Who are going to rebuild Irag?

Drakoslay123 · Post by **Drakoslay123** » April 19, 2003, 1:11 pm

San Francisco based, Bechtel will be doing the initial work of rebuilding Iraq. Ar there any British companies participating in rebuilding Iraq? I haven't heard any Brit's names mentioned in the news? Just wondering.

Drakoslay

Neost · Post by **Neost** » April 19, 2003, 3:36 pm

To the victor go the spoils....

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » April 19, 2003, 4:56 pm

Who said anything about rebuilding? We plan on cornering the sand market, everything else is secondary.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » April 19, 2003, 6:06 pm

Down with Bechtel!

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » April 19, 2003, 6:35 pm

Another corp with GOP ties wins another secret bid for an almost billion dollars of taxpayer money contract.

The rich keep getting richer and the public is just egging them on to milk them dry.

Mezzmor · Post by **Mezzmor** » April 19, 2003, 8:25 pm

So please name me a British company (or for that matter, another American company) that has the resume, experience, and personnel to take care of a mammoth job like this. This is infrasructure buildout - sewers, water supply, electricty grid, bridges, roads, etc.

As far as I know, there are 3 companies in the entire world that consult on massive infrastructure building. 1 is Bechtel, the other 2 are Japanese.

Since we are on the subject, lets talk about who got the contract to repair and upgrade the Iraqi oilfields - Halliburton.

There are only 2 companies in the world that manufacture oil well machinery, provide consulting services, build-out, contruction and planning. (Technically 3, I think there is a small Norwegian firm that handles this stuff but only in deep water environments)

1 is American, Halliburton. The other is laughingly, a French company, Schlumberger (pronounced shlumbershzay).

Now kids, lets not all fret. Everyone knows that when you build a home, your contractor doesn't run down to Home Depot, grab all the things needed for the house and build it himself. Well, the same concept goes here. While both companies manufacture certain items, they rely heavily on downstream manufacturers and subcontractors to source parts and equipment and get the stuff built and installed. And both of these companies source all the stuff they need from literally thousands of manufacturers and specialists WORLDWIDE.

So, yes, when you read how Bechtel was awarded a multibillion dollar contract for infrastructure building, and Halliburton was awarded a 600 million dollar deal for upgrade and repair, just remember, most of that money trickles down to smaller companies, and that probably half or less will stay in the USA.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » April 19, 2003, 10:56 pm

So please name me a British company (or for that matter, another American company) that has the resume, experience, and personnel to take care of a mammoth job like this. This is infrasructure buildout - sewers, water supply, electricty grid, bridges, roads, etc.

As far as I know, there are 3 companies in the entire world that consult on massive infrastructure building. 1 is Bechtel, the other 2 are Japanese.

Lol. I hope they do a better job than they did in Bolivia.
http://www.democracyctr.org/bechtel/waterbills/

So, yes, when you read how Bechtel was awarded a multibillion dollar contract for infrastructure building, and Halliburton was awarded a 600 million dollar deal for upgrade and repair, just remember, most of that money trickles down to smaller companies, and that probably half or less will stay in the USA.

Yeah right. That's why Bechtel is doing what a lot of other companies are doing: outsourcing to third-world companies because the labor is cheaper. And in the meantime laying workers back home. But whatever it takes to get Riley Bechtel another notch or two higher on Forbes list.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » April 19, 2003, 11:14 pm

Krimson Klaw wrote:Who said anything about rebuilding? We plan on cornering the sand market, everything else is secondary.

Mezzmor · Post by **Mezzmor** » April 20, 2003, 12:14 am

I couldn't even begin to comment on these companies' quality of work or how they rip their customers off.

All I know is that stereotyping these contract awards as a quid pro quo for campaign donations is ludicrous. All of these big corporations cover their bets, they make massive donations to the party in power, but they also cover there bets with contributions to the other party for the day that the power structure changes in Washington. Plus, generalizing that big oil and big industry make heavy contributions to the GOP is just stupid, when you compare it to the big contributions that labor unions and trial lawyers make to the democrats.

The sum is that money buys access and influence in Washington period. Honestly, I don't have an answer to fix it either. The system is already so corrupt its beyond fixing.

Drakoslay123 · Post by **Drakoslay123** » April 20, 2003, 3:14 am

I can understand you want the best to do the job. Britain helped the U.S. a lot. Just wondering if they got a chance to share this piece of pie.

Drakoslay

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » April 20, 2003, 9:40 am

actually a lot of UK companies are furious because they are getting cut out in favor of american companies for future and even existing deals with Iraq's resources.

Neost · Post by **Neost** » April 20, 2003, 9:58 am

actually a lot of UK companies are furious

Tell them to take their grievances to the UN.

Drakoslay123 · Post by **Drakoslay123** » April 20, 2003, 1:05 pm

Neost, why should U.K companies take the frustration to U.N? U.K. did help us a lot in this war. Is this the right way to treat a friend who stood by you?

Drakoslay

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » April 20, 2003, 3:50 pm

Neost wrote:

actually a lot of UK companies are furious

Tell them to take their grievances to the UN.

UK = "United Kindom" = Great Britian = what you probably simplistically refer to as "England" = Bush's dancing monkey

If I have to explain further, just go stick your head in the toilet and flush a couple times.

Neost · Post by **Neost** » April 20, 2003, 7:34 pm

My post was not intended as a knock against GB, although I can see how it would appear that way.

It was intended more as a comment on the useless nature of the UN.

Another thought I had is that it seems to me Russia, China, France, and Germany have probably already made their fair share off of Iraq. Seems items from those countries keep popping up in the most unusual places. That may just be perception on my part and not reality but I seem to remember German gas masks and weapons, I saw several Russian and/or Chinese origin anti-aircraft weapons, seems that missiles might have come from several places and I believe the Iraqi air force had a few Mirage fighters that we blew up before they could get off the ground.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » April 21, 2003, 8:12 am

Neost wrote:My post was not intended as a knock against GB, although I can see how it would appear that way.

It was intended more as a comment on the useless nature of the UN.

Another thought I had is that it seems to me Russia, China, France, and Germany have probably already made their fair share off of Iraq. Seems items from those countries keep popping up in the most unusual places. That may just be perception on my part and not reality but I seem to remember German gas masks and weapons, I saw several Russian and/or Chinese origin anti-aircraft weapons, seems that missiles might have come from several places and I believe the Iraqi air force had a few Mirage fighters that we blew up before they could get off the ground.

Let me run this through my instatardtranslatoromatic(tm)...*click* *sqeek* *bing* *boom*...

Neost wrote:Hi, my name is Neost. I'm a dumbass. Can someone please explain how the UN and UK are so different. I mean come on, 50% of the letters are the same.

I think the UK is useless because I saw someone say so on TV and I'm a good republican. Oops I mean UN. Fuck it you know what I mean.

I also think that Germany, Russia and France suck so I'm going to tell you about it even though it doesn't have any relevance to the discussion. Hopefully this spam will draw attention away from my earlier post.

Kluden · Post by **Kluden** » April 21, 2003, 9:49 am

With any luck, I'll be doing some project management on the "new" Baghdad. Ever since this whole thing started, I've been talking to some British guy that works here about the "rebuilding" process. He worked in Baghdad for 4 years following the gulf war and fell in love with the people and the culture of Iraq.

I would like to go and work there for maybe 2 years tops. I'm facinated by that area's history and would like to experience it first hand. The only unfortunate part would be the small groups that don't like white folk. The majority welcome all, but there are a few violent groups (kind of like street gangs) that you don't want to run into. Atleast that's what the Brit told me...

Anybody have any contacts with Bechtel construction? There not to big of a company here in D.C.

So, in answer to the original posts question of who will be rebuilding Iraq...well...me.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » April 21, 2003, 10:01 am

Anybody have any contacts with Bechtel construction? There not to big of a company here in D.C.

Go north about 45 miles. They have a fairly large office in Frederick. Although that's mainly the Power/Telecommunications office. Bechtel is actually a few different companies. Sorta.

Neost · Post by **Neost** » April 21, 2003, 10:26 am

Forthe,

You see the little guy knocking his head against the brick wall in my original post?

I guess I should've known that the visual was beyond some people and explained the picture. I didn't realize that I needed to label things for everyone but let me do it for you. Now make sure you aren't looking through the earhole of your football helmet so you can get the picture.

[brickwall = UN] <--> [smiley = GB]

Now, turn your little translator on, set it to add some content or an original thought into your posts. Add something to the thread other than demonstrating your ability to use quote tags.

And the other thought I had on this while posting is relevant to the thread. Since the discussion of rebuilding Iraq and who the contracts were going to was going on, I expressed my opinion about who should NOT be allowed a major role. If you have a problem with that opinion, fine. Let me see a rebuttal to the opinion. If you have no more to offer than what you already have, STFU.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 21, 2003, 10:44 am

I think what he was trying to say was, there's no basis for making the joke of the U.K. taking their grievances to the U.N. Britain circumvented the U.N. right along with the U.S., they've obviously shown they don't really answer to the U.N. Now, if you'd said for say, France, to take it to the U.N., then your joke would have worked.

And yes, I think we all go the original use of an emoticon...

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 21, 2003, 11:47 am

The Brits got our collective back in a big way this past year. We should throw them more than just a bone for sticking with us despite Dubya's public flubbas.

Another thing, is it me or does Cheney look more and more like Emperor Palpatine in Jedi every day?

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 21, 2003, 1:03 pm

masteen wrote:The Brits got our collective back in a big way this past year. We should throw them more than just a bone for sticking with us despite Dubya's public flubbas.

Another thing, is it me or does Cheney look more and more like Emperor Palpatine in Jedi every day?

*waves hands in front of your face*

This is not the Cheney you are looking for...