Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:27, 31 January 2006

Revision as of 20:29, 31 January 2006

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{{main|Reconstruction of Iraq}}

For the reconstruction, contracts were awarded to private companies. Initially companies from countries that had opposed the war were excluded from these contracts, but this decision was reversed due to protests. {{ref|globeandmailBNStory}} Political activists and commentators allege that [[The Pentagon]] favoured companies like [[Halliburton]], former employer of Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], because they had connections to high-ranking members of the Bush administration {{ref|msnbcCheney}} {{ref|moneyCnn}}. This suspicion had already been a concern during the [[Protests against the 2003 Iraq war|global protests against the war on Iraq]]. An audit found that Halliburton subsidiary [[Kellogg, Brown and Root]] (KBR) may have overcharged the U.S. government $ 61  million, on contracts worth billions, for bringing oil products for the U.S. army into Iraq via a [[Kuwait|Kuwaiti]] subcontractor, Altanmia Commercial Marketing Co. {{ref|nytimes1083211200}}

Some also argue that foreign contractors are doing work which could be done by unemployed Iraqis, which might be a factor fueling resentment of the occupation. {{ref|casperstartribune4214}} {{ref|meesa46n40d02}}{{ref|chron2136626}} Further resentment could be inflamed with the news that almost USD9 billion dollars of Iraqi oil revenue is missing from a fund set up to reconstruct Iraq. {{ref|BBC4216853}}

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On [[August 14]], [[2005]], a Washington Post story{{ref|washingtonpostAR2005081300853}} on the administration's effort to lower expectations, quoted Wayne White, former head of the State Department's Iraq intelligence team, as saying "The most thoroughly dashed expectation was the ability to build a robust self-sustaining economy. We're nowhere near that. State industries, electricity are all below what they were before we got there."

A report of the United States Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction found widespread "fraud, incompetence and confusion" in the American occupation's handling of billions of dollars of Iraqi government money and American funds given for reconstruction (NY Times [[January 25]], [[2006]] [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/international/middleeast/25reconstruct.html?hp&ex=1138251600&en=0138ddaecd4566f6&ei=5094&partner=homepage])

==Civilian government==