US Company Wins First Major Contract in Rebuilding Iraq

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 18, 2003

US Company Wins First Major Contract in Rebuilding Iraq

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The Bush administration on Thursday awarded Bechtel Group, a US construction company, the first major contract in a vast reconstruction plan for Iraq, but it assigned no position of authority to the United Nations or Europe.

In a statement released by Bechtel, the San Francisco-based company said it defeated a handful of other US construction companies to win the contract awarded by the United States Agency for International Development.

The award will initially pay Bechtel 34.6 million dollars and could go up to 680 million dollars over 18 months.

The contract covers many major projects in Iraq, ranging from rebuilding two international and three domestic airports, ensuringpotable water supply, reconstructing electric power plants to building roads, railroads, schools, hospitals and irrigation systems.

An initial priority is rebuilding Iraq's only deep-water port, the harbor at Umm Qasr, where cargo is loaded on ships that traveldown a waterway in southern Iraq to the Persian Gulf.

The Bush administration said the bidding was based solely on companies that were most qualified to do the work and on the need for an expedited selection and security clearances. However, the two-month process drew complaints from Congressional Democrats as well as Europe companies, about the secrecy and decision to restrict bidding to a handful of the largest US construction companies.

The reconstruction of Iraq, experts said, could cost 25 billionto 100 billion dollars. Iraqi oil revenue is supposed to pay for much of the reconstruction.

Questions?Comments? Click here

US Says Need for Sanctions on Iraq Has Gone

US Victory in Iraq Cannot Solve its Economic Problems

>> Full Coverage

No Staff of Iraqi Embassy in China Seeking Asylum ( 3 Messages)

Change of DPRK's Attitude Attracts Attention ( 3 Messages)

Beijing Takes Innovative Measures to Control SARS: WHO Expert ( 4 Messages)

China Sees 9.9 Percent GDP Growth in First Quarter ( 5 Messages)

Seize Opportunities to Speed up Development: President ( 3 Messages)