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<DIV>"Awarding the first major contract for reconstruction in Iraq to a
politically connected American company under restricted bidding procedures sends
a deplorable message to a skeptical world. Critics of the invasion often say it
was launched for the control of oil and other venal motives, not for the benefit
of the Iraqi people or to rid the world of a growing menace. The Bush
administration should work hard to dispel that mistaken notion and should bend
over backward to avoid reinforcing it. Yet the award of a contract worth up to
$680 million to the Bechtel Group of San Francisco in a competition limited to a
handful of American companies can only add to the impression that the United
States seeks to profit from the war it waged."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Don't you love it when the Times gets really critical? <!-- BIGAD ad not targeted --></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><</FONT><A
href="http://nytimes.com/2003/04/19/opinion/19SAT1.html">http://nytimes.com/2003/04/19/opinion/19SAT1.html</A><FONT
face=Arial size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DP</DIV></BODY></HTML>