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Washington's decision to allow only its allies a slice of Iraqi reconstruction contracts has not exactly pleased those left out. The German and Russian Governments warn that exclusion from the roughly $19bn-worth of rebuilding work threatens an international rift. Canada points out that it has contributed some $190m to reconstruction funds, and so is due a few favours. France, backed by Brussels, is looking at ways to challenge the decision under international law. Unfortunately for them, however, it seems that their legal prospects are pitifully thin. Competitive disadvantage The French Government seems to feel that international competition law may be...

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union (news - web sites) said Wednesday it would examine whether the United States violates world trade rules with its decision to bar countries that opposed its war in Iraq (news - web sites) from bidding for $18.6 billion worth reconstruction contracts. AP Photo   France, Germany and other U.S. allies were angered and surprised by the Pentagon (news - web sites) decision — which forbids bids by countries with no troops in Iraq — seen as a slap after efforts to patch up the trans-Atlantic divisions over the Iraq war. Canada suggested it might...

Washington — The Pentagon drew criticism from Canada for formally barring companies from countries opposed to the Iraq war from bidding on 26 reconstruction contracts. The ruling bars companies from U.S. allies such as France, Germany and Canada from bidding on those contracts — worth $18.6-billion (U.S.) — because their governments opposed the U.S.-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein's regime. “If these comments are accurate ... it would be difficult for us to give further money for the reconstruction of Iraq,” Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said. “To exclude Canadians just because they are Canadians would be unacceptable if they...

French and German firms shut out of Iraq reconstruction 10.12.2003 11.45am - By SUE PLEMING WASHINGTON - US Deputy Defence 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 US 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 US$18.6 billion appropriated by the US Congress. The decision, while not identifying any countries by name, shuts out companies from...

PARIS, Dec 10 (Reuters) - France and Germany responded defiantly on Wednesday to a U.S. decision to bar their firms from competing for prime contracts to rebuild Iraq, a move which could open a new rift in troubled transatlantic relations. The United States unveiled plans on Tuesday to limit competition for 26 reconstruction contracts in Iraq worth up to $18.6 billion, excluding countries such as Germany, France and Russia which opposed the war. France said it would study whether the U.S. move was legal and Germany said it could not accept the U.S. decision. "That would not be acceptable for...

Israel not on U.S. list of 63 countries eligible to compete for $18.6 billion in Iraqi reconstruction contracts

<p>WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon will bar France, Germany and other countries that opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq from competing for $18.6 billion worth of contracts in the Mideast nation's reconstruction efforts.</p> <p>A memo posted Tuesday on a Pentagon Web site restricts the list of countries eligible to compete for the contracts to nations that participated in the coalition effort in the Iraq war or supported it.</p>

Dec 10, 2003 Canada Protests Pentagon Ruling Barring Iraq War Opponents From Bidding on Contracts By Matt Kelley Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon drew criticism from one U.S. ally after formally barring companies from countries opposed to the Iraq war from bidding on 26 reconstruction contracts. The ruling bars companies from U.S. allies such as France, Germany and Canada from bidding on those contracts - worth $18.6 billion - because their governments opposed the American-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein's regime. "If these comments are accurate ... it would be difficult for us to give further money...

Canada barred from Iraq contracts Associated Press Washington — The Pentagon has formally barred companies from countries opposed to the Iraq war from bidding on $18.6-billion (U.S.) worth of reconstruction contracts. A directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz limits bidders on those 26 contracts to firms from the United States, Iraq, their coalition partners and other countries which have sent troops to Iraq. The ruling bars companies from U.S. allies such as France, Germany and Canada from bidding on the contracts because their governments opposed the American-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein's regime. The Wolfowitz memo, dated Friday and...

Air Force secretary asks Pentagon inspector general to look at contracts dating back to 2000; McCain calls for congressional hearings By Tony Capaccio BLOOMBERG NEWS Tuesday, December 9, 2003 CHICAGO -- The investigation into Boeing Co.'s deals with the Air Force is expanding. Air Force Secretary James Roche said he asked the Pentagon inspector general to expand the inquiry into Boeing's 767 refueling tanker deal to include other major contract awards to the company as far back as 2000. And U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who describes the relationship between the Air Force and Boeing as "incestuous," told the Chicago...

<p>BAGHDAD -- Some Iraqi construction companies say they are being shut of out reconstruction contracts by discriminatory practices and unreasonable standards.</p> <p>U.S. officials reject the charges and say much of the frustration is caused by a misunderstanding of the contractors' legal obligations.</p>

LONDON (CBS.MW) The U.S. aircraft maker (BA: news, chart, profile) faces industrial-relations trouble at home, and its global dominance of civilian jetliners has been erased by upstart Airbus. Now the European aircraft maker is stepping onto some of Boeing's most cherished and lucrative territory: military aircraft. The Chicago-based Boeing and Toulouse, France-headquartered Airbus, jointly owned by Paris-traded EADS and U.K.-based BAE Systems (BAESY: news, chart, profile), are going head to head on a major contract for the British government to supply air-to-air refueling tankers, using converted airliners to refuel fighters and bombers. It is a deal with ramifications far beyond...

Bring Halliburton Home Cancel the contracts. Ditch the deals. Rip up the rules. Those are a few suggestions for slogans that could help unify the growing movement against the occupation of Iraq. So far, activist debates have focused on whether the demand should be for a complete withdrawal of troops, or for the United States to cede power to the United Nations. But the "Troops Out" debate overlooks an important fact. If every last soldier pulled out of the Gulf tomorrow and a sovereign government came to power, Iraq would still be occupied: by laws written in the interest of...

Fri October 24, 2003 06:48 PM ET By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a toll on Boeing Co.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle...

<p>The head of Vice President Dick Cheney's (search) former employer, Halliburton (search), is asking employees to contact newspapers and lawmakers to counter Democratic criticism of the company's no-bid contract in Iraq.</p> <p>In an Oct. 17 memo entitled "Defending Our Company," Halliburton's president, Dave Lesar (search), said he was offended by the criticism but cautioned employees to be positive in their letters.</p>

WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of Vice President Dick Cheney's former employer, Halliburton, is asking employees to contact newspapers and lawmakers to counter Democratic criticism of the company's no-bid contract in Iraq. In an Oct. 17 memo entitled ``Defending Our Company,'' Halliburton's president, Dave Lesar, said he was offended by the criticism but cautioned employees to be positive in their letters. ``We should avoid stooping to our critics' level of dialogue, no matter how tempting that may be,'' he wrote. He said the critics are ``distorting our efforts'' to restore Iraq's oil industry and provide other services to the U.S....

Watchdog Furious Over Government Contracts for “Suspended” MCI (Washington, D.C.) &#59450; Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today chastised federal agencies for granting waivers allowing MCI, formerly WorldCom, to continue to receive federal contracts, despite the fact the company was suspended by the General Services Administration (GSA) in July for lacking “the necessary internal controls and business ethics.” “This is the wrong message to send to corporate America,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “A company that committed the largest fraud in history ends up being punished on paper and not in reality. This contradictory action does not even amount to a...

The Egyptian Navy plans to accept the delivery of the first Phalanx Block 1B Close-In Weapon system in 2005 from Raytheon. Deliveries will end by 2007. Raytheon has been awarded a $31.2 million contract to produce four Phalanx Block 1B systems for Egypt. The systems will be produced at Raytheon Missile System in Louisville, Ky. Executives said the first system will arrive in April 2005. The remaining systems will be delivered over a six-month period.

<p>A Halliburton cook in Baghdad is a VIP in the Middle East. Just ask the soldiers she serves. She has never met Richard Cheney, the former CEO of the company who now is the vice president of the United States.</p>

<p>A Halliburton cook in Baghdad is a VIP in the Middle East. Just ask the soldiers she serves. She has never met Richard Cheney, the former CEO of the company who now is the vice president of the United States.</p>