Bahraini Co. Told to Stop Iraq Operation

[kayell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030728/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_mobile_phones_4

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The Bahraini telephone company that set up a cellular network in Baghdad without permission from the U.S.-led authority in Iraq (news - web sites) has been ordered to cut off the service.


Bahrain Telecommunication Co., known as Batelco, had begun service July 22, carrying calls for people with phones on the GSM network standard common in the Middle East and Europe. Batelco said it had spent nearly $5 million setting up the network and planned to give free phones to police, fire and emergency crews in Baghdad whose communications have been hampered by the devastation of the city's landline phone networks.


"It's a pity that we had to stop. We really put in an effort and felt a cheer coming toward us from all over the world," Rashid al-Snan, Batelco's regional operations manager, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday from Bahrain.


Al-Snan said Batelco received a letter from U.S. authorities two days after the service started, saying the company needed a license to operate in Iraq. Batelco responded with a request for a license, but was told to stop the service and that provisional authorities were still working out a licensing regime.


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[sweetladybug]

1. WELL I QUESS BUSH AND HIS CRIME FAMILY CAN'T MAKE

MONEY OFF OF THIS SERVICE SO NO ONE GETS TELEPHONE SERVICE IN IRAQ

[Elidor]

2. Oh, not to worry, they awarded a no-bid contract to...wait for it...

WORLDCOM! That's right, phone service in Iraq will be brought to you by the same people who declared an $11 billion bankruptcy due to corruption and greed. Isn't corporatism wonderful?

[ewagner]

3. License?

From whom? Don't you need a government to issue a license? Doesn't there have to be a law passed by a legislature requiring a license? Doesn't there have to be a legislature mandated by a constitution to make a law that requires a government to require a license tooo....


....shit it just makes my head hurt///////////

[Old and In the Way]

4. I think this has to do more with controlling the information flow than

telcom contracts.

I doubt that this administration wants anyone in Iraq talking or communicating to the outside world right now, until they feel Iraq has been properly liberated.

[fizzana]

5. What's doubly amazing about the Worldcom deal

is that they aren't even equipped to handle a contract like this and companies like Verizon and AT&T have far more expreience and are far more capable of setting up cellular networks.

Even when the BFEE steals they still screw up everything.

[expatriot]

6. NO BLOOD FOR CELLULAR!

we must get this murderer out of office.

[Randi_Listener]

7. Or we get more of this...

[umcwb]

8. Locking - Dupe

Please continue here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=37595&mesg_id=37595&page=



Thanks,
UMCWB
DU LBN Moderator