Iraqi Exile Criticizes US Contract Awards

Reuters ^

[what's up]

KUWAIT (Reuters) - A prominent Iraqi exile said on Saturday only a democratically elected government should be allowed to sign the massive contracts needed to reconstruct the country.

Former Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi criticized Washington over its plans for a U.S.-led civilian authority to hand out reconstruction contracts without the approval of an elected Iraqi government.

No one has the right to commit Iraq to obligations and costs," he told a news conference in Kuwait. "Only an Iraqi government can do that. A parliament should also endorse the agreements."

The U.S. government on Thursday awarded Bechtel Corp. a $680-million-contract to help rebuild Iraq's power, water and sewage systems as well as repair air and sea ports.

Pachachi, seen as a potential future policymaker, also said he wanted a U.N.-sponsored conference to select an interim Iraqi government over the civil authority headed by retired U.S. general Jay Garner.

"We believe that the involvement of the United Nations will give (the government) legitimacy and greater acceptance worldwide and among Iraqis," Pachachi said.

Washington has said it intends to include a role for the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq, but has given few details and is pushing the Security Council to help restart the economy by ending the U.N. sanctions imposed in 1990 after Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. Pachachi, who left Iraq in 1969 shortly after Saddam Hussein's Baath Party toppled the government and took power, has been courted by Washington to play a key role in the country.

"We hope to have as soon as possible a broadly-based conference convened to elect a transitional government that will be entrusted with the task of preparing the country for elections under international supervision for a constituent assembly that will draft a constitution which will be submitted to the people in a referendum," he said.

"We believe that the involvement of the United Nations will give (the government) legitimacy and greater acceptance worldwide and among Iraqis," Pachachi said.

Washington has said it intends to include a role for the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq, but has given few details and is pushing the Security Council to help restart the economy by ending the U.N. sanctions imposed in 1990 after Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. Pachachi, who left Iraq in 1969 shortly after Saddam Hussein's Baath Party toppled the government and took power, has been courted by Washington to play a key role in the country.

"We hope to have as soon as possible a broadly-based conference convened to elect a transitional government that will be entrusted with the task of preparing the country for elections under international supervision for a constituent assembly that will draft a constitution which will be submitted to the people in a referendum," he said.

[what's up]

Searched and didn't see it posted.

[WOSG]

"KUWAIT (Reuters) - A prominent Iraqi exile said on Saturday only a democratically elected government should be allowed to sign the massive contracts needed to reconstruct the country."

Um these are US Government contracts are they not? So the US is paying for this - so we should decide!

[John Valentine]

I am certain that at least the first Iraq reconstruction contracts are funded by Mr. and Mrs Bob and Ann Taxpayer of the good ole US of A.

Under the "Golden Rule", i.e. "He who has the Gold makes the Rules", we can spend our money as we want. We don't actually need to spend any of it on Iraq. We could just pack up and leave the place as it is.

But no, we are lending a hand. Rather than offer a kind word of thanks, Mr. Parcheesi takes his five minutes in front of a microphone to go off on a tangent which has no basis on reality.

When a new Iraq government is established, and it has its own money to spend, then yes, they can spend it as THEY please.

In the meantime, Mr. Parcheesi should go back to what he apparently does best. Keeping quiet about things he apparently does not understand.

[KriegerGeist]

"Pachachi, seen as a potential future policymaker, also said he wanted a U.N.-sponsored conference to select an interim Iraqi government over the civil authority headed by retired U.S. general Jay Garner."

"We believe that the involvement of the United Nations will give (the government) legitimacy and greater acceptance worldwide and among Iraqis," Pachachi said.

Well, that about says it all. This guy prefers those two-bit countries that did not lift a finger or shed one drop of blood like France, Germany & Russia to select the intrim government and hand out contracts...to themselves of course.

This guy should has got to know that it's well known that France was ripping off Iraq. And he must also know that Bechtel Corp. could do ten times as much reconstruction for $680 million than the Frogs could do for ten times the price. The same goes for Haliburton and the oil fires and restarting and upgrading the oil fields...way cheaper and more efficient. It's well known that American companies can do way more for less that anywhere else in the world...in my opinion.

These Iraqis ought to get a clue that the U.S. is the last country that wants to control, occupy or rip them off. If they don't have a clue, then they can just go ask their neighbors...the ones that we have "conquered, occupied, ripped-off and are now controlling"...like Kuwait and Yemen or Saudi Arabia just to name a few.

One gets really tired of sending our best and brightest to fight and die to liberate, only to have your face spit in...with a "no thank you very much" and "we'll just bite your offered, helping hand just to show how ungrateful we are!"

[chainsaw]

Saddam's silence on this matter is deafening.

[Mike Darancette]

A prominent Iraqi exile said on Saturday only a democratically elected government should be allowed to sign the massive contracts needed to reconstruct the country.

Then they should be allowed to foot the bill.

[MEG33]

I grow weary.Armchair reconstructionists,now.

[Texas Eagle]

Former Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi. What an asshole.

[Arpege92]

Mr. Pachachi left Iraq back in 1969 when Saddam came into power and he has the balls to stand up and say that he knows what is best for Iraq. I might sound paranoid but it sounds like this guy might have been approached by the frogs to make this declaration....

[Truthsearcher]

Yeah, no good deeds goes unpunished it seems.

Nevertheless, take heart in that we don't base our actions seeking praise, compensation, or gratitude, we do them because knowing that we did the right thing is reward enough.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

All the crooks are merely arguing over how to divide the spoils.

[xm177e2]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these reconstruction contracts going to be paid for with AMERICAN MONEY? Why should anyone else have ANY say as to who gets them?

[meema]

Isn't that the truth!

[Captain Kirk]

Ah....the freepers are now changing their tune. Just a few ago, we were told that it would be paid for by the Iraqis through their "vast oil wealth." I guess Joe Six Pack is paying after all.

[Captain Kirk]

How dare he have an opinion about his own country. That scum! Doesn't he realize that Iraq is a colony now. Long live the empire and God Bless the King.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Yep The big words i.e. "democracy", "justice", "freedom", are for public consumption. Bechtel is for real! (all with an upcoming $250,000 public contribution to the RNC. How many millions under the table God Knows!)

[mathurine]

What is a typical NPR Liberal Fag doing on here. Go away. Your side lost.

[WOSG]

"Ah....the freepers are now changing their tune. Just a few ago, we were told that it would be paid for by the Iraqis through their "vast oil wealth." "

Please get a grip, there is no 'tune changing'. It's simple: The US decideds based on what it pays for. When the Iraqis start paying they start deciding. Over time, they will both be paying based on their oil wealth and deciding based on being the ones paying the bill.

The Bush administration has always been 100% consistent on this - we are going to aid in the reonstruction of Iraq. The good news is that not much was destroyed in the war, there is less to reconstruct than the administration assumed under worst case.

[WOSG]

What cr*p. when will the clueless understand that we are *paying* more into Iraq than we ever hope to get out of it - it's about US helping Iraq, not the other way round!

This is a humanitarian contract and those doing the work will be worth every penny - bringing water, hospitals, bridges, and power to Iraqis. This is no different than Govt paying for a school building. oh the horror of actually doing this for Iraq - it must really torment you that the US is actually doing a good thing like this.

[WOSG]

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these reconstruction contracts going to be paid for with AMERICAN MONEY? Why should anyone else have ANY say as to who gets them?"

You are correct. This is a US Govt contract.

Remember the Golden Rule: He who Has the Gold, Makes the Rules!