Mar 27 2007
The manufacture of laser gear could be done cheaper overseas
Headline:
ITT fined $100 million for illegal exports
Story:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The leading manufacturer of night vision gear for the Defense Department has admitted sending classified materials overseas and will pay a $100 million penalty, according to federal prosecutors, who say the actions of ITT Corp. have jeopardized the security of U.S. soldiers.
ITT, based in Roanoke, Va., exported classified or sensitive technical data to China, Singapore and Britain without having obtained authorization from the United States, prosecutors said.
The conviction is the first involving a major defense contractor violating the Arms Export Control Act, prosecutors said.
Saying that American soldiers are “the principal victims of ITT’s crimes,” U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said he has structured the $100 million penalty so that half of the money is spent by ITT to develop a next-generation night vision system and “ensure that our soldiers have the best night vision equipment in the world.”
Question: WHY are we rewarding this corrupt corporation with more business for the Defense Dept.? Wouldn’t it be better to ban this outfit from having any contracts the US Government? This pisses me off. And I’m not taking this well. Giving them MORE money is a reward; forcing them to develop more technology is stupid- once they get away with sharing it, it’s never going to be something to be trusted.
Prosecutors said the probe began Aug. 1, 2001, when Defense Department investigators discovered that ITT night vision employees sent a classified military document to Britain.
The company engaged in a “regular pattern of export violations and misrepresentation” to the U.S. government from 1980 to 2005, prosecutors said.
In some cases, information was transferred because the manufacture of laser gear could be done cheaper overseas.
ITT “went to significant lengths to set up an end run” around State Department licensing systems, prosecutors said, including enlisting a front company to export the systems.
Ahh…so we’re outsourcing the making of equipment our troops depend on? Why not have AMERICANS make this stuff? Yeah..it might cost more, but WE’RE WORTH IT. I’m so sick of all these jobs being sent overseas…where bad consequences can and do happen. It’s ALWAYS ABOUT FUCKING MONEY. (Now you all know why I detest money…it really is a root to so much evil.)
Sometimes I think our government is out to destroy our own country.
8 Responses to “The manufacture of laser gear could be done cheaper overseas”
Money’s the root of pretty much all evil. That and power - but money is power so I suppose it all is routed out of money.
This is sickening.
ITT Corporation Sells US Defense Secrets and is Rewarded With New Contract
ITT Corporation has a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to to manufacture night vision goggles for our Troops and has sold the technology to China, Singapore and Britain.
So much for American Soldiers owning the night.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — …
It’s more than sickening. Its JUST WRONG. Plain wrong.
Like I said…I think the government is out to kill this country half the time with the lack of thought that goes into some of this stuff.
GRRRR This makes me furious! I agree Raven, I think so too that our government is out to kill this great country. I jsut keep seeing signs of it almost every day. It breaks my heart.
I’d like to know how many other companies DO THIS CRAP. We should look around and research it…bet we’ll find a lot.
This cavalier discarding of national security in favor of business profiteering has been going on for a long time under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Clinton had the Loral controversy, for instance.
And after fining ITT $100 million, rather than suspending their participation, the government turns around and gives half of the fine back to them. Is this corruption, or does ITT really have the U.S. by our short hairs? And if the latter, why aren’t we going to do something about it so that this doesn’t happen again. This behavior unfortunately tends to give credence to the old quote attributed most commonly to Lenin about capitalists selling us the rope we’ll use to hang them.
CT– I absolutely so agree with the last quote by Lenin.
Is the desire for money so BAD, so powerful, so IMPORTANT that we allow our soul to be sold for a price? I guess so.
We’re doing it Americans all the time: We’re selling our jobs to Mexico and China and India for the sake of profit; but that’s not enough. No. We’re tempting illegal immigrants to our country by offering the carrot of OUR JOBS. It’s not that no American is willing to do the work; it’s that we expect a half way decent wage and benefits. Greedy corps and companies aren’t willing to put out. So…here we are.
Sir,
I work at ITT Corp. I was informed yesterday that our company may have sold secrects unfriendly nations, I did not believe it. I decided to do so research on the subject. I came across your post, and I have become ill. I work there because I believe in America, and the War on Terror, a war that I am a proud veteran.I want my friends to win the war and come home safe, this action hampers both. This revelation and other unconstuitonal acts of our government such as the private Army of Black Water, have me gravely concerned as to whom the Executive is serving. I am unsure what can be done, I am afraid the Republic no longer serves the people of this great land.