http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0312/mondo1.php Mondo Washington by James Ridgeway
Daddy Warbucks Bush Pals Get Rich Off Iraq March 18th, 2003 12:00 PM Unwilling to wait for bombs over Baghdad, Washington lobbyists kicked off the real Iraq war weeks ago. They've been quietly squaring off for the contracts to implement George Bush's one-year remake of Iraq, the squalid dictatorship, into Iraq, the gleaming democracy. With the reconstruction roughly figured to run at least $20 billion a year for many years to come, this is a bonanza for the construction and allied industries. Last week USAID asked five construction concerns to submit bids on an initial $900 million contract. Among them were three heavyweight players that collectively gave $2.8 million to presidential candidates over the last two election cycles. Two-thirds of that money went to Republicans, according to a report by the Center for Responsive Politics. The three are: Bechtel: The huge engineering firm employed top Reagan officials before they took office, including Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of State George Schultz, and CIA director William Casey. Bechtel gave $1.3 million in PAC and soft-money contributions. A German report claims Bechtel sold weapons to Iraq during the 1980s. Kellogg, Brown & Root: A Halliburton subsidiary, KBR has an open-ended contract to provide logistical support to the U.S. military around the world, and reportedly is in line to put out flaming oil wells should Saddam set them afire. Halliburton was the second largest contributor, chipping in $709,000. Fluor: This corporation gave $483,000 to pols. Kenneth Oscar, the firm's VP for strategy and government services, recently was acting assistant secretary of the army, which has a $35 billion procurement budget. Additional reporting: Phoebe St John, Mosi Secret, and Joanna Khenkine The Bidders: Campaign Contributions Since 1999 http://www.capitaleye.org/iraqchart.3.12.03.asp Bechtel Group Inc. Halliburton Co. Fluor Corp. Parsons Corp. Louis Berger Group Inc. Postwar Profiteers by Sheryl Fred How a handful of construction firms got an early invitation to rebuild Iraq. http://www.TomPaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/7408 Postwar Profiteers Sheryl Fred is an investigative reporter for the Center for Responsive Politics and its online newsletter, CapitalEye.org. This article was originally published by the Center for Responsive Politics, and is reprinted with permission. A select group of U.S. construction firms now bidding on a lucrative government contract to rebuild a postwar Iraq contributed a combined $2.8 million -- 68 percent to Republicans -- over the past two election cycles. The U.S. Agency for International Development asked Bechtel Group Inc., Fluor Corp., Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root, Louis Berger Group Inc. and Parsons Corp. to submit bids last week for the $900-million contract. This initial estimate for repairing and building water systems, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in the country is just the first step in what The Wall Street Journal called "the largest government reconstruction effort since Americans helped to rebuild Germany and Japan after World War II." The firms that land the contract are also likely to make the short list for future projects in Iraq, which include plans to develop the country's oil industry. Bechtel, the engineering giant that employed the likes of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, former Secretary of State George Schultz and former CIA Director William Casey before they took their government posts, gave $1.3 million in individual, PAC and soft money contributions between 1999 and 2002. As it prepares its bid for the postwar project, Bechtel is facing allegations that it contributed to Iraq's military buildup nearly two decades ago. The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that a German journalist uncovered a document prepared for the United Nations by Iraq that says Bechtel was among 24 U.S. companies that supplied the country with weapons during the '80s. Kellogg, Brown & Root and parent company Halliburton -- which was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney until 2000 -- was the second-largest donor of the group, with more than $709,000 in contributions. Halliburton also gave more to Bush's presidential campaign ($17,677) than any of the other bidders combined. Fluor, which gave more than $483,000 in individual, PAC and soft money contributions in the previous two election cycles, also has ties to the Defense Department. Kenneth Oscar, the company's vice president of strategy and government services, recently served as the acting assistant secretary of the Army, where he directed its $35 billion-a-year procurement budget. Representatives from Bechtel and Halliburton told reporters this week that they were asked to submit a bid because they've done similar work with USAID in the past. Both companies participated in the rebuilding of Kuwait, particularly its oil fields, after the Gulf War. Published: Mar 13 2003 ------------------------ Yahoo! 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