UNITED STATES: Bush's buddies clean up

Issue 

BY NORM DIXON

Major contributors to US President George Bush's election war chest have been awarded around US$8 billion in contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Washington-based US Center for Public Integrity (CPI) reported on October 30. Companies that coughed up a total of at least $500,000 to elect Bush have benefited.

According to CPI, most of the 10 largest contracts went to companies that employed former high-ranking government officials, or have executives with close ties to members of Congress and even the agencies awarding their contracts. Major contracts for Iraq and Afghanistan were awarded by the Bush administration without competitive bids.

Halliburton and its subsidiary KBR topped the list with more than $2.3 billion in contracts to support the US military and restore Iraq's oil industry. Halliburton was headed by Vice-President Dick Cheney before he was elected in 2000. Cheney is still on the company's payroll.

Bechtel was second with a $1 billion contract to rebuild Iraq's utilities, telecommunications, railways, schools and other infrastructure. Bechtel has close ties with senior Republicans.

The CPI's analysis of contractor political donations showed that the top 10 contractors contributed $11 million to US political parties and candidates, with more than 60% going to the Republicans, since 1990.

Visit the Center for Public Integrity web site at <http://www.publicintegrity.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, November 5, 2003.
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