Payback - French, Germans and Russians barred from Iraq contracts

[Ned]

How sweet it is!

"Pentagon Bars Three Nations From Iraq Bids
By DOUGLAS JEHL

Published: December 10, 2003



ASHINGTON, Dec. 9 — The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying it was acting to protect "the essential security interests of the United States."

The directive, issued Friday by Paul D. Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, represents the most substantive retaliation to date by the Bush administration against American allies who opposed its decision to go to war in Iraq.

The administration had warned before the war that countries that did not join in an American-led coalition would not have a voice in decisions about the rebuilding of Iraq. But it had not previously made clear that companies in those countries would be excluded from competing for a share in the money for Iraq's reconstruction that the United States approved last month."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/10/international/middleeast/10DIPL.html?th

[Nubclear]

Not a good idea to bar Russia, considering that Russia has slowly become a Washington ally.
Nor a good idea to bar anyone in fact, because it only quickens Americas political decline.

Which is a good thing, actually

[Gangerolf]

Wolfowitz said he hoped that excluded firms would pressure their governments to join the post-war effort. That could be..

[Ned]

Commie T, yeah, in a way, barring Russia was a bad idea given that Putin and Bush have really patched things up and Putin was the lever behind the recent 15-0 Security Council vote in favor of the US's Iraq policy.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Ned
barring Russia was a bad idea

Oh. Your just being sarcastic.

[Ned]

Not really. I am truly surprised at Wolfy's move.

[laurentius]

Try to get some sleep hanabi

[Q Classic]

i feel sorry for canada. they did, after all, send about 200 mill for reconstruction.

either way... i don't buy the reasoning behind it saying that this limitation is for national security.

it's retaliation. uncle sam's way, or the highway; you're either with us, or you're against us.

[Nubclear]

And hopefully (luckily), the world is choosing "Against us"

[Winston]

It's quite laughable that the opposition against taking out Saddam now all of a sudden want to cash in on the contracts.

Well now it's too late to join the Coalition of the Billing.

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by Winston
the Coalition of the Billing.

[Nubclear]

Why is south Korea on that list?

"Iraq"

[Gangerolf]

and "Afghanistan"

[Hueij]

I'm sorry to see my country on that list...

[Harovan]

18.6 billion worth of contracts, to be shared among over 60 countries? That's a whopping 300 million per country. Certainly worth to join the axis of vassals.