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Let me get this right we have agreed to give 18 billion dollars to reconstruct Iraq, and have said only those who were with us can bid. It is our damn money F##k france, germany, and russia. Nothing says the US tax payer should reward them. Let them find other sources of money. I will love it if the new Iraqi government defaults on all those loans. Here is why france will be screwed since they counted these loans on their balance sheet--making Enron look like sucessful business venture. Two ensuring the US, England, and Japan are the only creditor nations for the new country. There by driving that capital back into our econonmies by specifying we will only finance work from the Willing.

Hey Chirac you screwed up!!! I believe the phrase is to the victors go the spoils.

See full story below:

Roll-out of controversial Iraq contracts delayed
Reuters, 12.10.03, 2:44 PM ET


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By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday delayed the issue of $18.6 billion in U.S. tenders to rebuild Iraq amid criticism over the exclusion from bidding of firms from France, Germany, Russia and other war opponents.

The prime contracts were set to be advertised last Friday, but were delayed while "high-level" policy decisions took place. A further delay was announced on Wednesday after earlier promises of release on Monday and Tuesday.

"The scheduled release of the solicitations in support of the Iraq reconstruction contracts has been temporarily delayed," said a notice on the Pentagon-run Iraq Program Management Office Web site (www.rebuilding-iraq.net).

Deidre Lee, director of defense procurement at the Pentagon, attributed the delay to questions being addressed by procurement experts and said she hoped the contracts would be advertised within the next few days.

"Our intent is to get the RFPs (request for proposals) out as soon as possible," Lee said.

The 26 contracts are funded by money appropriated from the U.S. Congress and cover electricity, communications, public buildings, transportation, public works, security and justice as well as the rebuilding of Iraq's army.

Lee said experts were examining many questions raised by prospective bidders, including insurance and security issues.

One of the most contentious issues was the decision by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to bar bidding from firms whose governments did not support the war effort, such as France, Germany, Russia and Canada. Berlin, Moscow and Ottawa strongly criticized the move on Wednesday.

MANY OPPORTUNITIES

Lee said there were many opportunities for sub-contractors in Iraq for countries not on the list of 63 eligible nations.

"Those are the prime opportunities but there are many, many many opportunities for sub contracts."

The Iraq Program Management Office has set an aggressive timetable for bidders, with the award date for work set for the first week in February, a deadline officials hoped to meet despite the delay in rolling out tenders.

In addition to the 26 contracts, two other contracts to rebuild Iraq's oil industry are set to be awarded within the next month after several months of delay.

These will replace a no-competition deal awarded in March to Halliburton (nyse: HAL - news - people) , the Texas-based oil services company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, which has been accused of price gouging, a charge it denies.

A military source expected these two oil contracts, worth $2 billion, would be announced before Christmas.

All of the contracts are being closely watched by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, which has sent teams to Iraq. The Pentagon is also auditing the work of Halliburton and others.

Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service
http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/ ... 76453.html

Not a good move.

The better move would have been to pretend that any country can bid, and just make sure certain countries didn't actually win any major contracts in the end.

Why is it a bad move? Canada has donated hundreds of millions to Iraq. Germany is helping in Afghanistan. And Russia and France are owed billions of dollars from Iraq, debt that we are trying to have forgiven so that Iraq can move forward.

Why publically humiliate these countries? Just quietly reject any bids they make instead of causing a big fuss and perhaps causing those countries to cooperate less than they would have (in terms of money contributions, Afghanistan, and Iraq debt forgiveness) before.

You can achieve the same result with less collateral damage and bad press, that's what I would say to the White House and Pentagon.

Unless the desired result was merely to seriously piss off some countries, as opposed to blocking them from Iraq reconstruction contracts. Then I'd say, great job. :-0


Edited by - ViperTTB on Dec 11 2003 11:59 AM

I see where you are going Viper, and from a foreign policy standpoint, you could be right, but...

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Why publically humiliate these countries? Just quietly reject any bids they make instead of causing a big fuss and perhaps causing those countries to cooperate less than they would have (in terms of money contributions, Afghanistan, and Iraq debt forgiveness) before.

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

#1 They tried to hummuliate us, and did not support us, despite the fact our Nation had poured billions of dollars, and sacarificed US servicemen and womans life, not only in two world wars, but the Cold War. Germany seems to forget the Marshal plan, and France seems to forget Omaha Beach. And Russia needs to realize that without our commerce lifeblood her "Democracy by Kalishnikov" goverment would falter, as would her economy.





<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>And Russia and France are owed billions of dollars from Iraq, debt that we are trying to have forgiven so that Iraq can move forward.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

The majority of that capital owed Viper, is money for Mig-29's AK-47's, Mirage Fighters, RPG's that are still downing our helo's, and forbidden technology that both of those countrys sold to Iraq after Desert Storm mind you, and a direct deffiance of the UN sanctions that they helped mandate. Actually we have let both countrys off easy. In terms of retribution.

France tried to play savior of the Muslim world, Germany's socialist government is to weak to make their own decesions, thus follows France's lead..lmao, how is that for a change of events. I think the swastika flying from the top of the Eifel tower, should be a required rendition in any French and German political leaders office. I would be willing out of my own pocket to supply both to Chirac and Gehard Schroeder. But I forgoet, only Herman Goering, Adolf Hiter and a handfull of others where the only Nazi's. The Vichy French were only playing possum untill the calvary arrived.

The EU will never work, in the United States Philly and NY slug out their differences in a Giants/Eagles game. But at the end we stand united. France and Germany have had the Napoleanic Wars, two world wars and prissy soccer matches, but at the end of the day, speak different languages and still cling to the ideals of European Imperialism forgetting neither has an empire anymore. This all in a geographical area smaller than our great nation. When was the last time a Nazi regime took over the state of Oregon and unleshed a blitzkreig on California, Washington, Mexico, and Canda? Or a Napoleanic regime from Nebraska conquered the midwest (Tom Osborne doesn't count lol)

Hawg is a European History major, I am sure he can shoot my tyrade full of holes. But typing all of that sure was fun.









Edited by - chadrewsky on Dec 11 2003 12:26 PM