US shuts out France, Germany from Iraqi contracts

[rooboy]

Citing national security reasons, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has ruled that prime contracts to rebuild Iraq will exclude firms from nations such as France and Germany that opposed the US war.

In a policy document released on Tuesday, Mr Wolfowitz said he was limiting competition for 26 reconstruction contracts worth up to $US18.6 billion ($25 billion) that will be advertised in coming days.

The list of eligible countries includes Australia, Britain, Poland, Japan, Italy, Norway, Spain, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, South Korea, the Philippines, Romania and Saudi Arabia.

"It is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States to limit competition for the prime contracts of these procurements to companies from the United States, Iraq, coalition partners and force-contributing nations," Mr Wolfowitz said in a statement.

The move is likely to anger France and Germany and other traditional allies in NATO and the UN Security Council who are being blocked out of prime contracts after their opposition to the war. They may bid for sub-contracts.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1007109.htm

[Maple]

1. We all knew

this going in.

Hasn't exactly been kept a secret.

Pthththb! to Iraqi contracts.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Romania, Turkey, South Korea intimately involved in contracts will not jeopardize U.S. national security interests but France and Germany bidding on the same contracts will? Am I slipping farther into the Twilight Zone every day?

[Just Me]

4. It is a simple F-U,...cause,...

,...it was the neo-con way or the highway,...

[sasquatch]

7. Yeah it's the episode where we're finding out what it's like to be a toy

Except we'll be blown to bits at the end of the episode instead of left in a charity bin.

[mbperrin]

3. Damn! Who'da thunk?

Oh.......never mind!

[Matilda]

5. And for the Iraquis??

Nothing, not even a say in what their needs are. And I thought
this war was about restoring liberty and democracy to the suffering
Iraqui people. Wasn't it?

[Holly]

6. Saudi Arabia

Am I living in an alternate reality? Where Saudi Arabia couldn't possiblby be a security threat to the US....but Canada is.:wtf: It's blood money anyway...we don't want it. Oh, can we get a refund on the $300 million we've donated?

[sasquatch]

8. No, sorry

Once you give money to the BCF it's like giving one of your good knives to OJ. You're never gonna see it again.

[Holly]

9. So, our money's not dangerous to them

But we are, I've seen the light. What if we ask in our polite Canadian way.......please.

[sasquatch]

14. Just hit them over the head with your hockey stick

It will just be like "Slapshot" all over again:7

[0007]

28. Speaking of donations! The U.S. didn't receive what was expected....

from other counties to help support this fiasco and legal robbery in Iraq.

More terrorist are created everyday with this administration and foreign policies.

[cliss]

10. I'm an extremely well-mannered person, but

I'm going to say it: God Damn those F***ers. You know who's behind this evil bit of revenge. Can you just see Wolfowit's little eyes glowing like charcoals in a barbecue, as he mentions the word "Frannnnce...or Gerrrmany..."

See the white foam building up along the corners of his mouth as he thinks back to what they did to "him" earlier this year, when THEY had the ballsy audacity to oppose him. I can just imagine his gallbladder going into overdrive...

Well, maybe it's for the best anyway (now that I think about it). Who wants to go to F***ing Iraq anyway? What good is a gold-plated contract if your people are going to get shot at 24 hours a day? As they're hurrying to build their latest Taco Bell on the Corner of Allah Street and Islam Avenue...

Maybe the goodies aren't so good, after all Paul.

Our "excellent adventure" in Iraq isn't going so well these days. I have this vision of these guys sitting in a pirate ship that's slowly sinking. It's taking on a lot of water, but BY GOD they see their arch enemy about 100 yards down, and they're busy loading the cannon.....

[Dirk39]

11. I'm crying in Gemany,...

after hundreds of days of freedom, liberty and happyness in post-war Iraq, prosperity starts to come in as it always does, when happyness, the worldbank, human rights, the IMF, democrazy and liberty did win.

And Daimler, Bayer, the Deutsche Bank and me are not allowed to join the party. What a shame. We need Oil for Aspirin.
Terrible headache that is...
Dirk

[Djinn]

12. US has no right to award ANY contracts

based on international law and also US rules of engagement the laws of a country must be upheld during reconstruction unless it is impossible to do so.

Iraq's pre saddam constitution states that key assets are not to be privatised and has guarantees for Iraqi ownership

The US has absolutely no authority to be giving away contracts for state owned iraqi infrastructure the theft of their resources and infrastructure (US "allows" 100% capital flight) will not be forgotten by the Iraqi people

Very good article by Naomi Klein in the Guardian explains simply the outright illegal swindle that is the "contracts" awarding process

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1079575,00.html

"So far, most of the controversy surrounding Iraq's reconstruction has focused on the waste and corruption in the awarding of contracts. This badly misses the scope of the violation: even if the sell-off of Iraq were conducted with full transparency and open bidding, it would still be illegal for the simple reason that Iraq is not America's to sell"

[Dirk39]

13. Just weeks ago, I saw an interview with a ressistance fighter..

in a german talkshow, who has spent years and years in Saddams' prisons and who was tortured there in incredible ways. And he stated that he first supported Hussein, because he nationalized the oil-industry. Now there's Saddam Bush and Halliburton.
Thank god, you're liberated,
Dirk

[lebkuchen]

15. Juxtapose this "finger flipping" to the Bushies' comment on base closure

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith announced Wednesday that he and other senior governmental officials would cross the Atlantic this week to begin consultations with the European allies about the possible restructuring of U.S. forces.

His first stop? Germany.

“Our friends and allies are sensitive to changes in the U.S. overseas posture, that’s why we’re consulting with them before the president or Secretary Rumsfeld make any decisions on changes,” Feith said.

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=19146


Comment: How thoughtful.

[EV1Ltimm]

16. eligible countries... what a crock of shit.

i'm sure there are plenty of people looking for contract work in iraq right now who need it a hell of a lot more than any of those contractors...

[sasquatch]

17. It's ok they'll see what our soldiers face

They'll see their trucks, materials and workers all blown to hell. They won't be able to do their jobs and won't be able to get anyone in their either. When it's between getting blown up at work or getting another job? They'll get another job.

[DeathvadeR]

18. These clowns amaze me with thier ignorance on a daily basis. n/t

[goforit]

19. LOL!!!.....Mr. Wolfowitz?.....Isn't it the other way around?????

But...........It's your Disney Land!!!!!

[BonjourUSA]

20. The USA will need all the world companies capabilities, obviously !

Over the world, how many companies have the financial and logistic capabilities to face this rebuilding challenge ?

In Europe, where are the strong companies for this challenge without French or German participation ?

Where do these 25 billion $ come from ?

Wolfwizt is an idiot.

[nayt]

21. since when

was saudi arabia a member of the "coalition?"

[Paschall]

22. It's time to wind up Condi again...

...and put her in front of the cameras.

"We are not punishing France and Germany. We are not punishing France and Germany. We are not..."

[BonjourUSA]

24. To be involved in this mess wouldn't be the real punishment ?

:D

[Capt_Nemo]

23. In a certain way it is only fair...

I mean, the selected companies are never, ever, going to make a profit
out of their operations in Iraq, because there is a war going on
and there will be war as long as the invaders keep there.
The money those companies get will come ALL
out of US taxpayers pocket, in brief: corporate wellfare disguised
as "aid" money. One day the US will inevitably pull out and american
corporations from that day on will NEVER, EVER, again see the colour
of Iraqi currrency.
So if the US taxpayers will be the ones to get their pockets raided
by the US government, in what happens to be nothing more than corporate
welfare, it is only just that the US goverment gets to select who
participates... :evilgrin:

on edit: guess who will be Iraq's business partners once US troops
pull out and their carefuly crafted plan colapses?

[truthisfreedom]

25. newsflash: bush punishes Europe for being exactly right, embarrassing him

before election year.

[Sideways]

26. Yep Will That German Cannibal Please Come Eat This Administration

I know that was in poor taste....PUN INTENDED:evilgrin:

[imax2268]

27. This is nothing but

revenge for making BushCo look like a bigger idiot than he already is...nothing more than that...