Why are Iraqis unable to rebuild a country they built in the first place?

[Bandit]

That is the reason given for the no-bid contracts given to Haliburton and others. They say they are the only companies on the face of the earth capable of doing this labor. My question would be how did Iraq get to have the infrastructure they had if they are unable to do those things? It would seem like a pretty basic question to me but as far as I can tell none of our Democratic representatives have asked it.

[bif]

1. Because they're not Haliburton employees.

n/t

[DrWeird]

2. It could be

because we bombed the shit out of them, shoot at them when they move, stole all there oil, killed a few million of their civilians, mostly children, freezed all their assets, and destroyed all their cultural relics. That might have something to do with it.

[asjr]

3. Iraq

Amen to that. This WH does not want to give up control no matter how much the taxpayer has to foot the bill. It is our money, not his. He simply doesn't care. How much longer this can continue is beyond me. It will take a citizen uprising I think. American citizens--not Iraqi.

[judy]

4. Because the occupation authorities are not allowing them to do so

I heard that an Iraqi company had submitted a bid to Bremer for rebuilding a bridge in Bhagdad for $100,000.
The bid was rejected, and replaced by a bid from Halliburton for 5 million.

This is why Congress should refuse to approve the outrageous $87 billion request from Chimpolini.

[Maine-i-acs]

5. 60% unemployment will get you some cheap labor.

Lots of poor hungry people in Iraq would love to lift a shovel to help, instead of getting guns pointed at them.

But this "war", "Liberation", whatever you want to call it was never about them was it?

(edited typo)

[Capn Sunshine]

6. It also gets you compliance

You must cooperate with the power structure to work and feed your family.

It's almost as if they are practicing for applying this to the United States. They are off to a great start.

"jobless" recovery.....

[loudnclear]

7. Good question.

A country that was ravished not by Saddam but by 12 years of US aerial attacks.