A vultures' feast

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

US imperialism purposely granted contracts only to American companies in its desire to monopolize Iraq's wealth. Thus, "lesser vultures" are complaining of being left out in the distribution of the spoils of war. Among them are British and Australian companies that have been shunted aside despite their countries' obsequious-ness to the US at the height of the war. Within the US itself, there is widespread grumbling about cronyism, fixed deals and other anomalies related to the "distribution" of contracts.

Among others, the following have been granted lucrative contracts:

• Bechtel Corporation, a company with a lifeline to the Republican Party and one of the latter's major campaign donors since the 1980s. Formerly headed by George Shultz, Secretary of State under the Reagan regime, it is now led by a member of the Presidential Export Council under the Bush regime. With the help of the US Defense Policy Board and USAID head Andrew Natsios, the two of them fixed a contract for the reconstruction of public utilities in Iraq by overpricing the deal and ensuring that Bechtel bagged the contract. The contract is initially valued at $680 million. Bechtel is expected to rake in even more with the growing cost of Iraqi "reconstruction" which is expected to hit $100-200 billion.
• Kellogg Brown & Root, a company under Haliburton which was headed by Richard Cheney before he became vice president under Bush. USAID has offered Kellogg a $7 billion contract to clean up Iraqi oil fields.
• Stevedoring Services of America, long known to be a major electoral campaign contributor to Bush's party. The company has been granted a $4.8 million contract for the administration of the port at Umm Qasr. In granting this contract, the US has set aside the UK's interests despite the fact that it was British forces that fought fierce battles for the control of Umm Qasr and are now administering its seaport.

21 April 2003
English Edition

	Editorial: Thwart the US' imposition of imperialist power worldwide
	Lessons from the 12-year imperialist suppression campaign against Iraq
	The imposition of a new "Pax Americana"
	Denationalization, privatization and plunder in the name of "reconstruction"
	A vultures' feast
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