WASHINGTON, 11 March 2003 — President George W. Bush’s administration has asked a small group of US companies to bid on a contract to rebuild a post-war Iraq, an official said yesterday. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) had sent out the detailed request for bid proposals, USAID spokeswoman Ellen Yount said, confirming a Wall Street Journal report.
“As part of our contingency planning for Iraq, USAID solicited proposals for various goods and services including the seaports and airports projects, schools, education and health services,” she said.
“Because of the urgent nature or the unique nature of the work, USAID will undertake a limited selection process that expedites the review and selection of contractors for these projects,” she added.
Yount declined to confirm other specific details of the Wall Street Journal report, which said the contract could be worth up to $900 million.
Five companies were asked to bid: Houston-based Halliburton Co.’s Kellogg Brown and Root; Bechtel Group of San Francisco; Fluor of Aliso Viejo, California; Louis Berger Group of East Orange, New Jersey; and Parsons Corp. of Pasadena, California, the paper said.
Halliburton was run by Vice President Dick Cheney for five years until 2000.
