USAID awards $1.8B Iraq contract to Bechtel

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

USAID awards $1.8B Iraq contract to Bechtel
San Francisco-based Bechtel National Inc. said Tuesday that the U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded it a $1.8 billion Iraqi infrastructure repair contract.

Bechtel National is the government contracting arm of the Bechtel group of companies. It will work with Pasadena-based Parsons and Fairfax, Va.-based Horne Engineering Services on the Iraq Infrastructure II project.

more: http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2004/01/05/daily20.html?t=printable

On edit: CNN Story

Bechtel wins second Iraq contract

Second installment of infrastructure contract, worth about $1.8B, awarded to firm with GOP ties.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agency for International Development Tuesday said it has awarded a second lucrative contract to rebuild the infrastructure in Iraq to engineering company Bechtel, this one worth $1.8 billion.

The contract will fund projects during the next two years in Iraq ranging from repairing power facilities, water and sanitation systems, continued rehabilitation of airport facilities, and additional work at the seaport of Umm Qasr.

The contract follows a deal the privately held, San Francisco-based Bechtel signed with USAID last year to help rebuild Iraq's shattered infrastructure. The company teamed up with Parsons Corp. for the most recent contract.

USAID Procurement Director Tim Beans said the contract was awarded in full and open competition with no outside interference. He said three companies had bid for contract.

more: http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/06/news/companies/bechtel.reut/

(More info than first story)

[northzax]

1. well, I guess better this

than individual grants to entrepeneurs on the ground, right?

[el_gato]

2. Bechtel has been in Iraq a long time

Here is an excerpt from the Congressional record back in '92 by Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez:

"The most prominent of these projects was an Iraqi oil pipeline with an outlet at the Red Sea Port of Aqaba, Jordan. This contract alone was worth $1 billion for its contractor, Bechtel, the California engineering conglomerate. Secretary of State George Shultz and Bechtel had a longstanding business relationship. As a matter of fact, Secretary Shultz came from Bechtel, and he came back from Bechtel. He worked at Bechtel prior to becoming Secretary of State and, as I say and repeat, he went back immediately upon leaving the State Department."
http://fas.org/spp/starwars/congress/1992/h920224g.htm

[cthrumatrix]

3. war profiterring....period.

[indepat]

4. May I add "odoius" to the war profiteering?

[jpak]

5. And how much of this tainted money

will find its way back to the Bush 2004 Reelection Campaign????

[TolstoyAndy]

7. important question, jpak n/t

.

[worldgonekrazy]

6. It is really sickening

Profiting from the deaths of almost 500 U.S. soldiers (reported deaths, anyways) and thousands of Iraqi civilians. The reason I don't believe in God is that every one of these motherfuckers should have been struck by lightning bolts a long time ago. Well we're just going to have to take matters into our own hands I guess. How much longer will we put up with this shit?