Silliopolous
09-09-2005, 15:33
You remember that election right? The one that gave Iraq back to the Iraqis?
So, how does that work in real life?
Well, the CPA had negotiated the deal to run IRaq's only real functioning civil airport and given it to a British concern. That contract ran out, and they have been trying to hammer out a deal. The British company decided to up the pressure and close down the airport.
So, how much control of their country is the IRaqi government allowed?
Zilch.
When the IRaqi Government sent troops to try and gain control of their airport, Coalition forces aparently stood guard with the British Company's security forces to deny access to the airport to the Iraqi Government, and the company is stating as a fait accompli that it will continue to guard the facility, but that it will suspend airport operations. I.e, it's ours.
So, to recap, the so-called independant Iraq is not permitted to manage it's own infrastructure or resources, and is being stretched across a barrel by forcing it to negotiate a deal with this ONE British firm (read as, no competition allowed), and that one firm gets to hold all the cards in the negotiation.
This is what sovereignty is to Iraq.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050909/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
The Baghdad International Airport, the country's only reliable link to the outside world, was closed Friday in an embarrassing pay dispute between the government and a British security company. The interior ministry said it was sending troops to reopen the facility.
The brewing standoff could involve American forces in a confrontation with Iraqi troops. An official close to the dispute said the U.S. military had joined security forces from the British company at a checkpoint to block Iraqi interior ministry troops. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of negotiations.
The U.S. military said it could not confirm that U.S. troops had taken up positions at the checkpoint on the dangerous airport road.
Iraqi officials said they were sending troops to reopen the facility because its closure was illegal.
"This issue is related to Iraq's sovereignty, and nobody is authorized to close the airport," acting Transportation Minister Esmat Amer told The Associated Press.
He said the Cabinet approved the dispatch of interior ministry troops to take over from the London-based Global Strategies Group, which had provided security at the sprawling airport since last year.
Amr said the government had been trying since the first of the year to renegotiate a now-lapsed $4.5 million monthly contract which Global had signed with the defunct U.S. Coalition Provision Authority. The CPA handed sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government in June 2004.
This was believed to be the first serious dispute involving a Western contract operation since the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein. The United States has managed to keep its forces in Iraq — now at about 140,000 — to a minimum by hiring out vast amounts of work the military normally would do to outside contractors. Congress has routinely complained that oversight is lax and the U.S. government is routinely overcharged.
Global said its workers would continue securing the facility but had suspended other operations because Iraq' transportation ministry — which owns the airport — was six months behind in payments. All flights in and out of the capital were suspended, it said.
"We're in continuing dialogue and we're hoping it'll be resolved as soon as possible," company spokesman Giles Morgan said. He declined to answer questions about the specifics of the dispute.
Amer confirmed that Global had not been paid since contract negotiations resumed about the first of the year.
So, how does that work in real life?
Well, the CPA had negotiated the deal to run IRaq's only real functioning civil airport and given it to a British concern. That contract ran out, and they have been trying to hammer out a deal. The British company decided to up the pressure and close down the airport.
So, how much control of their country is the IRaqi government allowed?
Zilch.
When the IRaqi Government sent troops to try and gain control of their airport, Coalition forces aparently stood guard with the British Company's security forces to deny access to the airport to the Iraqi Government, and the company is stating as a fait accompli that it will continue to guard the facility, but that it will suspend airport operations. I.e, it's ours.
So, to recap, the so-called independant Iraq is not permitted to manage it's own infrastructure or resources, and is being stretched across a barrel by forcing it to negotiate a deal with this ONE British firm (read as, no competition allowed), and that one firm gets to hold all the cards in the negotiation.
This is what sovereignty is to Iraq.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050909/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
The Baghdad International Airport, the country's only reliable link to the outside world, was closed Friday in an embarrassing pay dispute between the government and a British security company. The interior ministry said it was sending troops to reopen the facility.
The brewing standoff could involve American forces in a confrontation with Iraqi troops. An official close to the dispute said the U.S. military had joined security forces from the British company at a checkpoint to block Iraqi interior ministry troops. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of negotiations.
The U.S. military said it could not confirm that U.S. troops had taken up positions at the checkpoint on the dangerous airport road.
Iraqi officials said they were sending troops to reopen the facility because its closure was illegal.
"This issue is related to Iraq's sovereignty, and nobody is authorized to close the airport," acting Transportation Minister Esmat Amer told The Associated Press.
He said the Cabinet approved the dispatch of interior ministry troops to take over from the London-based Global Strategies Group, which had provided security at the sprawling airport since last year.
Amr said the government had been trying since the first of the year to renegotiate a now-lapsed $4.5 million monthly contract which Global had signed with the defunct U.S. Coalition Provision Authority. The CPA handed sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government in June 2004.
This was believed to be the first serious dispute involving a Western contract operation since the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein. The United States has managed to keep its forces in Iraq — now at about 140,000 — to a minimum by hiring out vast amounts of work the military normally would do to outside contractors. Congress has routinely complained that oversight is lax and the U.S. government is routinely overcharged.
Global said its workers would continue securing the facility but had suspended other operations because Iraq' transportation ministry — which owns the airport — was six months behind in payments. All flights in and out of the capital were suspended, it said.
"We're in continuing dialogue and we're hoping it'll be resolved as soon as possible," company spokesman Giles Morgan said. He declined to answer questions about the specifics of the dispute.
Amer confirmed that Global had not been paid since contract negotiations resumed about the first of the year.