Governor writes Rumsfeld on human trafficking

Raw Story
Dec. 30, 2005

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has written Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in response to the recent revelation that the Pentagon has not acted on presidential and congressional orders to stop doing business with companies that traffick in humans, The Chicago Tribune reports.

The Tribune reported last week that lobbyists for Halliburton's KBR and other companies objected to language in the orders that required them to monitor sub-contractors for use of forced labor or prostitution.

Excerpts from the Tribune's registration-restricted article follow:

In a letter expected to go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he is troubled by the Pentagon's inaction on human trafficking and called on Rumsfeld to take aggressive measures to protect human rights.

...

"The time to act is now," Blagojevich told Rumsfeld, according to a copy of the letter provided by the governor's office. The letter also touts a new Illinois law, which takes effect Sunday, that Blagojevich says will create stiff new penalties for anyone engaged in trafficking.

Read the full, registration-restricted article here.