Reconstructing Iraq

[TexasEditor]

Has anyone seen any photos or read any articles about what's actually being "reconstructed" in Iraq? We keep hearing about Halliburton and the other firms, but what have they done? Why aren't the lights on over there?

[Mandate My Ass]

1. Here's some info

The only thing they seem concerned with is getting the oil flowing...

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp

Rebuilding Iraq -- The Contractors
Even before the war in Iraq began March 20, the Bush administration was considering plans to help rebuild the country after fighting ceased. According to news reports in early March, the U.S. Agency for International Development secretly asked six U.S. companies to submit bids for a $900 million government contract to repair and reconstruct water systems, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in Iraq.

The six companies -- Bechtel Group Inc., Fluor Corp., Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root, Louis Berger Group Inc., Parsons Corp. and Washington Group International Inc. -- contributed a combined $3.6 million in individual, PAC and soft money donations between 1999 and 2002, the Center reported on its news site, CapitalEye.org. Sixty-six percent of that total went to Republicans.

The bidding process has been criticized for including only a handful of companies, some with substantial political clout and none of which is based outside the United States. USAID officials said the recent invitations to bid on reconstruction contracts went to U.S. corporations for security reasons, and that foreign companies may compete for subcontracting work, Bloomberg News reports.

[beanball]

2. Rebuilding what we destroyed

Are americans stupid or what?those lying crooks(the ones that stole the last general election,the republicans)put out a bogus,shameless lie that we were in danger of an attack by Iraq.We swallowed the b.s. hook,line and sinker,the crooks knew that their agents,Rush,Bill O,Sean,and the tellers of tall tales would convince the public that they were in imminant danger,shame,shame on us,we are a party to the killing of countless inocent men,women and children,how can we sleep well at night knowing that those lying liers are still in charge?VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT OF OFFICE,ITS THE ONLY HUMANE THING TO DO.

[Aidoneus]

3. Viceroy L. Paul Bremer III has a damn fine castle

um.. everything else is still a bit spotty. But I guess it looks good when he's broadcasting his decrees on TV about how great things are, despite many people still don't have the electricity to see his broadcasts.

I don't get this. If I stab some guy and get him bleeding, I'm not given brownie points if I play Doctor afterwards..they drag my ass off to court and tell me to never do that again, and that I'm going to a cell to think about what I've done. Wars and imperialism should conform itself to analogies like this.