[A-List] AJ: Britain upset over prospect of US company running port

[Macdonald Stainsby <mstainsby@xxxxxx>]

      Britain upset over prospect of US company running port

      Iason Athanasiadis

      With the US-led coalition yet to occupy more than half of Iraq and any
of its cities running into serious opposition, a dispute over the future of
the occupied territories is already taking shape.

      The disagreement that has been brewing for some months, has bubbled to
the surface with the comments made by the chief commander of the British
troops about the prospect of an American company with close ties to the US
government administering the Iraqi port.

      Asked about the prospect of a private American company running the
country's only deep-water port, Air Marshall Brian Burridge said Thursday,
"the best outcome is that we find the people who ran it (Umm Qasr) before."




      The Guardian newspaper that carried Mr Burridge's comments also quoted
a British army officer as saying Britain's goal was not to impose a "pax
Britannica' on Iraq.

      "We don't want to conquer a second Mesopotamia. The ultimate goal is
to hand everything over to the Iraqi people," he said.

      The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a
$4.8 million award to the Seattle-based Stevedoring Services of America
(SSA) for assessment and management activities at the southern Iraqi port of
Umm Qasr, intended by the Bush administration to serve as the lifeline of
humanitarian shipments for Iraq's people.

      The Independent newspaper meanwhile writes that Britain "sees this as
the first big test of the proclaimed Allied intention to ensure that Iraqi
resources are used for the benefit of the Iraqi people."

      Some British companies have been angered over the contract process,
the paper reported, saying that the British company P & O had submitted a
bid but was rejected. Several of the firms were concerned that American
companies appeared to be receiving preferential treatment.
      The allegations come amid concern that the company in charge of the
tender process, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is
prohibited by its charter from naming any but American firms as prime
contractors.

      Although the US government has promised waivers to allow foreign
companies to bid as subcontractors, the candidates for the reconstruction
contracts have so far been exclusively American.

      This has caused barely concealed concern in the ranks of Prime
Minister Tony Blair's government that his country's contribution in the
invasion of Iraq will go unrewarded.

      Eight contracts worth a total of $900 million will be handed out in
the first phase of the process. The way the contracts are being awarded has
been severely criticised, as non-US firms have been almost completely
excluded from the tenders' process.

      Halliburton, the company that was awarded the oil-well firefighting
without putting in a tender is one of several companies with close ties to
high-ranking US government officials. Vice President Dick Cheney used to be
its CEO.

      Concern has also been caused by the fact that SSA has never operated
in a war-zone before.

      "We are pretty well-versed around the world, but never have we done
anything in a war-type environment," Bob Watters, vice president of the
company's Asian operations said. "It is a very unique situation for us."

      Asked about specific challenges of operating in a war zone, Watters
said, "I don't know yet."

      "It is a nice piece of business, and we are excited about it," he said
. "But the real thrill for us is to be able to bring aid cargo into Iraq and
supporting our military people."

      That assessment period will last three weeks. Afterwards, the company
will operate the port for one year with a chance to win one-year contracts
for the following two years. --- Al Jazeera


-------------------------------------------
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
--
In the contradiction lies the hope.
                                     --Bertholt Brecht