Roll-out of controversial Iraq contracts delayed

[DeathvadeR]

<http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2003/12/10/rtr1176453.html>

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday delayed the issue of $18.6 billion in U.S. tenders to rebuild Iraq amid criticism over the exclusion from bidding of firms from France, Germany, Russia and other war opponents.

The prime contracts were set to be advertised last Friday, but were delayed while "high-level" policy decisions took place. A further delay was announced on Wednesday after earlier promises of release on Monday and Tuesday.

"The scheduled release of the solicitations in support of the Iraq reconstruction contracts has been temporarily delayed," said a notice on the Pentagon-run Iraq Program Management Office Web site (www.rebuilding-iraq.net).
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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. How much you wanna bet

that Bush will change his mind on this once he finds out that some of those big contributions came from companies with ties to these countries....

[DeathvadeR]

2. faster then you can say "Geppetto"....n/t

[POed_Ex_Repub]

3. Might also have to do with...

The fact that many of the excluded countries are now talking about not forgiving the loans (I think it was 20 Billion for Russia alone) to Iraq because of this... This is going to totally backfire.

[salinen]

5. It's a good idea to allow

contractors from France, Germany, and Russia to bid on the reconstruction process. Here's why:

- They are not American. Security will be less of an issue. Iraqis, in my opinion, would be less inclined to throw hand genades at them.

- All these countries have large arab populations. They could hire many of their citizens to work. Many speak the language and are Moslim. Again, less need for security.

- The unwritten rule that America now owns Iraq is silly. Why should we control who rebuilds. We should certainly be responcible for the cost of rebuilding, but not the personnel. Iraqis are more than capable of choosing contractors.

[htuttle]

4. Bush keeps acting as if he still has some international leverage...

...and then runs into a wall when he realizes that he spent all his political currency in Iraq.

Then he changes his plans, and swears that whatever he ended up with was what he meant to happen in the first place, then gets up and does it again.

Remarkable. Remarkably stupid.

[Tempest]

6. Threat of WTO action against the US

I'm sure the EU going to the WTO played a very big part in this.

Bush wants to open NAFTA trade to South America and needs the WTO's blessing.