The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • A13

FRIDAY A13 THE FRESNO BEE THE FRESNO BEE SOUTH 13 Printed 20:52 Logical Page is THE FRESNO BY JACKIE SPINNER A I BAGHDAD, Iraq Military offi- cials said Thursday that U.S. Ma- rines killed 25 insurgents and cap- tured 25 more in heavy fighting in the western town of Ramadi the day before, and Iraqi police said they arrested more than 200 people after an overnight raid in Baghdad with U.S. soldiers on a dangerous street frequented by criminal gangs and anti-Ameri- can forces. Meanwhile, police in the north- ern town of Beiji said an unidenti- fied decapitated body was found Wednesday night on the banks of the Tigris River. A Bulgarian official said anoth- er decapitated body found near the same spot last week was that of kidnapped truck driver Georgi Lazov, 30.

Lazov and Ivaylo Kepov, 32, both Bulgarian truck- ers, were taken hostage on June 29 near the northern city of Mosul by insurgents who claimed affiliation with al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Witnesses told the Associated Press that the body found Wednesday was clad in an orange jumpsuit, the kind of garment in which kidnappers in Iraq have fre- quently clothed foreign captives. The witnesses said a severed head was found in a bag next to the body. More than 60 hostages have been taken in recent months in a campaign by insurgents to drive out foreign troops and civilian workers aiding the U.S.-led recon- struction, a trend that has left many foreigners here on edge and leery of straying far from their work sites. On Wednesday, an Islamic mili- tant group announced that it had captured six civilians from India, Kenya and Egypt and threatened to behead them one by one start- ing on Saturday unless their coun- tries withdrew all workers from Iraq.

All are truck drivers for a Ku- waiti company. The announcement came a day after the Philippines complied with demands made by the cap- tors of a Filipino truck driver and its 51 troops to leave Iraq a month ahead of schedule. Foreign gov- ernments sharply criticized Phil- ippines President Gloria Macaga- pal Arroyo for bowing to the kid- demands, saying it would encourage further kidnap- pings. The Filipino truck driver, Ange- lo dela Cruz was released Wednes- day. Cruz arrived home in the Phil- ippines on Thursday, where he fell into the arms of his weeping father, who met him at the air- port with his wife and children.

A spokesman for the Kenyan government on Thursday urged its citizens to leave Iraq immedi- ately. An official with the Indian Foreign Ministry said that govern- ment was working to secure the release of its three hostages. There was no immediate reaction from the Egyptian government. In Kenya, Muslim leaders and relatives of the hostages appealed to militants to release the Kenyan truck drivers, saying the men were good Muslims who went to Iraq to support their families. plea to those who are hold- ing our brother to release him without any condition because he is a family man who went to make an honest living out said Fail Khakis, younger brother of one of the captives, Abraham Khakis.

brother bore no ill will to the people of decision Thursday made it the latest nation to tell its people to leave Iraq. Egypt told its nationals to stop seeking work here earlier this month after Alga- kidnapping. Bulgaria has refused to withdraw its troops but told truck drivers to stop making trips into Iraq. The kidnappings have further complicated Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad efforts to persuade reluctant nations to join the U.S.-led coalition and send troops here. Allawi asked Egypt, which also has a citizen threatened with de- capitation in Iraq, talk to some Arab and Islamic leaders to send forces to a U.N.

mis- sion in the country, he told report- ers in Cairo. But an official in the Egyptian office said Egypt would send troops only if other Arabs do so first. On Wednesday, Egyptian For- eign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said, will not send forces in any In large respect, Thursday was fairly typical day in Iraq, where the kidnappings and bombings may have slowed but certainly have not completely abated since the new Iraqi government took over late last month, promising a new era of security in a country where fear remains a tyrant over the ordinary trappings of daily life. Special correspondents Bas- sam Sabti and Omar Fekeiki con- tributed to this report. The Asso- ciated Press also contributed.

BY ROBERT JR. AND DAVID S. HILZENRATH A I WASHINGTON Halliburton Co. execu- tives told a House committee Thursday that allegations that the company over- charged the government for work in Iraq distorted the truth, and they urged Con- gress to consider the wartime conditions when assessing any financial or logistical missteps. Executives of the KBR subsid- iary appeared on Capitol Hill to respond to charges that it systematically misspent public money while doing $5.6 billion worth of work in Iraq.

we have un- doubtedly made some mistakes, we are confident that KBR has delivered and ac- complished its mission at a fair and reason- able said Alfred Neffgen, the chief operating officer of government opera- tions in the Americas. Whistle-blowers, however, testified at the House Committee on Government Re- form hearing that the KBR unit charged the government $45 for cases of soda, submitted $100 bills for laundry, put up personnel in five-star hotels and aban- doned $85,000 trucks on roadsides be- cause of flat tires. At the end of contradictory testimony about performance, the House committee defeated by a party-line vote a request by committee Democrats to subpoena top Bush administration offi- cials. Democrats wanted correspondence on the decision to give a no-bid secret $2.5 billion oil field restoration contract to Vice President Dick former firm. Among the whistle-blowers were two truck drivers who first told Knight Ridder Newspapers about the abandoned trucks and reported that empty trucks hired by KBR crisscrossed Iraq at taxpayer expense.

seemed like there was no end in sight for the money being said truck driv- er James Warren of Rutherfordton, N.C., a former driver for KBR in Iraq. He was fired for reasons that he and the company dis- pute. KBR came first; soldiers came testified former KBR logistics spe- cialist Marie DeYoung of Philadelphia. Truckers Warren and David Wilson of Venus, said KBR did almost no routine maintenance on its vehicles, which at times meant trucks had to be abandoned when they broke down. KBR transportation chief Keith Richard denied those charges, saying regular main- tenance was performed every two weeks.

Ten other current and former KBR truck- ers who spoke with Knight Ridder sided with Wilson and Warren, however. never got a truck maintenanced the whole time I was former driver Shane Ratliff of Ruby, S.C., told Knight Rid- der in April. KBR officials and whistle-blowers also squared off over the lavish or not so lav- ish government-paid accommodations provided to contractor personnel. DeYoung, a former Army captain, opera- tions officer and chaplain, said many KBR officials checked into the five-star Kempin- ski Julaia Resort in Kuwait City, a KBR stag- ing and administrative hub, at a cost she put at $110 per person per day. By compari- son, she said, troops stayed in tents at a cost of $1.39 per soldier per day.

Rep. Henry Waxman, brandished pho- tos of the large pool, lush rooms and cavernous hallways. Adding to that litany, Waxman cited a new report by his staff that he said showed Halliburton charged the government $167 million more than necessary to im- port gasoline into Iraq. Neffgen countered with photos of lines of tents, and cramped makeshift housing in prefab containers. He said of KBR employees in the region live in tents and prefabs as troops do.

Because its employees in hotels often double up, the cost at the Kempinski is closer to $45 a per- son. The hearing was deeply partisan from the start. Democrats, led by Waxman, re- peatedly referred to the fact that Cheney was chief executive before he was vice president. They suggested that Halliburton and its subsidiaries defrauded the government. Waxman said he believes that Cheney or his staff had more involvement in Hallibur- ton contracts than they have said.

a boondoggle that is enriching a lot of con- he said of the projects in Iraq. request to have the committee subpoena communications between office and the Pentagon failed on a party-line vote. Chairman Tom Davis, called the efforts a in search of material instead of facts. are having this hearing today because there are those who believe we have a company, Kellogg, Brown and Root, that is wasting tax dollars or abusing its contracting role, or even defrauding the U.S. Davis said as he opened the hearing.

happen to he said. have yet to see any serious evidence of this. What you see are occasional failures to communicate, inattentiveness in adhering to strict business procedures and a less- than-perfect accounting Davis praised KBR and other govern- ment contractors. sacrifices these people make are he said. The KBR executives followed up with an appeal for understanding of the hazards and rapidly shifting demands of a combat zone under which their employees worked and sometimes died.

The high cost of fuel was principally a result of high logistical expenses and secu- rity challenges, which prevented tankers from making as many trips to Iraq as the company had expected, Neffgen said in prepared testimony. One reason for higher prices was its inability to purchase fuel in Turkey, said Charles Cox, a KBR operations execu- tive. Turkish drivers often refused to make the journey, and the Army gave the compa- ny specific instructions on how much fuel to purchase from Kuwait and Turkey, Cox said. Knight Ridder Newspapers contribut- ed to this report. When Sunday, brunch.

We invite you to join us for our all-you-can-enjoy Brunch Buffet. With traditional favorites, including our salad bar, carving station, waffle bar, omelettes made-to-order and pie bakery treat bar. Adults Kids $4.00 Off 2 Adult Sunday Brunches Good on any 2 adult Sunday Brunches. As a courtesy to guests dining alone, this coupon is valid for $2 off a single adult brunch. One coupon per party per visit.

Not valid with any other offers, specials or meals. Valid at participating locations only. Offer expires POS Code: MKTG 2, MKTG Promo 2 06 43 12 07 04 Fresno Cedar Shaw 1781 E. Shaw Ave. (559) 224-8434 Fresno Marty West Shaw 3602 W.

Shaw Ave. (559) 271-0148 Fresno Blackstone Nees 7825 N. Blackstone Ave. (559) 451-0806 Visalia Mooney Highway 198 350 S. Mooney Blvd.

(559) 738-1442 $1299 WAR IN IRAQ U.S., Iraqis try to quell militant fighting Troops kill 25 and capture 25 in Ramadi and assist 200 police arrests in Baghdad. Halliburton executives dispute charges of waste in Iraq Whistle-blowers testify that company misspent public money. BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA NOTICE The California Public Utilities Commission (The will hold hearings as listed below on, Pacific Gas and Electric Application 00-07-013. As amended on April 16, 2004, the application requests authorization to recover a total revenue requirement of 117 million to cover costs for electric restructuring- related activities in 1999 through 2002 through the Distribution Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (DRAM) effective January 1, 2005. These restructuring-related activities include costs incurred for the following: setting up direct access accounts, design and implementation of the Commission ordered customer information and billing system, and acting as scheduling coordinator for municipal utilities and government agencies.

Electric rates will change if the Commission approves proposal. Residential rates may increase. The hearing dates listed below give you an opportunity to express your views to the Commission. You may submit written comments or make a brief oral statement at the hearing. DATES AND LOCATIONS OF HEARINGS IN A.

00-07-013 BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Hearings are scheduled August 3-August 6 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, California 94102 The Commission welcomes your comments. If you cannot attend these hearings, you may submit written comments to the Commission at the address listed above. Simply state that you are writing about Application No. 00-07-013 of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. A copy of Pacific Gas and Electric application may be inspected in its local business office or at its headquarters at 77 Beale Street, San Francisco, California.

Application of PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY for Review and Recovery of Costs Recorded in the Electric Restructuring Costs Account (ERCA) for 1999 and Forecast for 2000 and 2001 (U 39 E) Application No. 00-07-013 WAR ON TERRORISM ASSOCIATED PRESS Iraqi police stand guard after an insurgent attack in capital city, Baghdad, Thursday. Bombings and hostage-taking complicates efforts to persuade nations to send troops to take part in the coalition. IN BRIEF Marine contingent leaves Taliban stronghold KABUL, Afghanistan U.S. Marines have pulled out of a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan after killing more than 100 enemy fighters, their commander said Thursday.

The force, which lost one Marine, has withdrawn to an American air base in the southern city of Kandahar and is preparing to leave the country, Col. Frank McKenzie said. The withdrawal had previous- ly been announced. Military spokesman Maj. Rick Peat said there were no indica- tions that the Marines would be redeployed in Iraq.

The contingent, part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed in March in an attempt to divert militants from attack- ing preparations for historic elections. U.S. accepted prisoner from accused Americans KABUL, Afghanistan The U.S. military said Thursday it held an Afghan prisoner for two months after receiving him in May from three Americans who have been charged with tortur- ing detainees at a private jail. The admission followed claims by the leader that it had ties to the Defense Department which the Pentagon denies and was another embarrassment for U.S.

officials coping with their own prisoner abuse scandal. The American military insists the men acted on their own and has tried to distance itself from them and their leader, Jonathan Idema, a former U.S. soldier who once was convicted of fraud. Mexico on lookout for al-Qaida suspect MEXICO CITY Mexican authorities said Thursday they are on alert for a Saudi-born al-Qaida suspect who was previously seen in Central America, but said they had no evidence the man had entered Mexico. Honduran officials said in June that Adnan Gulshair El Shukriju- mah was seen this year at an Internet cafe in the capital, Tegucigalpa.

But authorities then lost trace of him. The FBI has asked law enforcement agencies to look for El Shukrijumah on the grounds he might be plotting terrorist attacks against the United States or its interests abroad. Infant added to death toll in Madrid train blasts MADRID, Spain The official death toll in the Madrid train bombings rose to 191 after the Interior Ministry added an infant whose mother was injured in the attack while pregnant with the child. The infant died May 10, two days after he was born. His family said the child died because of injuries his pregnant mother suffered in the March 11 bombings blamed on al-Qaida.

Bee news services WWW.FRESNOBEE.COM THE FRESNO BEE FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2004 A13.