, paid or
otherwise rewarded them for sex and dismissed those who refused or spoke
out.
The British Embassy heard the complaints initially but left KBR to
investigate; a KBR report found that there was no case to answer.
The three Iraqis lost their jobs at the embassy, in the Green Zone. They spoke
to The Times in the hope that the Foreign Office would conduct an
independent inquiry.
The allegations, outlined in testimonies taken by embassy officials last June
and obtained by this newspaper, describe a culture of sexual harassment. The
cleaner said that on one occasion her manager “threw many $100 notes on the
desk and said, ‘take whatever you want and stay overnight and I will pay you
double [your daily pay]’. ”
KBR – a global engineering and services company that has a similar contract to
provide catering and cleaning services to the US Embassy in Baghdad – denies
the claims. In an e-mail to The Times sent from its Houston
headquarters, it said that there was no evidence to support the allegations.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We’ve discussed [the investigation] with KBR
in detail and are satisfied.”
The Iraqi claimants say that they were never interviewed by KBR investigators.
They told The Times that their KBR managers accused them of “poor
work” and “lying”. The managers, who denied the charges, were reinstated
after month-long suspensions with pay. There are no claims of wrongdoing
against staff directly employed by the embassy.
Samer Muscati, a former employee of Adam Smith International (ASI), a
consultancy hired by the Department for International Development and based
in the embassy, said that the cleaner approached him.
She first went to embassy officials after she was sacked last May. She had
worked at the compound for two years and said that she had been forced out
for refusing to spend the night with her KBR manager.
Two men, Nasser and Hassan, who worked for KBR in the embassy canteen,
supported her allegations. Asked by The Times why no one else came
forward, Nasser said: “There is no work outside so everyone is worried about
their jobs.” They said they felt compelled to speak out because the cleaner
was an honourable woman.
On June 5 and 6, 2007, the three Iraqis were interviewed by embassy officials,
including Matthew Lodge, then Britain’s Deputy Head of Mission in Iraq.
According to a record of that meeting seen by The Times, Mr Lodge
said that the testimonies would be treated in “complete confidence”,
encouraging the witnesses to speak openly. He also indicated that the
embassy was responsible for “ensuring that the behaviour of all staff on
embassy premises was acceptable”.
A few days later KBR’s local manager called the two men into his office.
Hassan and Nasser were sent home on paid leave and later sacked.
The testimonies collected by Mr Lodge were given to Dominic Asquith, then the
Ambassador, and forwarded to the Foreign Office in London. Mr Lodge and Mr
Asquith did not reply to requests for comment. Steve Bird, a Foreign Office
spokesman in London, said the investigation was handed over to KBR because
the allegations involved “KBR staff against KBR staff”.
Mr Bird described KBR’s investigation as “thorough and professional”.
He said that it was his understanding that the Iraqi claimants had testified
to KBR. However, the three told The Times that they were never
contacted by the company. Their claims are backed up by staff at the ASI
consultancy, which examined KBR’s findings.
A memo, sent by a senior ASI consultant to Mr Lodge and seen by The Times,
criticised KBR’s investigation, saying that as well as failing to interview
the Iraqis the company had also omitted to talk to other senior embassy
officials who had interviewed the cleaner when she first made her claim.
KBR’s report stated that “we have found no evidence to support the claims of
serious sexual harassment”, according to ASI.
KBR would not respond to questions about its investigation or its conclusions.
Employees of KBR have been implicated previously in alleged sexual assaults
on their American female colleagues in Iraq.
Mr Muscati’s ASI team lobbied the Foreign Office to reopen the investigation,
to no avail. He said: “It’s not just shocking that KBR was given the
authority to investigate itself, but that the embassy accepted its findings
at face value. We’ve tried to seek redress, but they’ve stonewalled us.”
The Times tracked down the cleaner to her tiny flat. She reiterated the
allegations she says she made to embassy officials last June. “I suffered
this aggression under the British flag,” she said. “I felt like I had been
destroyed.”
The Iraqis claimed that KBR managers bribed other workers to ensure that
investigators heard a one-sided version of events. “Why didn’t they call us
to tes-tify?” Nasser asked. “I would have asked to be given a lie-detector
test to see whether I am telling the truth.”
After the cleaner’s dismissal, but before KBR investigators arrived in
Baghdad, Mr Lodge wrote a letter of recommendation on her behalf. Mr Lodge
wrote that she was “recognised as hard-working and industrious – the local
KBR manager described her to me as a ‘good worker’.”
A "thorough and professional" investigation during which the complainants weren't even interviewed?
Remarkable!
Karen Lucas, Liverpool, UK
The joys of "freedom"
jayil, London, UK
KBR reeks of corruption and internal cover-ups. the women have no reason to lie.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5737726.html
Mary, Toronto, Canada
proof please
knight, aberdeen, uk
comments about contractors, cleaners or cultures are irrelevant. harassment shouldn't be tolerated. nor should false allegations. the only question is whether the investigation was properly conducted. most companies handle such complaints internally. the cleaner should go to court if not happy.
jem, london, uk
KBR, formerly a subsidiary of Halliburton, is an American company. Perhaps the title of the article should also be changed to 'US contractor acused of sexual harassment at British Embassy in Bagdad' for those who don't bother to read the article itself.
Andrej, Ljubljana, Slovenia
and we should believe them why? all these Iraquis seem to do is bitch and whine. they're probably just after a fat British paycheck. And even if there were a bit of indiscretion, so what? Was it really that great under Saddam?
Tom, London,
Interesting international employment law issue here.
Since this is the British Embassy and hence British territory then doesn't English Law apply? - I'm thinking employment tribunals here - unfair dismissal/ sexual discrimination!!!
Depends on the "contract" if any I suppose.
John, Prudhoe, England
Just more evidence of massive corruption by the contractors in Iraq, and the unwillingness of anyone in the Bush administration to do something about it.
Umm.......this about about abuse under BRITISH authority, not the United States. Did Bush cause the cyclone too?
Jim, Manchester, USE
No I am not muslim,no I dont feel strongly about the intervention in Iraq one way or the other because ultimately,its geopolitics.But I find it offensive if accusations of abuse r made against British/American citizens and it is immediately assumed that the Iraqis r lying n its not invstgtd properly
Phoenix, London,
Hey Tom and John from the USA--I believe the point here is that an independent investigation should be done to make sure no abuse is taking place. Sexual abuse occurs against the elderly (seriously, Tom!) and is even committed by seemingly nice Brits on occasion (hard to believe, John, I know).
Gayle, Phoenix, USA
Conquered people usually are made to suffer indignities. Whether these people were liberated or not they are conquered. I find it interesting that some have commented that the accused are innocent until proven guilty. True, but applied more broadly and you cant invade Iraq in the first place.
JohnG, North Carolina, USA
"The <middle-aged> cleaner said... her manager “threw many $100 notes.. and said, ‘take whatever you want...”
To any familiar with the sex trade.. such a claim is highly-suspect.
An attempt to extort gullible foreigners ?
Likely given the reaction here.
petras, Ottawa, Canada
I wonder if you are aware that on the Drudge Report, the pointer to this story is "British Embassy Staff offer Iraqis money for sex". No mention of KBR at all.
That's the US for you.
jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA
Denial of thes eallegations on the basis of a) Saddam once ran the country and that was worse and b) I play Battlefield 2 with these guys so they couldn't have done it, is self evidently moronic.
andy, Maidstone, UK
I personally believe the claimants..... Mostly due to my experiences with corporate behaviour....
I would bet there is a lot going wrong with KBR, and they are doing everything they can to pay off everyone they can.
tim, Tampa, USA
As a contracted organisation, it is KBR's responsibility to investigate any claims made by its employees. The fact these alleged incidents took place at an Embassy, is by the by. The Embassy has no moral or legal obligation to support or deny any claims that may or may not be found to be legitimate.
Katy, London, England
This is the legacy that tyrants leave for their people. Humiliation!
Ali, Tehran, Iran
Why doesn't the UK Embassy give their contracts for work to UK firms?
Joe, London, UK
Perhaps this is a bad time to point this out, but in typical British fashion, two of the three alleged victims were male.
Fred M, Connecticut, USA
The Gringos and the Brits should just leave before they finally get thrown out on their ears.
Has it ever occured to anyone that, maybe just maybe, the Iraqis don't want your shity democracy along with Western corruption.
Mannstein, Cambridge MA., USA
I worked for KBR in Iraq.I am an honest, moral, hard-working individual.I got fired after I reported sexual harassment and lewd propositions by my co-workers.Guess who won the mandatory arbitration...duh, KBR! KBR gives America a bad, they are a stench in the noses of many people in Iraq.
Julie, Salt Lake City,
They SAY that harrasment and sexual assault is all about power not sex and that a target victim's attractiveness is of no importance. Please. Attractive people are more likely to be targeted. However with burqas that issue may be mute.
Patty, LA,
I have read the comments and saw none that considered the possibility that one of the terrorist groups had ordered the Iraqis to make these allegations, or have their and their families' throats cuts.. This is a standard operation of all kinds of totalitarians, has been since Lenin and before.
Bill, Brooksville, KY
It's a complete disgrace. To get KBR to investigate KBR is against the principles of natural justice. I am disgusted by the lack of decorum shown by our foreign office, and would ask the times to use any influence they have to pressurise the foreign office into having an investigation.
jenny, bham,
It seems fairly obvious that these incidents are occurring with increasing regularity, particularly in war-torn countries. Workers are being assigned to positions of responsibility to which they are not suited. The international dilomatic community needs to fo more thorough background checks on OWs.
Doug, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Probably a lie
Jack Thompson, NYC, USA
If the allegations in this story are true, this is a classic case of those who have lording over and trying to dominate those who have not. Contractors are just that, contractors. It is detestible that the British Embassy didn't think enough of the claims but allowed the abuser to "self regulate".
Herman, St. Louis, United States
Joe from Boulder
Are you serious?!? There are places in the USA where law abiding citizens can't sit on their porches in the evening for the wild west shootouts that are going on each night. Citzens in New Orleans being called "refugees" post-Katrina. Thank the U.S. for the Iraqi Civil war.
Herman, St. Louis, United States
I believe it happend, when there is smoke, there is fire, and embassy staff can throw their weight around and threaten the Iraqui female workers for sex, knowing that any question of their behaviour would be cleared by their colleauges, the KBR.
I would hope there would be a strong
investigation
tom, Vancouver, Canada
Who has heard of such details? "Threw hundreds on the table" ,etc. Why stay the night? With the political implications, wouldn't it feel more likely that someone has already paid for these allegations to be made?
Andrew, Lexington, KY, USA
Just more evidence of massive corruption by the contractors in Iraq, and the unwillingness of anyone in the Bush administration to do something about it.
Thaddeus , Tempe, U.S.A.
'Sex abuse' is putting it a bit strongly! I believe in being as punctilious as the next person, but don't they realise that there's a war on?
Mike Hart, London, UK
Can we get this clear? The article says that an American company (KBR)based in Houston (yes, readers, that's in Texas, USA) was contracted to provide services at the British Embassy in Iraq. A British (sub-)contractor working for KBR then harassed the Iraqi lady. A joint US-British venture, it seems
RW, London,
Hard to say what the truth is, but certainly the company shouldn't be doing the investigation of itself. If an outside 3rd party investigation said it was bogus, I would be more confident than the company investigating itself.
Tom, Fredericksburg, USA
This is not about the Brits, but about KBR, a US services company, better know as Kellog, Brown & Root and owned by Halliburton until April 2007.
No doubt KBR was "appointed" by the US to perform lucrative services at all embassies in IRAQ and just like Blackwater things went bad!
John, London, UK
Pat
Never justify bad behavior with worse behavior.These people aren't criticizing our govt. they are criticizing a private company who has been paid billions and done a shoddy job. KBR's electricians alone can be blamed for two dead US solidiers. Check it out: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4
Alex, Lake Tahoe, USA
well done to The Times for exposing this outrageous exploitation of workers in Baghdad.. im sure Mr.Hussein would be impressed with his British counterparts. The Embassy should re-instate the workers , compensate them and fire the offending KBR managers.
eilis stanley, wicklow, ireland
Joe, they also are without jobs, food, employment, running water, sewage spills out into the streets and live in hovels. Given your ignorance, I am not surprised a fellow American can make such a cold, callous and pathetic comment. Is this your idea of Liberation,
Varsi Padayachee, Poolesville, MD, USA
Having worked in both the UK and US embassy as a contractor, I can say that sexual harassment is very very likely. When you give people the kind of power that has been given to all of the contractors in Iraq they become egocentric and care little for the people they are there to help.
John, Syracuse, USA
It is pathetic to see Brits blaming Americans and Americans accusing at Brits here. The meaning of this article is not to create more conflict between different races! I suppose there are enough conflicts in this world. More rational discussion seems to be more sensible.
Winifred, London,
Frankly people who have made a mockery of this article should be throughly ashamed. what if this happened to someone close to you? sexual harassment isn't something to take lightly, regardless of the VICTIM'S age or background.
cherry, london, UK
Absolutely incredible. I'm online with Brits every day for a fun game of Battlefield 2 and the general camaraderie. Not one of them nor us here in the U.S. would condone such behavior and would go out of our way to stop it were it done in our presence. Next it'll be George Bush's fault.
John Campbell, Bakersfield, CA., U.S.A.
If these people had made these claims in Saddam's Iraq, they would have had their tongues cut out -- or worse. Whether the claims are valid is up to investigators to determine. It isn't possible to adjudicate these claims here. At the very least it is now possible in Iraq to bring such claims.
Patrick C., Irvine, USA
Getting K BR to investigate, is like getting the fox to investiate what happened in the henhouse.
margie , victoria, australia
And so our glorious occupation of Iraq continues..
Owen, London, UK
Its seems together with democracy the Brits have also exported their work ethics.
javed, london, uk
I don't see the reason why she would lie about the whole thing.In a country like Iraq,I think she would like to work in a foreign embassy!People need to survive.
XieChunlin, beijing, China
Aslan,
Seriously??? I've read all of the posted comments, and there are plenty of Americans who think this is despicable if true. Really pathetic on your part to blame Americans for British behavior. Was British behavior when it was a colonial power impeccable?
Andrew, Atlanta GA, USA
No surprise to me there. Contractors are nothing else than war profiters, just like the British and American government. Both countries are struggling with crime at home, and in the name of democracy go and kill and torture people abroad so that they can make money and put that in their swiss banks.
lauren, London, Uk
Compensation, compensation, compensation, LOADS of compensation.
Graham Miller , Valencia, Spain
I suppose if its OK to travel to the middle east and Smash up and support puppet regimes then this pales into insignificance. Why is the media focusing on this issue and not the real one ??
Mark, Gateshead, UK
Joe, you should be ashamed.thanks for what.?now the iraqis have no power no water no roads no security and now you try to take away their dignity.how come the US readers on this site seem so cool about this? as a brit we have become to americanised as it is hence this kind of behaviour. shame on us
aslan, london,
Can't say it surprises me - all you have to do is look at the way Russians get treated when applying for Visas in Moscow to understand that anything is possible with these jobsworths.
Bill Beetham, Moscow, Russia
We don't know that any of these allegations are true. Why jump immediately to the conclusion that they are? If someone is accused of theft, you wait until it is proved before calling them a thief.
verbena, Bristol, UK,
I work in an Embassy in London. As a British citizen working for a foreign government I am made to feel like a second class citizen. There is an invisible divide between the nationalities in Embassies and unspoken Xenophobia or 'silent racism' is often rife in such environemnts.
Anna-Marie, London,
Does that somehow make this ok? I don't understand how your comment has anything to do with what happened to these Iraqis.
Private contractors in Iraq are completely lawless in Iraq, and this is just ANOTHER example of them not answering to anyone except theirselves.
Andrew, Indianapolis, USA
having to choose between your livelihood or your dignity is NOT freedom. It's still tyranny, though on a petty, amateur scale. This is not the kind freedom they deserve, nor the measure of liberty that has been bought and paid for in blood, sacrifice, and tragedy. Let's not say 'good enough.' OK?
lee, stillwater, ok, USA
Sexual abuse in situations where foreign contractors have no accountability is very likely. the iraqis in question have no incentive to lie, having been fired for making the allegations. it is heinous to suggest that iraqis are now at least "liberated" by the very people who continue to abuse them.
Leslie, montreal, canada
Re the comments from Pittsburgh and Boulder: Oh my god.
Pete, Leicester, England
Sexual harassment like this wouldn't be tolerated in Britain. It shouldn't be tolerated when citizens who are representing Britain do it in Iraq.
Shannon, Seattle, USA
I cannot believe the sanctimonius comments made by some of the readers! Sexual harassment has got nothing to do with what the woman looks like! It is about the power of one individual to force him or herself on another human being! This goes on all the time in the world of "international affairs"!
Rhoda, Shanghai, China
It's a shame that a few people would blemish the otherwise stellar record of service the British have rendered in Iraq. However, it's important to remember the distance between being groped by European businessmen and the dungeons of Oudai and Kusai Hussein.
Bill, Shrewsbury, USA
"An contractor offers a middle-aged cleaner many hundreds of dollars to spend the night?
Sounds a little unlikely to me."
You obviously have no idea how much contractors in Iraq are making. The rest is just ignorant speculation.
Mike, Greenville, USA
To John Davis.. I don't remember the article saying how old the contractor was, or how good looking the lady was. We shouldn't jump to conclusions in either direction.
And to Joe in Boulder.. Doesn't seem like she had any luck defending herself. Sounds about like a Halliburton type company to me
Bob, Milford, NJ, USA
I'm not sure why everyobe assumes the Iraqis are lying or why it is acceptable for them to be harassed because they are now not imprisoned or tortured.
The truth is someone is lying but the investigation is flawed.
Eric, Chicago,
The issue should be whether or not the investigation was carried our properly. If it was and the verdict is "no basis for complaint" then suspicion can be allayed. When they didn't even interview the complainants, it is hard not to suspect that some serious injustice has occurred.
Luma, Singapore,
An contractor offers a middle-aged cleaner many hundreds of dollars to spend the night?
Sounds a little unlikely to me.
John Davies, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Good job Britain
Frank, phila, usa
At least these iraqi citizens now live in a country where they can defend themselves without facing imprisonment and torture. Thanks to the USA and the Brits for liberating these poor people!
joe, boulder, USA