We the people have borrowed Federal Reserve Notes and will payback some time in the next 100 years.
The Federal Reserve Bankers are into US for what 6 to 7 trillion dollars? Nice Loan, looks like they own US and your kids kids kids.
Posted on 12/09/2003 1:36:32 PM PST by veronica
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has ruled that lucrative, prime contracts to rebuild Iraq must exclude firms from nations such as France and Germany that opposed the U.S. war effort, said a document released on Tuesday.
The announcement followed discussions over which countries should benefit from a slew of reconstruction contracts to be advertised in coming days that are being funded by $18.6 billion appropriated by the U.S. Congress.
The decision, while not identifying any countries by name, shuts out companies from nations that opposed the U.S. decision to invade Iraq and topple President Saddam Hussein without U.N. approval. Those countries may apply for subcontracts.
"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," Wolfowitz said in a notice published on an Iraqi rebuilding Web site (www.rebuilding-iraq.net).
Some officials had argued privately the United States should not limit international competition to rebuild Iraq, where the infrastructure has been shattered by years of neglect, war and post-conflict looting and attacks.
The rollout of tenders to rebuild Iraq has been delayed in recent days while "high-level" policy decisions were being taken on Iraqi reconstruction and as lawyers checked that the final wording complied with U.S. procurement laws.
Wolfowitz said that since May, coalition forces in Iraq other than those from the United States had increased to 23,700 from 14,000, while U.S. troops levels had dropped.
"Limiting competition for prime contracts will encourage the expansion of international cooperation in Iraq and in future efforts," wrote Wolfowitz.
Companies likely to benefit most from the decision come from Britain, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea and Poland.
Other supporters of the war effort include Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Honduras, Hungary, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.
The first round of reconstruction contracts to rebuild Iraq was limited to U.S. firms, with oil services company Halliburton, once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, and San Francisco company Bechtel the dominant players.
A defense official said he expected the new contracts to be advertised on government Web sites later on Tuesday or on Wednesday. Bidders' conferences are expected later this month and contracts are set to be awarded by Feb. 3.
The contracts cover electricity, communications, public buildings, transportation, public works and security and justice. Additional contracts are also being awarded to oversee those projects.
HHmmmm, I thought this was unilateral.
Could be.
I was surprised at the strong criticism from the military about Bechtel's poor performance:
According to Iraqi education officials, Bechtel budgeted about $20,000 per school for repairs. That budget may not seem like much compared to U.S. rates, but laborers here work for $2 to $7 a day. Bechtel subcontracted out the work to Iraqis for an undisclosed amount.
During repairs, "reports started coming in about poor quality," said 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion Maj. Linda Scharf, who was responsible for the schools in question, and who started fielding calls from concerned teachers and headmasters.
"So I asked one of my teams to go verify the rumors," Scharf said. "They took their digital camera, and the reality turned out to be worse than the rumors."
What they found: The subcontractors Bechtel hired left paint everywhere - on the floors, on desks, all over windows. The classrooms were filthy, the school's desks and chairs were thrown out into the playground and left, broken. Windows were left damaged, and bathrooms that were reportedly fixed were left in broken, unsanitary condition.
"Would you allow your child to use that bathroom? I wouldn't," Scharf said, pointing to a photograph of a stained, broken hole in a dirty, tiled stall.
Only because Wesley has dibs.
Red
"I am deeply saddened..."
We the people have borrowed Federal Reserve Notes and will payback some time in the next 100 years.
The Federal Reserve Bankers are into US for what 6 to 7 trillion dollars? Nice Loan, looks like they own US and your kids kids kids.
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has ruled that lucrative, prime contracts to rebuild Iraq must exclude firms from nations such as France and Germany that opposed the U.S. war effort...
Lead:
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has ruled that lucrative, prime contracts to rebuild Iraq must exclude firms from nations such as France and Germany that opposed the U.S. war effort, said a document released on Tuesday.
Context (what is actually happening):
The decision, while not identifying any countries by name, shuts out companies from nations that opposed the U.S. decision to invade Iraq and topple President Saddam Hussein without U.N. approval. Those countries may apply for subcontracts.
Now, I think this is great, but I find it not surprising that Reuters chooses to report it as "US hurts country X" instead of "US favors country Y".
ABB is "officially" Swiss I believe. I don't know where they stand on this. Siemens is German, but they do have a "US" organization -- Siemens/Westinghouse -- which employs somewhere around 10,000 Americans making utility size turbines, generators and such. I wonder what happens there?
Ping! 
ROCK ON!!!!
Keeping france and germany out of this should teach them a lesson: You don't mess with the BEST!
God Bless America
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