American contractors leaving Iraq (out of cash)

[Barrett808]

American private contractors are preparing to leave Iraq as US money runs out and government ministries take charge of the reconstruction effort, according to the Washington Times.

Fluor Corp, the engineering and construction giant and one of the biggest private-sector employers in Iraq, at one time had 250 to 300 people from the United States in Iraq, and employed roughly 20,000 Iraqis. But now, as the US-funded part of the reconstruction effort comes to a close, Fluor has, perhaps, 100 Americans left in the country and is phasing out the Iraqi jobs.

The Times said most US-funded projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, and it is unlikely that any significant new US funds will be forthcoming. Iraqi government ministries, which will be taking over responsibility for the reconstruction effort, tend to issue much smaller contracts that do not interest large US companies.

It quoted retired Col Paul Hughes of the United States Institute of Peace saying that the US Congress has made it clear that it will not provide any more money.

The World Bank had estimated in 2003 that it would take 56 billion dollar to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure and the United States appropriated 18.7 billion dollar toward the effort, much of which went to build specific projects.

(more)

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=228607&n_date=20060123&cat=World

[Earth_First]

1. Looks like the money-grab in Iraq has come to an end...

Nothing left to do but pull out, count losses and reorganize from there...

What a shame. We bomb out an entire country, promise to repair what we destroyed, and claim bankruptcy at the end. "Neeeeext!" our government screeches as the drums beat and gnashing rhetoric set it's sights on Iran.

[jimshoes]

2. Wonder how that

billion dollar Embassy is coming along?

[Earth_First]

3. Or where the $9b usd CASH disappeared to...

or the trillion dollars that Rumsfeld has no accountability of?

[JohnyCanuck]

4. They have to clear the decks for the next go around at the trough

when Iran's reconstruction is underway.

[Earth_First]

5. That's what methinks... n/t

[NYC]

7. So this is how the war ends.

No more profits to be made.

[katty]

12. bingo

[cliss]

6. Well, well.....

I've posted a few times what happens when there are too many crony deals worked out with the government and the contractors. Nature has already figured this out.

I called it the "Parasite's Handbook".

Rule #1 - Do not kill your host. Always remember, as you lay within the soft intestines of your host, diverging nourishment to yourself, be careful not to take too much nourishment, nor do not lay too many eggs of your offspring inside the host. You must be prudent at all times and not take too much.

For when you kill your host, you die as well.

[wordpix]

8. money spigot is turned off as scandal upon scandal reveals lack of

accountability for our $226 billion spent so far (as of 12/14/05, figure courtesy of dscc.org.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. "Iraqi government ministries, which will be taking over responsibility for

the reconstruction effort, tend to issue much smaller contracts that do not interest large US companies."

So maybe, finally, with the US companies out of the way the real reconstruction can begin.

[Earth_First]

10. Under civil war, I find terribly grim possibilities of this happening...

Unfortunately, the Iraqi people will be left holding the remnants of a horribly war ravaged infrastructure that may never have the ability to self-correct.

[katty]

11. suck the $ dry and leave-no oil profits for the Iraqi people? another

promises down the drain...smaller contracts, not interested...so what are these? infrastructure, utilities, schools, housing

[NYC]

13. I think it is the price contracts should have been

in the first place.

[stillcool]

15. Riverbend's latest re: reconstruction...

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

The task was a daunting one because so many of Iraq’s major infrastructure projects and buildings had been designed and built by foreign contractors from all over the world including French, German, Chinese and Japanese companies. The foreign expertise was unavailable after 1991 due to the war and embargo and Iraqi engineers and technicians found themselves facing the devastation of the Gulf War all alone with limited supplies.

Two years and approximately 8 billion Iraqi dinars later, nearly 90% of the damage had been repaired. It took an estimated 6,000 engineers (all Iraqi), 42,000 technicians, and 12,000 administrators, but bridges were soon up again, telephones were more or less functioning in most areas, refineries were working, water was running and electricity wasn’t back 100%, but it was certainly better than it is today. Within the first two years over 100 small and large bridges had been reconstructed, 16 refineries, over 50 factories and industrial compounds, etc.

It wasn’t perfect- it wasn’t Halliburton… It wasn’t KBR…but it was Iraqi. There was that sense of satisfaction and pride looking upon a building or bridge that was damaged during the war and seeing it up and running and looking better than it did before.

Now, nearly three years after this war, the buildings are still piles of debris. Electricity is terrible. Water is cut off for days at a time. Telephone lines come and go. Oil production isn’t even at pre-war levels… and Iraqis hear about the billions upon billions that come and go. A billion here for security… Five hundred million there for the infrastructure… Millions for voting… Iraq falling into deeper debt… Engineers without jobs simply because they are not a part of this political party or that religious group… And the country still in shambles.

[SodoffBush]

14. No fears. There's always Ford Motor Co.

[gratuitous]

16. Don't those contractors believe in freedom and democracy?

I believe I would pass out if I held my breath waiting to see that question posed in the popular media . . .

[cosmicdot]

17. weren't milestone payments tied to deliverables ...

... and/or statements of work???

What did the contracts read like?

Do whatever, and bill us monthly for time and material ... cost plus whatever ... make up your own terms ... you don't even need a Purchase Order from us ... just have fun with it ... when the money runs out, contract work complete?

Could we see some before and after pictures of all the new infrastructure? New Baghdad must look great with all the billions of dollars of investment. Are the bridges back? Is the water running? Are the lights on? Are the new PNAC military bases finished?

What a lasting impression we're leaving for future Iraqi generations ... but, they hate us for 'our' (diminishing) freedoms ...

:silly: me ... remembering the good ol'days before the Federal Acquisition Regulations and Defense Contract Auditing and other measures for the accounting of taxpayer money, etc., were Bu$hed, Riced, Rumsfelded and Cheneyed ...

[HuffleClaw]

18. they MISSPENT something like HALF those funds

and how much went simpl MISSING? a billion dollars wasn't it?