from Iraq Democracy Watch:
http://blogs.salon.com/0002515/
USAID has a list of RFP's on its website, including one seeking a subcontractor to, for all intents and purposes, privatize Iraq.
Some select quotes (emphasis added):
The tasks performed under this scope will facilitate a rapid and responsible economic integration of Iraq with its regional and international partners to create sustainable job generation, adopt international standards of production, harmonize economic policy, reinforce traditional trade linkages and develop new trade partnerships, and will develop and implement a roadmap for managing ... the food policy safety net...
It is expected that the US government will consult as appropriate with relevant Iraqis in determining the appropriate economic governance activities to be carried out...
Contractor judgments will examine government policies, laws, regulation, and government institutions that regulate or interact with trade, commerce and investment. The government institutions will include, but are not limited to, Ministries of Economy, Trade, Finance, Investment, Export or their equivalent, the Central Bank and the banking system. ... Based on the results of Contractor judgments, Contractor, with USAID approval, will begin to reform, revise, extract or otherwise advise on changes to the policies, laws and regulations that impact the economy. ... Contractor will also seek to change policies, laws and regulations that impede private sector development, trade and investment. Contractor will provide the judiciary with the tools required to enforce commercial contracts, and will redress issues of state-capture and administrative corruption.
* Please note that this is a limited competition and other offers should not be submitted. The 10 firms in the limited competition are: Bearing Point; Booz, Allen and Hamilton; Nathan; IBM Global Services; Development Alternatives, Inc.; Carana; Abt Associates; Chemonics; Deloitte & Touche; and Financial Markets International, Inc
I dunno; maybe we should pick IBM? Do they have any employees who speak Arabic? At least maybe they can get email running at the OCPA headquarters.
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