Poland, Spain Up in Arms Over Loss of Iraq Contract

[Newsjock]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqbiz17feb17,1,4691288.story

Poland, Spain Up in Arms Over Loss of Iraq Contract
The allies ask why their weapons suppliers were passed over for an inexperienced U.S. firm.

By T. Christian Miller, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — The award of a major contract to equip the new Iraqi army has triggered an uproar in staunch U.S. allies Poland and Spain, where officials are questioning why their nations' experienced arms firms lost out to an American company with little history in such projects.

The $327-million contract to supply everything from canteens to AK-47s was awarded in January to Nour USA, a Virginia-based company whose president is A. Huda Farouki. Farouki is a close friend of Ahmad Chalabi, a controversial member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council who has close ties with some Pentagon officials.

The winning bid was so much lower than those by the Polish and Spanish firms — both for more than $500 million — that officials from the two nations have questioned Nour USA's ability to make good on the contract. Nour USA, formed in May, has no experience in supplying weapons, although it has supplied vehicles and communications equipment in Iraq.

"In this business, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but not by such a huge difference," said Andrzej Spis, deputy chairman of Bumar Group, Poland's state-owned military company whose $558-million bid was not accepted. Bumar has asked the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority for an explanation of why it lost the bid, and board members are debating whether to file a formal protest.

more

[Mandate My Ass]

1. They don't even try to hide the corruption anymore

Chalabi supplies false info to help hype the illegal war and the admin supplies multi-million dollar contracts to his buddy.

Nothing to see here...:puke:

[loudnclear]

17. Because the US needs the jobs more to make Bush look like he is

saving the economy. Why isn't the truth never told.

[central scrutinizer]

2. bwah hah hah

Note to Poland, Spain, and the rest of the Coalition of the Billing: Did you really think Bushco would let you belly up to the trough? I've got some nice oceanside property in Nebraska you might want to buy sight unseen.

[fob]

3. Nour USA's ability to make good on the contract - Can you say

CHANGE ORDER! With cheney-like precision the billing for those "excluded" items will hit the GAO sure as shit!

Edit - On final tally I predict a cost of $1.2 billion for this $357 million contract that could have been bought out for $500 million from the Polish.

[0007]

4. Just a good O' American fashion fuck, nothing to take personally

But on the other hand when one sees Ahmed Chalabi name on anything, one knows they've been porked, but good.

This was an interesting read, especially this quote:

"Farouki also dismissed suggestions that his friendship with Chalabi had anything to do with the award. Farouki said he was a "personal friend" of Chalabi. He added that a company in which he was a part owner had once borrowed money from a U.S.-based subsidiary of Petra Bank in Jordan, which collapsed in 1989 when Chalabi was its president. The loan was repaid. Chalabi was convicted of bank fraud in 1992 in connection with the collapse and fled Jordan."

[damnraddem]

5. Oh, I'm sure this contract was let entirely properly ...

using Dubya criteria, that is.

Hey, Spain and Poland, will you fall for the same game again?

[Just Me]

6. The neocons have quite the talent for creating enemies, huh,...

,...they lie to everybody, pander to the "HOs" that serve their interests and screw the rest. They have no worries whatsoever because they are obnoxiously evil enough to successfully convince everyone else that all responsibility belong on the backs of every one and thing around them; and, in so very talently doing so, they get away with every horrendous wickedness in which they have engaged. They are historically polished in manipulating, using, abusing and destroying all that get in the way of their self-interest. What a bunch of evil f*cks operating right before the eyes of the whole world. It is unbelievable!!! Simply, unbelievable!!!!

[enki23]

7. you think podunk lil countries like you...

are worth giving contracts away to? not till you've a halliburton subsidiary operating out of your offices, at the very least. all you're good for is padding a list of "coalition members" (despite the fact that the majority of your populations opposed any such thing)

fucking joke. lie down with the bush cartel, wake up with big motherfucking crab lice.

[Dirk39]

8. New Europe doesn't get it...

this war was about good against evil, human rights against the new Hitler, democracy against evil dictators. And now you start argueing about money, how disgusting, how small-minded!

Schadenfreude in Germany,
Dirk

[peacetalksforall]

9. Insight from little things

It's obvious that Poland and Spain were under the impression that there would be some business deals for them if they allowed the U.S. to woo them, plus if they sent soldiers.

It's obvious that Chalabi is PNACers pick and Cheney and other PNACers are deciding who gets what.

So, once again, we betrayed friends.

Unless, of course, I'll back off if someone tells me that this was a pure GAO decision without influence.

I think we need another investigation. Do we have enough congresspeople around to handle all these investigations?

[Hand]

10. Okay...

This was a pure GAO decision without political influ.. (MMMF) without polit... (Gasp) withou... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Sorry, higher class. I gave it my best shot.

:evilgrin:

[AZCat]

11. Maybe you should contact newsperson Matt Drudge...

He's running around here somewhere- I saw his hat. And he really needs something to keep him busy, other than his normal investigative duties (ha!).

I'm sure he would follow this with the same zeal that he applies to sweaty stores about spicy interns (or is that spicy stories about sweaty interns?) or to examining the pre-pre-entrance polls for the Democratic Primaries.

[daleo]

12. Lie down with dogs

wake up with fleas. I can't say it pains me too much to contemplate this bit of likely double-dealing.

[ignatius]

13. Christ sakes, so we piss off two more allies. Of course they were

bought and paid for, but sadly, aren't they all these days.

Honor and integrity are just hollow words to the BFEE and their whores. I really can't understand why they are destroying all of America's relationships that have been built over so many years. Can they really be so short sighted as this, after all, even the BFEE have children and grandchildren who live in this country.

What kind of legacy are they leaving them?

[Zhade]

14. I LOVE THIS.

They can't resist. The traitors are digging their own grave!

Oh my GOD, it's a great time to be alive.

[0rganism]

15. Ah, winning even more hearts and minds, I see

It's entirely possible that by the time this maladministration is kicked out of the whitehouse, it will have pissed off EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, including the USA.

No wonder bush wants to explore Mars, it's going to be one of very few options for his peaceful retirement.

[reprobate]

16. Giving any odds that Chalabi will get a cut of the contract?

[9215]

18. Poland and Spain have served their

purpose by supporting the Iraq war in its early stages. They are now "expendable assets".

Bush will cut them out and use the "prize" these suckers were bribed with to entice more immediately important friends within Iraq.

The lessons of Faust lost to yet another generation of greedy fools! All Poland and Spain will have to show for their gamble will be big bills to their taxpayers. :eyes: