Bechtel Fails Reconstruction of Iraq's Schools

http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PRT.jsp?articleid=9248

December 2, 2003


In Iraq, school administrators are struggling to keep their classroom doors open and their students educated, in the face of many obstacles unleashed by the occupation of the country. Looting has become commonplace, while lack of supplies and the decay of basic infrastructure make teaching a challenge.

Into this situation steps Bechtel Corporation, the San Francisco-based engineering and construction giant. In April Bechtel was awarded a contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the reconstruction of Iraq's primary and secondary schools, as part of a deal worth up to $1.03 billion to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. But the question remains whether Bechtel, like the US army, is part of the solution or part of the problem.

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"The impression we often get at the meetings is that Bechtel is more powerful than the army," he said. Bechtel representatives, however, want no more complaints from Dr Abbas. The program is a gift from the US taxpayers, and has been approved by Congress, they say. "No matter what we do, the Iraqis will never be on the losing end," a Bechtel representative told him. His grievances -- the fact that of the 750 schools which are included in his mandate, 20 were destroyed during the war and 170 were looted because the occupation forces failed to provide adequate security -- do not in the least interest Bechtel.

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As soon as the officer leaves the office, Khadija's smile quickly fades. "I hate it when they turn up unannounced," she explains. "The first time they came here, they went from classroom to classroom with guns dangling over their shoulders, asking the terrified children whom they loved more, Saddam Hussein or George Bush." The school principal expects little from the Americans. The list of provisions for the school, she says -- tables, chairs and a television set -- she has given to the Americans at least a dozen times. At first she used to write a new list for each visit, now she simply copies the old one. "There is no point, nothing happens anyway," she explains.


What a racket. We destroyed 20 schools during the war. We allowed 170 to be looted. We are giving Bechtel billions to rebuild these schools but little of that money is being spent to rebuild anything in Iraq. The same thing is happening with all the other no bid, no accountablity, billions of dollars in Iraq rebuilding contracts. W's continues to enrich his master's beyond their wildest dreams.

GREAT things Bush has done in Iraq with the schools and others things.

And I'll bet this story is never reported in any news outlet other than this one. Meanwhile, Bechtel gets fat off our tax dollars. But the news stations this morning were reporting on Michael Jackson and that poor missing girl in North Dakota and the fact that we got a dusting of snow last night...like thats a big suprise. Oh yeah, don't forget the Hilton bimbo's show on Fox last night...even the other stations had that as a big story. Sometimes I dispair about our culture.

anytime soon. Not with the death rates the way it is now.