UPDATED - ColdType

State, George Schultz. He’s not only on the board
of Bechtel, he’s also chairman of the advisory
board of the Committee for the Liberation of
Iraq, a group with close ties to the White House
committed to reconstructing the Iraqi economy
through war. You’re doing a grand job, George,
and I’m sure material benefits will be coming
your way, as sure as the Devil lives in Texas.”
The ‘vision’
EMBEDDED: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION
THE Economist which follows these events more
soberly explains: “Under its “Vision for Post-
Conflict Iraq”, America plans to spend more than
$1.7 billion immediately to demonstrate a rapid
improvement in the quality of life in Iraq. The
plan is split into a number of bite-sized pieces,
for which requests for tenders are being sent out
in secret – a procedure justified due to ‘urgent
circumstances.’ The biggest single contract is
worth $600M. This envisages that within just six
months the contractor will reopen half of Iraq’s
‘economically important roads and bridges’ –
some 1,500 miles – to high-speed traffic; repair
15% of the high-voltage electricity grid; provide
half the population with access to ‘basic health
services;’ renovate several thousand schools and
supply them with books and other educational
materials; and spruce up 5,000 houses and 3,000
slum dwellings.
“Initially, the Bush administration issued tender
invitations to a small number of companies,
including Halliburton’s Kellogg Brown & Root
subsidiary. This led to accusations of cronyism,
as Dick Cheney, the vice-president, and one of
the chief advocates of the war in Iraq, was chief
executive of Halliburton until 2000, when he
resigned to join the Republican presidential
208
ticket. Kellogg Brown & Root is part of a consortium
headed by Parsons Corp, which is believed
to be on a shortlist of two, bidding against Bechtel
for the work. Halliburton was also initially
awarded, without competition, a separate contract
by the Army Corps of Engineers to make
emergency repairs to Iraq’s oilfields. This was
originally valued at up to $7 billion, but a new
contract is now being drawn up, estimated to be
worth a more conservative $600m because the
damage was so light. Fluor and Bechtel are both
expected to bid for the contract, though Halliburton,
perhaps chastened by the cronyism
allegations, has yet to say whether it will rebid.
The Army Corps of Engineers is also taking bids
for work worth up to $500m for road-and barrack-building
projects.”
Nation rebuilding in the dark
AS of this morning, the lights are still not on in
Baghdad. The head of one power plant there
complains that the U.S. military has taken over
his office and he can’t find transport to bring his
staff to work despite all the hummers crowding
his parking lot. This situation mirrors other realities
including under resourced hospitals and a
humanitarian crisis that is building. As we know
this is not news the Administration wants to see
reported.
Recall last weekend’s remarks from Secretary
of War Rumsfeld, who dismissed reports he didn’t
want to hear as off the wall, telling reporters
“Chicken Little’s crying The Sky is Falling, The
Sky is Falling”. He echoed the now departed
Iraqi Minister of Misinformation: “I picked up a
newspaper today and I couldn’t believe it,” he
said. “I read eight headlines that talked about