Iraq Awards Phone Licenses, Rebuffs U.S. Technology

[Khephra]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's U.S.-led government awarded licenses Monday for firms to set up mobile phone networks, rebuffing calls by some American lawmakers to use U.S.-backed technology to restore shattered communications.

Iraqi Communications Minister Haidar al-Ebadi said Iraq's three regional networks would use the GSM system, already adopted across the Middle East. U.S.-backed technology is based on the CDMA system.

The licenses are among the most potentially lucrative and high-profile contracts to be offered in postwar Iraq.

A functioning national phone system, which Iraq has lacked since Saddam Hussein was toppled in April, could also allow guerrillas fighting the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq to organize themselves better on a national level. The U.S. Army says guerrilla groups are only locally organized at present.

more..............

http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3564387

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Let me see if I get this straight

A functioning national phone system, which Iraq has lacked since Saddam Hussein was toppled in April, could also allow guerrillas fighting the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq to organize themselves better on a national level. The U.S. Army says guerrilla groups are only locally organized at present.

So they have to be kept in the stone age in the name of security? Jesus H. Christ on a crutch.

[donsu]

2. I've been wondering about Chalabi

could he have been playing the bushgang at their own game?

now that he is IN it seems he is working for the Iraqis and not the bushgang.

the gang had one of their phone corps. already to do the deed and now we hear they are out and, local to the mideast, companies have the deal. which they should.

[Spazito]

6. I have no doubt that Chalabi....

now that he is "in charge", he will do whatever he has to to stay there which means if he has to go against his enablers he will do so. The Bush cabal are sooooo stupid!

[Mokito]

35. And So...

Saddam II is born.

Irony...love it.

[alfredo]

19. I beleive it was World Com that the

bush gang was pushing.

[Tempest]

20. Why not Chalabi?

After all, Putin also played Bush for the fool on several occasions.

And you don't get away with embezzling millions by being an idiot.

[radwriter0555]

29. So with no phones, how did those POLLS GET CONDUCTED???

Inquiring minds want to KNOW.

http://aei.org/news/newsID.19153,filter./news_detail.asp

(snip)
Well, finally we have some evidence of where the truth may lie. Working with Zogby International survey researchers, The American Enterprise magazine has conducted the first scientific poll of the Iraqi public. Given the state of the country, this was not easy. Security problems delayed our intrepid fieldworkers several times. We labored at careful translations, regional samplings and survey methods to make sure our results would accurately reflect the views of Iraq's multifarious, long-suffering people. We consulted Eastern European pollsters about the best way to elicit honest answers from those conditioned to repress their true sentiments.

Soooo, how DID they get this info? LOL!

[meisje]

3. would you rather they could call ahead and kill more U.S. troops?

I hope the answer is no! btw, they are considered the enemy and we are at war here.

[Khephra]

4. "they are considered the enemy and we are at war here"

"They" who? The Iraqi people?

[meegbear]

7. When did we declare war against Iraq?

[arcane1]

9. guess we shouldn't bother with electricity and water?

with electricity, they can see at night while discussing tomorrow's retaliations, and water of course keeps them alive to fight back another day

they are the enemy so we shouldn't give them any advantage, right?

[meisje]

13. Phone lines are not a basic necessity

Attempt to spin and twist my words all you want! I said nothing about electricity or water! I suppose you would rather more americans die so bush's numbers will go down even further.

[jamesinca]

21. No I would rather Bush numbers go down further

and the U.N. get involved along with a U.S. pull out. I would also like Bush to admit, be tried and prosecuted for: letting 9/11 happen, invading a soverign nation that was not a threat to us ( as evidenced by Iraq's inability to defend itself and its lack of WMD), turning practically every nation in the world against us, attempting to destroy the environment, ruining the economy with his pre-meditated tax cuts ( page 131 of the USA PATRIOT act says this is an act of terrorism), his blackmail and bribery of other nations, his no bid contracts to Halliburton, making threats towards Afghanastan and eventually invading them for natural gas supplies near the south Caspian Sea, for lying in the State of the Union Address, for having any connection to the outing of Valeri Plame, for saying Max Cleland does not know what a patriot is when he himself went AWOL, for being against preferential treatment on college admission for minorities when he himself got in on a preferntial treatment (hypocrisy), for claiming to be a Christian when he has not a single one of their values (going to church makes you no more religious then standing in the garage makes you a car). I want Bush to be out of office for the screwed up way that he conducts his business, not becuse Iraq has a phone system.

Part of the plan was to turn Iraq over to the Iraqi people as soon as possible, why should the U.S. delay this, what is it they still need to get ut of the country? Allowing them to run their own phone system is a start. If it cost more Americans their lives, does this make you wonder the magnitude of the lack of planning? Maybe it is not the lack of planning,maybe it is the absolute diregard for the people of Iraq. As much as this administration hates to admit it, they are people.

[Lorien]

26. True, people will die either way

If Bush remains in power, hundreds of thousand, possibly millions, will die, If his numbers go down,that means hundreds will have died-but not hundreds of thousands. We are damned either way-but to what degree do you want that damnation? The truly horrible part is that it was all completely unnessasary-a purely voluntary war for profit. All deaths are Bush's fault. If one claims to care about soldiers, than one puts the removal of Bush first and foremost.

[gristy]

27. Wonderful post, jamesinca.

Thanks!

[Rex]

31. Egads Jamesinca!

<sarcasm on> Don't ever say they are people! They are the enemy! <sarcasm off>

[Lorien]

22. Try living without one

got an emergency? How will you call for help? It IS a necessity. Going without necessities is what is CAUSING THE UPRISINGS!!! They lived with basic needs fulfilled under Saddam, now they want their dictator back for the simple reason that they were better off personally when he was in control. If we want to "win hearts and minds" and end the resistance, we have to make the Iraqi people feel as if our presence is to their benefit. If they aren't having their basic needs met, that will never happen.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. NOT A BASIC NECESSITY????

Less basic than electricity and water, yes. But barely.

[radwriter0555]

30. NO but they're PROFITABLE!

GO GOP!

**snarf**

[mmm]

11. HELLO Mc Fly!!!

The Iraqi people are not the enemy. They are the people
we have invaded and now conrtol thru the illegal Occupation
of their country. They have the patriotic duty to resist!

I say, let them have phones!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Twenty3]

15. So if WE get invaded

You'll understand if the invaders knock out our phones. Because then they'll be at war, and we'll be the enemy. Right?

[meisje]

18. Do you play a game to loose?

and this is all it is to Bush, a game. I don't agree with it, but I would not want the resistance to be able to coordinate their attacks more than they already are.

jeez!

[Twenty3]

25. How is this a relevant question?

It's not a game.

[alfredo]

23. The phone system they use makes no real difference as far as our ability

to monitor them. The resistance fighters will adapt any system, whether it is worldcom, or Deutch Telecom.

Remember Worldcom committed the largest corporate fraud in history, so as punishment, bush gave them Iraq's mobile telephone contract.

[Rex]

28. John Ashcroft agrees with you

They are always the enemy!

[NickB79]

32. So we punish the entire Iraqi population for this?

Imagine if you destroyed the entire phone service in the US, even cell phones. Can you see the havoc that would cause, how much damage that would do to our economy and society? Granted, the Iraqi people aren't as dependant on telecommunications as we are, but it still plays a vital role in their lives.

By denying them phone service because a few Iraqis in the resistance will use them to plan more bombings, we will anger even more Iraqis and push them into HELPING the resistance we are trying to fight. We are fighting a hydra here: cutting off one head allows 2 to grow back in its place.

[arcane1]

5. well, there's one place BushCo won't be making an extra buck

Kudos to the Iraqi "gov't" for not being arm-twisted into using tech they don't want.

If I were them, I wouldn't trust a single US corporation in that country

hell, I'm NOT one of them and I don't trust a single US corporation in that country!

[Kitsune]

8. Taking it a step further...

I don't trust a single US corporation in this country! :tinfoilhat:

[piece sine]

34. or the company's workers?

"Nice" that somebody on this board doesn't give hoot about jobs, or the people who fill them.I guess you don't realize that companies are merely collections of people; investors, workers, managers and marketers.

[prolesunited]

10. What are you talking about?

I don't trust a single US corporation in this country! }(

On edit: Kitsune, we're obviously on the same wave length this morning. I hit post on my comment and there you were. LOL! :hi:

[bobthedrummer]

12. This is Chalabi power play in any event

what a character he is...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1048205,00.html

[leftchick]

17. more on Chalabi from the Asia Times...

personaly I think the guy is as nutty as perle or has a deathwish...


http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EJ07Ak02.html

<snip>With the neo-cons in power, the tireless Chalabi managed to get back into the limelight via the Pentagon - even though the CIA and the State Department now openly despised him. The go-between was none other than Richard Perle. Once again, this correspondent in the past few weeks has been able to reconfirm that Chalabi's street credibility in Iraq is less than zero. The most flattering compliment he gets is that he may be the new "American Saddam".

American Saddam, indeed!

[tinnypriv]

14. GREAT!

[PurityOfEssence]

33. It's true: muslims don't like pork!

Someone had to say it...

[nickine9]

36. I think a good thing about this is

That that the contracts have gone to Arab rather than western companies.

Although given that they are "potentially lucrative" and "high profile" I can't help thinking that someone is going to get their ass kicked over this. Unless all the big telco's know something we dont.

Also I think GSM is better than CDMA but thats for another forum.