Halliburton and Bechtel conquer Iraq

[shemp]

Now that the dirty work has been done at the behest of their puppet Bush, it's time to reap the profits. I'm sure that little of the oil money will find its way into the hands of the common Iraqi people. So much for "Trickle Down" economics.

Halliburton unit could make $7b

HALLIBURTON, BECHTEL ET. AL. TO PROFIT IN POST WAR IRAQ

War or Cash Cow? You Decide

 

[crackmonkey]

So... the US and UK won the war, therefore any US or UK companies that get contracts for the rebuilding are profiteering. Is that about it? Or did we go to war so Bechtel could get the contracts? "No War for Oil Infrastructure Repair"?

 

[aerocontrols]

Isn't this a non-story?

The contracts could have been worth $7 billion, but since there were less than 2 dozen oil fires, they've billed $50.3 million so far?

Flowers wrote that the $7 billion ceiling reflected the difficulty in predicting the extent of the damage to Iraqi wells and stressed that the actual value of the deal will depend on the cost of the orders placed under it.

 

[Clancie]

originally posted by crackmonkey
Therefore any US or UK companies that get contracts for the rebuilding are profiteering. Is that about it?

Well, only a handful of politically well-connected American companies have been given contracts so far.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/114656_rebuild28.shtml

One of the first major contracts was awarded to a subsidiary of Halliburton Co., a company that was run by Vice President Dick Cheney, on a no-bid basis.

Experts say the job in Iraq could be the biggest undertaking since the Marshall Plan after World War II.

The early contracts -- including the one to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root -- have been awarded without competition or detailed explanations of total cost.

Business as usual.

Income redistribution, Republican style.

 

[DrBenway]

Business as usual.

Not that I want to defend Haliburton et al, but it's my understanding that the DOD has longstanding relationships with several large corporations. Not every job is put up for bid. Some are sort of like extensions to pre-existing contracts and work orders.

It's difficult to bid a job without detailed specs for the work. Initially, people will have to assess what's to be built, and where, and how. I'd think it would be easier to put up specific jobs for bid to sub-contractors, once a stable infrastructure and management division is in place.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Business as usual.

Income redistribution, Republican style.

Income redistribution, Republican style - Hiring large corporations to do work that creates jobs and shareholder value.

Income redistribution, Democrat style - give a handout to a lazy piece of crap so he can go out and buy more cheap wine.

I'll choose the former, thank you.

 

[aerocontrols]

U.S. Finds Iraq Contractor with No Political Ties

MattJ

 

[shemp]

U.S. Finds Iraq Contractor with No Political Ties

MattJ

Looks like Diogenes finally found his honest man.

 

[crackmonkey]

Did Halliburton and Bechtel get government work during the Clinton years? If so, would that make Clinton part of the Vast Right Wing Military-Industrial Conspiracy?

 

[Pyrrho]

Not that I want to defend Haliburton et al, but it's my understanding that the DOD has longstanding relationships with several large corporations. Not every job is put up for bid. Some are sort of like extensions to pre-existing contracts and work orders.

True. Companies have to bid for the extensions and/or additions, though. Rarely are they a "done deal".

There are not all that many companies that can do the work on the scale required in Iraq. Quite naturally, the contracts fall to the largest corporations with global resources, such as Bechtel, Raytheon, Fluor, Halliburton, etc. These aren't jobs for companies seeking a "foot in the door".

 

[corplinx]

NEWS FLASH:

Longtime Defense Contractor gets Defense Contract!!!!


Conspiracy!!!!!!!!

 

[Clancie]

Did Halliburton and Bechtel get government work during the Clinton years? If so, would that make Clinton part of the Vast Right Wing Military-Industrial Conspiracy?

I'm glad you mentioned the Military Industrial complex. Here's President Eisenhower's warning about it:

from Eisenhower's Farewell Address to the Nation, 1961

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence-economic, political, even spiritual-is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the Federal government.

We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted.

Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

 

[crackmonkey]

Well, I didn't... I mentioned the 'Military-Industrial Conspiracy'. Thanks anyway, I guess...

 

[Guest]

Income redistribution, Republican style - Hiring large corporations to do work that creates jobs and shareholder value.

Income redistribution, Democrat style - give a handout to a lazy piece of crap so he can go out and buy more cheap wine.

I'll choose the former, thank you.

Carefully phrased by Scrut so that personal bias will not be overlooked.

 

[Clancie]

Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi makes an excellent point (below). Unless we're saying we've defeated and occupied Iraq, there's no reason the U.S. should unilaterally be approving all these reconstruction contracts for another country.

KUWAIT (Reuters) - A prominent Iraqi exile said on Saturday only a democratically elected government should be allowed to sign the massive contracts needed to reconstruct the country.

Former Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi criticized Washington over its plans for a U.S.-led civilian authority to hand out reconstruction contracts without the approval of an elected Iraqi government.

"No one has the right to commit Iraq to obligations and costs," he told a news conference in Kuwait. "Only an Iraqi government can do that. A parliament should also endorse the agreements."

The U.S. government on Thursday awarded Bechtel Corp. a $680-million-contract to help rebuild Iraq's power, water and sewage systems as well as repair air and sea ports.

Pachachi, seen as a potential future policymaker, also said he wanted a U.N.-sponsored conference to select an interim Iraqi government over the civil authority headed by retired U.S. general Jay Garner.

"We believe that the involvement of the United Nations will give (the government) legitimacy and greater acceptance worldwide and among Iraqis," Pachachi said.

 

[Pyrrho]

Clancy, that's an extremely good and important point. Whose country is it, anyway?

 

[hammegk]

Clancy, that's an extremely good and important point. Whose country is it, anyway?

Truly, LOL.

Say for the sake of argument 1,000,000 bbl/day is shut-in; i.e. gross value US$30,000,000 / day being foregone by Iraq. Nearly US$1 Billion/month! (If you don't have an oil-well, get one .. )

Writing a RFP for the work would take many days, bid preparation weeks, bid award more weeks. Few companies are capable and competent, and any that are are first-world -- a few US, a couple British, a couple French, and the odd Italian, FSU state, etc.

Potential production is perhaps 4,000,000 bopd.

Now, would you prefer the work to begin? Pachachi will have to get his personal cut (& his buddies & relatives) later.

 

[Pyrrho]

Now, would you prefer the work to begin? Pachachi will have to get his personal cut (& his buddies & relatives) later.

Now yer talkin'.

I can imagine the manifold difficulties in getting just one contract moving through a new government there. Why, in a small village I used to work in many years ago, it took two years and $50,000 to get a single traffic light installed.

 

[subgenius]

I'm glad you mentioned the Military Industrial complex. Here's President Eisenhower's warning about it:

Thank you for reminding us of history. Pretty wise honest guy that Ike for a Texas Republican.

 

[fishbob]

Writing a RFP for the work would take many days, bid preparation weeks, bid award more weeks. Few companies are capable and competent, and any that are are first-world -- a few US, a couple British, a couple French, and the odd Italian, FSU state, etc.

Hammegk is being very optimistic here about the time required for the US govt to contract anything anymore. Contracting is one of the most broke down, inefficient things the Govt does (this is why we get $900 hammers). Emergency type contracts with the few companies that engage in this kind of work is the only way to get the work started.