Members of Iraq authority in bribes probe

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1069132070000

Two officials of the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad and the Iraqi minister of communications are being investigated by the Pentagon over allegations of taking bribes.

Potentially lucrative licences to build and operate mobile phone networks in Iraq were announced last month by Haider al-Abadi, communications minister, in favour of three Middle-Eastern consortia - Orascom Iraq, Asia Cell and Atheer. The announcement was welcomed as an important milestone on the road to rebuilding Iraq. The CPA is to award contracts for Iraq's reconstruction worth about $18.5bn over the next four months or so.

But an administration official close to the CPA and someone close to the defence department say the Pentagon's inspector-general has launched an investigation into the Orascom contract, partly because of allegations from a rival bidder that failed to win one of the mobile licences.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that there was an "ongoing preliminary inquiry" into the contracts.
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Hey, they ARE "Americanizing" Iraq. They must have just finished Fund Raising 101.

Things in Iraq are looking better than we realize. The ruling class has caught on to this democratization really fast. Good for them. A word to the wise, gentleman, if you want to keep your job, don't forget to tithe 10% to the Rethug Party.

:argh:

Things in Iraq are looking better than we realize. The ruling class has caught on to this democratization really fast. Good for them. A word to the wise, gentleman, if you want to keep your job, don't forget to tithe 10% to the Rethug Party.

:argh:

I remember this from this summer. MCI (or some US company) was supposed to get the wireless phone contract for Iraq, but a Bahraini company (IIRC) jumped in there, and had a network set up all by themselves before MCI had even sent anyone over.

Proconsul Bremer was going to have their network shut down, since it was 'unauthorized', but I think backed off after an outcry. They were the only phones that worked for civilians at the time (and still are, I believe).

Anyone else remember the details on this better than I?