Canada barred from Iraq contracts

AP ^ | 12/09/03 | Associated Press

[Pikamax]

Canada barred from Iraq contracts

Associated Press

Washington — The Pentagon has formally barred companies from countries opposed to the Iraq war from bidding on $18.6-billion (U.S.) worth of reconstruction contracts.

A directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz limits bidders on those 26 contracts to firms from the United States, Iraq, their coalition partners and other countries which have sent troops to Iraq.

The ruling bars companies from U.S. allies such as France, Germany and Canada from bidding on the contracts because their governments opposed the American-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein's regime.

The Wolfowitz memo, dated Friday and posted on a Pentagon web site Tuesday, says restricting contract bids "is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States."

Bush administration officials have suggested publicly and privately since before the war started that countries which opposed the United States on Iraq would be cut out of at least some of the lucrative rebuilding contracts administered by Washington. The order from Mr. Wolfowitz covers contracts to manage the entire rebuilding effort, train and equip the Iraqi National Army and rebuild infrastructure including roads, sewers, power plants and oil fields.

Mr. Wolfowitz wrote that the restrictions would encourage other countries to join the coalition in Iraq. A Pentagon spokesman, Major Joe Yoswa, said the order does not prohibit companies from the excluded countries from getting subcontracts in Iraq.

[Kay Soze]

canada is in fact as huge security risk for the US.

Their lax immigration policies makes it a great pass thru to the US.

[GeronL]

Our coast, out northern and southern borders are all wide open for illegals with terrorist intent

[GeronL]

May the weasels in Canada, Germany, Russia and France learn something from this.

[Killborn]

Amen.

[BCrago66]

If you've ever seen South Park, and seen those Canadians with their beady little eyes and their popping heads, you'd have to conclude it was best to cut them out of the Iraqi contracts.

[zencat]

"Canadians with their beady little eyes and their 'popping heads'"

I think that's "flapping heads".

[BCrago66]

Correct.

http://www.tgmag.ca/magarch/mar00_e/ma00_e7.htm

[Beck_isright]

HEY CANADA:

[pierrem15]

But the Canucks don't need the money, they can live off of their moral superiority for years.

Ha!

[yooper]

Let's not forget two things: (1) Canada helped us in Afghanistan, and (2) The vast majority of Canadian people support the US. Don't confuse the Quebecois and other east coast pseudo-intellectual elitists with Canadians. We have the same problem with our own east coast pseudo-intellectual elitists here in the US.

I think they are deserving of some consideration, maybe not prime contracts, but we certainly should allow the exportation of hockey pucks and artificial ice compressors, Zamboni's, etc.

[gcruse]

(2) The vast majority of Canadian people support the US

I'd really love to see a cite for that.

[vanmorrison]

As a person who has lived across the River from Canuckia for many years, and who has seen the Canucks morph into some sort of deranged socialist twisted sisters trying to emulate the worst aspects of the French, and as one who is very familiar with their holier-than-thou bullshit attitude toward America and Americans, and who has seen these people transmogrify themselves into laughingstocks of the civilized world, I was very elated to read of the courage of the Bush administration in disqualifying these deluded idiots from participating in contract bidding in Iraq.

Maybe they can get Chretien and Martin to kiss the ass of the UN enough to get them business with their other buddies in the axis of weasels.

[BluH2o]

Excellent response ... there are many reactionary clueless Freepers out there ... ignorant is probably a better word.

[American in Canada]

I would say the the majority of Canadians that I have encountered here are anti-American in just about everything.

[gcruse]

I lived in Mississauga during the seventies. Even then, when people heard my accent and asked where I was from, if I said the US, I got a cold shoulder. The funny thing was, if I said I was from Texas, which I was, they couldn't restrain their joy in meeting me, as if Texans aren't Americans.

[Beck_isright]

"But the Canucks don't need the money, they can live off of their moral superiority for years."

Until Alberta, BC, the Northwest Territories, etc. elect to become part of the United States, the communists who run Ontario and Queerbec will dictate how that nation will exist.

[Beck_isright]

"Let's not forget two things: (1) Canada helped us in Afghanistan"

They sent their entire Army. At least those members who still had functioning weapons.

"The vast majority of Canadian people support the US."

Correction: The vast majority outside of Ontario and Queerbec. Until the French colonial influence is removed, Canada is about as much an ally as Italy was in World War II.

[Sunsong]

"(2) The vast majority of Canadian people support the US."

What evidence do you have to back that up?, and please show it or stop making such ridiculous, false statements.