exclusion of countries from iraq contracts.

[morgan2]

I think people should focus on that not allowing everyone to bid on the contracts will cause the tax payers to over pay for the services we need provided in iraq. Its hurting the tax payers by not getting the best prices.

[Killarney]

1. Good point

and that's been proven by today's top news story that Halliburton has been caught. They overcharged us by millions:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031212/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/halliburton_probe&cid=542&ncid=716

This is what happens with no-bid contracts.

[KharmaTrain]

2. The Game Is Rigged

Until the Democrats can wrestle control of one of the houses, the GOOP will run roughshod on the rules and feed this war machine. This regime gets more and more pigheaded in defending this folly and digs us deeper as they do. International isolationism means nothing to these goons as that was their intentions in the first place.

Right now, other than the CBO and a couple of other very controlled agencies there is no oversight on where our tax money is going and to whom. The foxes run the henhouse and they're going to go for more.

Right now I think the huge corporations are hedging their bets on next's years election, thus want to make as much now as they can out of this literal money tar baby...then when the election is stolen, to set up long-term sweetheart deals below the radar that will drain billions out of the treasury for years to come.

[dusty64]

3. It also proves what

this "war" is REALLY all about. $$$$$ for rightwing donors and members of our regime. This is the proof along with the outrageous executive order forbidding any investigation into these companies and the contracts. This month was when we were to ask for assistance to help an exit strategy, they just revealed themselves by doing such a greedy and vindicative thing. They DON'T want to leave. They want our kids to continue to be maimed and killed to protect the massive graft and looting that is going on. That is why we are there and thats why I always knew we were going there.

[shepard]

4. Iraq Minister Backs U.S. Move on Contracts

Politics
Iraq Minister Backs U.S. Move on Contracts
Reuters
Fri Dec 12, 6:14 AM ET

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites)'s interim foreign minister backed a U.S. move to bar war opponents from reconstruction contracts, saying some of them had supported Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s "bloody regime."



"Not only did these countries not help the Iraqi people, some of them opposed the war and others supported the dictatorship of this bloody regime in oppressing the Iraqi people through the years," said Hoshiyar Zebari during a visit to Qatar Thursday.

"We Iraqis remember these things, and remember those who stood by us and those who stood against us," he said in remarks aired Friday by Arabic-language television network Al Jazeera.


The United States unveiled plans Tuesday to limit competition for reconstruction contracts in Iraq worth up to $18.6 billion, shutting out countries such as Germany, France and Russia which opposed the war.

The decision has prompted a storm of protest from the excluded countries and shaken efforts to rebuild ties damaged by the war.

Zebari said the decision could still be revised.

"There is room regarding these countries and this issue could be revised if these countries changed their negative attitude and their disregard of the Iraqi cause," Zebari said.

Ahe'ee Nehemah

[GiovanniC]

5. Consider This, As Well...

Many of the countries who were opposed to the war, notably France, Germany, and Russia, were owed large debts by Iraq. Now, as the United States attempts to "restructure" these debts, how cooperative do you see these countries being in this regard in light of being excluded from these contracts?

Lord knows if I was France, Germany, or Russia, I would tell Bush to shove his contracts up his ass, if there's any room left what with his head already being there and all.

Even so, this may be a blessing in disguise for these countries. Iraq isn't exactly the safest place in the world. These contractors are directly in harm's way, and some of them have already been killed. The more these reconstruction contracts are worked on, the more readily they can become relatively easy targets for insurgents. It's easier to attack a group of civilians than military targets, and the result is just as demoralizing, if not more so.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Have you noticed that the whore media never mentions that? n/t