Iraq rebuilding contract on hold (Chalabi American Taxpayer Ripoff)

[RamboLiberal]

Lisa Myers reported this on the NBC Nightly News Wed 3/3.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4441088/

It’s one of the biggest postwar contracts in Iraq yet: $330 million to equip the new Iraqi army with everything from helmets and trucks to 16,000 AK-47 rifles.

Nineteen international companies bid. The victor: tiny Nour USA, headquartered in an office building in the Washington suburbs — set up only last May.

But now the Pentagon has put the contract on hold because of serious questions raised by competitors and outside experts about Nour’s alleged inexperience, political connections and extremely low bid.

“Something is definitely wrong,” said Mark Spry. Spry was part of a losing American consortium. He complains Nour’s $330 million bid was so low it wasn’t credible — that the equipment alone would cost more than $500 million.

<snip>

Nour is run by Huda Farouki, a big Democratic contributor and longtime close friend of Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and guest of President Bush at the State of the Union address.

A Chalabi spokesperson denies he played any role, “Dr. Ahmed Chalabi and the INC did not help this company to get the contract.”