The Invasion of Iraq & Crony Capitalism

BAGHDAD: Bush now controls Iraqi oil revenue and the key port while championing a criminal, Ahmed Chalabi, as their man in Baghdad. Chalabi has a string of convictions for multi million dollar frauds. He has now been on the US payroll for a decade pocketing some $60 million from the CIA and more from the Pentagon. (See "The Thief of Baghdad," SMH, May 10).

Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney, former chief executive of Halliburton oil company is busy rebuilding Iraq's oil industry. The UK Guardian reports that Halliburton has admitted one of its subsidiaries paid millions in bribes to a Nigerian official for tax breaks. And another subsidiary, Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), has a broad role in the Iraqi oil industry.

The company is now involved in the operation and distribution of oil products in Iraq. KBR is already pumping oil in Iraq.

What's more the US Government aid agency broke its own rules to award US terminal operator Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) a $4.8M contract to rebuild the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr over international competitors, news agency reports have revealed.

The Seattle-based firm has clashed with workers across three continents and stands accused of union busting.

Fairplay shipping magazine says the requirement for security clearance was dropped to allow SSA the contract.

"The news comes as charges of crony capitalism circulate worldwide about how the US is handling the multi-billion dollar reconstruction contracts, especially in the maritime industry," Fairplay reports.

CEO of US-based international dredging company Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, Doug Mackie referred inquiries about its $60M dredging contract at Umm Qasr to Bechtel Corp. The Seattle-based company has subcontracted Great Lakes, as part of its own $680M contract to repair ports and other government infrastructure.

No wonder US national security professionals are now accusing the Bush administration of slanting the facts and hijacking intelligence. Much of the fraudulent intelligence was sourced from - you guessed it -- the Iraqi National Congress of Ahmad Chalabi.