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Halliburton, the subsidiary of Kellogg, Brown, and Root, is in the news again, this time being charged with attempted bribery in Nigeria to buy liquefied natural gas facilities. Two British citizens working for the company formerly headed by former Vice President Dick Cheney, now face charges, according to the US justice department. Cheney’s leadership of Halliburton is only one among many criticisms levied at Halliburton, particularly since the start of the Iraq war, more than 6 years ago. The company received billions of dollars in government contracts to provide services to forces stationed in Iraq, and has been accused of overcharges, bribes, and kickbacks. The company was also the subject of a documentary by progressive film maker, Robert Greenwald, called Iraq For Sale. Now, a new book by Corpwatch’s Pratap Chatterjee details the history of how Halliburton, and it’s parent company KBR, were catapulted into the world of Washington power politics, going all the way back to World War II. According to Chatterjee, the new way in which wars are fought, freeing up an all-volunteer army from menial tasks, ensures that companies like Halliburton will continue to profit from war.

GUEST: Pratap Chatterjee, Managing Editor of Corpwatch, author of “Halliburton’s Army: How a Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionized the Way America Makes War.”