Canada Protests U.S. Ruling on Iraq Bids

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031210/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_military&cid=540&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon (news - web sites) drew criticism from one U.S. ally after formally barring companies from countries opposed to the Iraq (news - web sites) war from bidding on 26 reconstruction contracts.

The ruling bars companies from U.S. allies such as France, Germany and Canada from bidding on those contracts — worth $18.6 billion — because their governments opposed the American-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime.


"If these comments are accurate ... it would be difficult for us to give further money for the reconstruction of Iraq," said Canada's deputy prime minister, John Manley. "To exclude Canadians just because they are Canadians would be unacceptable if they accept funds from Canadian taxpayers for the reconstruction of Iraq."


Steven Hogue, a spokesman for Prime Minister Jean Chretien, said Canada has contributed more than $190 million to the rebuilding effort.


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[La_Serpiente]

1. Yay, Allies, Yay

Actually, *Sigh*. I don't know how people can continue to support our president. It is so sickning.

[Mikimouse]

2. Pull out all the Canadian troops and aid workers from Afghanistan

and cease any and all contributions to the Iraq reconstruction; then, file for sanctions in the UN, and file a complaint with the WTO. This amounts to subsidizing, not only US corporations, but also to fraudulently obtaining funds.

[HEyHEY]

7. it'd be nice but at the same time

If those troops aren't there the populationc could suffer

[iverglas]

3. fascinating

The story posted comes from the Globe and Mail

Administration officials have suggested publicly and privately since before the war started that countries that opposed the United States on Iraq would be cut out of at least some of the lucrative rebuilding contracts administered by Washington.

I'm actually not aware of our having "opposed the United States".

I thought that we had made a decision not to participate in any US-led invasion of Iraq without UN approval. The sort of decision that it is within the authority of sovereign states to make, and that the allies of those sovereign states respect.

I didn't actually notice us taking sides with an enemy of the US and participating in, or failing to assist it in defending against, any aggression against it.

Hell, if we'd "opposed" the United States, I might have expected us to do something about it. But that was just me and my buddies out demonstrating in front of the US Embassy, not the Government of Canada.


I'm curious about the US's "administration" of these rebuilding contracts. Its authority for that purpose eludes me just now. Has the US government been retained as the agent of the Iraqi government or people for that purpose?

Perhaps Canada and France and Germany should just go negotiate some contracts with someone who has some actual authority to enter into them -- like the Iraqis.

.

[snippy]

4. Warlords always are vindictive.

[loudnclear]

5. And well they should...after all we killed their soldiers in Afghanistan

They have given monetary as well as physical support to our efforts in Afghanistan...what the hell are we thinking?

[HEyHEY]

6. Oh I guess IRaq IS part of the US now

Silly me...then shouldn't NAFTA apply? :dunce:

[Robb]

8. You reap what you sew

Heard on NPR tonight that the WTO is investigating whether barring countries who opposed the war from bidding on these Iraq contracts violates WTO trade policies...!

Or, put another way, the WTO is coming back to bite * in the ass. ;)