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Cartoons by Jesse Schust.

The tour sets off from the Shell Centre, led by members of Rhythms of
Resistance (in pink), and arrives at ...

... the Shell Centre! Who's that striking a deal with the British civil servant?

By the Edith Cavell statue near Trafalgar Square. Members of Pretzel Theatre,
No Sweat and friends recreate (in mime!) the successful labour struggle of the
Southern Oil Company workers, fighting US-imposed wage cuts.

Later still, outside the World Bank's offices. A Greek chorus bewails Iraqis forced payment of Saddam's odious debts.

Final stop Oxford Circus, where Pretzel Theatre expose the role of British mercenaries
in Iraq. Oxford Circus is just a stone's throw from the office of Aegis Defence - a British
mercenary company that recently received $293mn worth of contracts to provide
"security" in occupied Iraq.

THE CORPORATE INVASION OF IRAQ

'[E]very corporate house that has been awarded with a contract in postwar Iraq … should be named [and] exposed' (Arundhati Roy, May 2003)

THE CORPORATE INVASION
Since the invasion of Iraq, the US has imposed sweeping illegal privatisation laws, slashed corporate taxes and tried to impose wage cuts on Iraqi workers. At the same time, it has handed out billions of dollars of contracts, for “reconstruction”, to well-connected US and British corporations. Whilst huge profits have been made, Iraq’s impoverished population has seen few, if any, benefits. Medicine and electricity remain in short supply and Iraqi children continue to die from drinking dirty water.

Now the IMF is seeking to cut a deal with Iraq’s new, unelected, government – robbing Iraqis of their future economic freedom and threatening to impoverish them still further…

THE WAR ON YOUR DOORSTEP
Join us on 4 September for a colourful, theatrical tour of the corporate war profiteers who have offices in Central London and find out:

• which British oil giant has plans ‘to establish a material and enduring presence in Iraq’ and what it’s worth to them
• which British bank is trying to claw back $100m of Saddam’s debts from Iraq’s impoverished population
• which British mercenary company was recently awarded a $293m contract to provide ‘security’ in Iraq?
• what happened when workers from Iraq’s Southern Oil Company expelled Halliburton from their workplaces...

Free ‘fat cat ears’ will be provided. Audience participation is optional (contact the Voices office if you would like to take part in the rehearsal on 21 August).

Supported by: the D10 group, Iraq Occupation Focus, the London Hotel & Catering Branch of the GMB Union, No Sweat, Rhythms of Resistance, Surrey CodePink & Voices UK. For more info: Voices UK, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1. tel. 0207 837 0561; voices@voicesuk.org; www.voicesuk.org

Did you know that the following companies all have offices in Central
London?

* AEGIS DEFENCE SERVICES LIMITED, 118 Piccadilly London W1J 7NW. Private
“security” company headed by Col Tim Spicer, the key figure in the Sandline arms to Africa affair. Recently won the contract ‘for security on all major Iraqi government projects following the June 30 handover’ (Daily Telegraph, 29 May 2004) - awarded by the US Government and worth $293 million. See here for more info.

* Private “security” companies: ARMOURGROUP, 25 Buckingham Gate, London,
SW1E 6LD; CONTROL RISKS GROUP, 83 Victoria Street, London SW1H OHW; GLOBAL RISK STRATEGIES, 6 Stratton Street, London W1J 8LD; ICP GROUP LTD, 2 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DQ; GENRIC, Hereford House, East Street, Hereford, UK HR1 2LU; and OLIVE SECURITY, 2 Charles Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5DB. All are currently working in Iraq. See here for more info.

* SHELL has its UK corporate headquarters at the Shell Centre (SE1 7NA). It recently announced that it ‘intends “to establish a material and enduring presence in Iraq” in an attempt to rebuild the firm’s depleted reserves and foster the long term future of the country’s energy sector’ (Guardian, 4 May). “We are interested in building a long term relationship with Iraqis”, a spokesman told the paper.

* HSBC, over 20 offices in Central London (list available at www.hsbc.co.uk). Head office at HSBC Holdings plc, 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ. Together with STANDARD CHARTERED (1 Aldermanbury Sq, London) one of the three foreign banks to have been granted a licence to operate in Iraq. HSBC also owns 46.5% of the British Arab Commercial Bank which is looking to collect $100 million from Iraq in debt repayments(www.mtcp.co.uk/debtcollector/dgb.php). The new UN resolution on Iraq
grants the unelected Iraqi Interim Government ‘authority to conclude and implement’ agreements regarding Iraq’s debts - agreements which will presumably be binding on a future elected government, should such a thing ever materialise (AP, 2 June 2004).

* AMEC,65 Carter Lane, London, EC4V 5HF. Amec’s joint venture with the US-based FLUOR (Holborn House, High Holborn, WC1V 6JQ) has been awarded three contracts in the sewage, water and electricity sectors - worth up to $1.6bn. See Voices newsletter #35 for more info.

STOP THE CORPORATE FEEDING FRENZY IN IRAQ

Protest to coincide with the gala dinner for the Shell-sponsored business conference ‘Iraq Procurement 2004: Meet the Buyers.’ Reconstruction not rip-off - Justice for Iraq’s workers.

When: 6-9pm, Tuesday 27th April
Where: Outside the New Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street

Between 26-28 April representatives from 300 companies - including Shell, ExxonMobil,
ChevronTexaco and US arms manufacturer Raytheon – attended a business conference in London entitled 'Iraq Procurement 2004: Meet the Buyers', meeting members of the US occupation authority, the US-installed Iraqi “government” and wealthy Iraqi business-people to discuss ‘the wide range of … opportunities available’ to make a profit out of the increasingly blood-soaked occupation of Iraq.

Speakers included: representatives from the Union of the Unemployed of Iraq, the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, Jubilee Iraq, Stop Esso, No Sweat and the Green Party. Ewa Jasiewicz (activist recently returned from 8 months in Iraq) was due to speak but was arrested for breaking bail conditions - she had been arrested the day before for entering the conference and unfurling a banner.

There was a horrible scene in which corporate 'executive' had their snouts in a trough of blood-soaked dollars. Despite the torrential rain, the protestors kept their spirits up and made lots of noise (including generous heckling of conference delegates), thanks in particular to Rhythms of Resistance and some delicious food.

This event was supported by Voices in the Wilderness UK, Union of the Unemployed of Iraq, the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, Jubilee Iraq, Stop Esso, No Sweat, the Refugee Project, Peace in Kurdistan and the Green Party.

‘[A] people, starved and sickened by sanctions, then pulverised by war, is going to emerge from this trauma to find that their country had been sold out from under them. They will also discover that their new-found "freedom" - for which so many of their loved ones perished - comes pre-shackled by irreversible economic decisions that were made in boardrooms while the bombs were still falling. They will then be told to vote for their new leaders, and welcomed to the wonderful world of democracy’
(Naomi Klein, Guardian, April 14th)’

Press releases:
Campaigners urge John Simpson to pull out of Iraq 'Corporate Feeding Frenzy' (21 April 04);
BBC’s John Simpson refuses to speak at Iraq business conference (22 April 2004);
Protest coalition opposes the corporate invasion of Iraq at oil and arms-trade backed business conference (23 April 2004);
Corporate 'executives' gorge in trough of blood-stained banknotes outside oil and arms-trade backed Iraq business conference (26 April 2004)

For the conference website: see www.iraqprocurement.com
For alternative information on the conference: see theirpayday.org

11am, 24 February 2004, protest outside the Bechtel offices at 11 Pilgrim Street

Last April, with Iraqi blood still wet on the ground, US corporate giant Bechtel was awarded a $680 mn no-bid contract to ‘rebuild’ Iraq – an arrangement that ‘could end up giving Bechtel an overwhelmingly important role in virtually every area of Iraqi society’ (Guardian, 18 April). Last month it received a further $1.8 bn contract despite evidence of slow progress and shoddy work. Meanwhile Halliburton has received over $9 bn worth of contracts amidst allegations of bribery and overcharging.

Both companies have close links to the Bush administration: Bechtel board member and former secretary of state George Schultz was chair of the pro-war Committee for the Liberation of Iraq and vice-President Cheney continues to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in ‘deferred compensation’ payments from Halliburton, where he was CEO.

The Bush administration has been ‘treating [reconstruction] contracts as prizes to be handed to their friends… delaying Iraq’s recovery, with potentially catastrophic consequences’ (Economist Paul Krugman, New York Times, 30 September) whilst fleecing the US tax payer. It’s time to blow the whistle.

27 October, Whitehall Place
Protestors arrive early to greet delegates to the conference with a slice from a giant Iraq-shaped cake. This conference was on ‘how to win contracts in Iraq’. Focusing particularly on ‘energy, infrastructure, transport and telecoms’, it will ‘feature top governmental officials and corporate executives’.

The Conference takes place in the wake of the following recent developments:
- the announcement by the US Government of new laws permitting all of Iraq’s industries and services (other than oil, gas and minerals) to be sold off to foreign companies.
- allegations by a US Congressman that ‘waste and gold-plating’ of contracts are ‘enriching [corporations such as] Halliburton and Bechtel while … actually holding back the pace of reconstruction in Iraq’.
- the Madrid Donors conference, at which more than half of the ‘donations’ were actually in the form of loans, which will add to Iraq’s already crippling debt - and in which a major motivation for country lenders appeared to be that of increasing the likelihood that their nation’s businesses would benefit.

MOCK AUCTION HELD OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE 'DOING BUSINESS IN IRAQ'

13 October, Olympia Conference Centre:
'Representatives' from corporate interests bid for sectors of the Iraqi economy. Details of the rich pickings on offer were given by the auctionneer before the bidding. He also outlined the good environment for business in Iraq now - no democratic process to have to consider, US/UK governments doing everything they can think of to allow companies to make the biggest profits possible (slashing taxes, no charges on exporting currency...) etc.

On winning the bids (which looked decidedly fixed) the winning company gave a run down of its qualifications for the job - there were few positive things to say but the record of the companies said everything about why the companies should not be working in Iraq...or anywhere else.

Bechtel got water, Cargill got agriculture and food, HSBC got banking, Pricewaterhouse Coopers got consultancy, Olive Security got security, DTC (with links to the Iraqi National Congress) got telecommunications, SAIC got media, and Halliburton and AMEC battled it out for electricity...it may just happen like this in reality.

BACKGROUND INFO

Also see:
Articles from the Voices newsletters May/June 04 and Feb/March 04
Iraq for Sale briefing, Oct 03

The following article, written by Voices, first appeared in Nonviolent Action, October 2003

The corporate invasion of Iraq gathered pace last weekend as the US Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) issued a series of new laws concerning taxes, tariffs and foreign investment which, in the words of the Guardian, 'effectively put [Iraq] up for sale.'

NEW LAWS
The new laws allow foreign investors to control up to 100% of Iraqi enterprises in every sector of the Iraqi economy except natural resources (where foreign direct and indirect ownership remains prohibited for the time-being) and banking. Foreign investors are now entitled to make their investments 'on terms no less favorable than those applied to an Iraqi investor' and to repatriate any profits 'without delay.'

In addition, according to the New York Times, 'the Central Bank of Iraq has been made legally and operationally independent' and 'the law permits six foreign banks to buy complete control of local banks within the next five years, after which there will be no limits on foreign banks' entry into Iraq.'

From the beginning of next year corporate taxes will be capped at 15% and a flat tariff of 5% will be placed on all imports except relief supplies.

'A RECIPE FOR A CAPITALIST IRAQ'
Reuters noted that the 'reforms . read like a recipe devised by Washington for a capitalist Iraq' (21 September). In fact, they are: the US Agency for International Development (USAID) drafted just such a blueprint prior to the invasion.

Drafted in February, the confidential 100 page document 'Moving the Iraqi economy from Recovery to Sustainable Growth' - leaked to the Wall Street Journal - spells out 'sweeping plans to remake Iraq's economy . based on free-market principles' (Wall Street Journal, May 1st 2003). These plans include the 'mass privatisation of Iraqi industry' - including Iraq's oil sector - and 'fundamental tax reform.'

'MUCH TO LOSE'
Similar 'economic restructuring' elsewhere has led to corruption, massive job losses, and gaping inequality - and is likely to do so again in Iraq.

Interestingly, just three days before the new laws were announced the Boston Globe reported that plans to 'aggressively sell and privatise many state-run Iraqi businesses' had been put on hold and that 'US officials in charge of Iraq .... fear that privatising industries would force the dismissal of thousands of people in state-run companies with bloated payrolls, exacerbating an unemployment rate estimated at 50 percent of working-age Iraqis' (Boston Globe, 18th June 2003).

According to the Globe CPA Head Paul Bremer had 'acknowledged [that] the planned privatisation of Iraq's state-run industries would be delayed because the country was too unstable to absorb the shock of swift deregulation.' Apparently his masters in Washington thought differently - or just didn't care.

THE DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT
Bremer claims to have 'worked closely with the [Iraqi] Governing Council to ensure that economic change occurs in a manner acceptable to the people of Iraq' but the 25-member 'Governing Council' is a body selected by Mr Bremer in consultation with a group of 7 Iraqis selected by Mr Bremer! They do not 'represent' the Iraqi people any more than Mr Bremer.

In fact neither the Council nor Mr Bremer has a mandate to determine what is 'acceptable to the people of Iraq.' As Greg Palast has observed 'If the Iraqi people choose to have a market-driven economy, [if] they want to sell off their oil industries, go right ahead. [But] I don't think that five guys in the US State Department should be making that decision for them.'

BOMB BEFORE YOU BUY
Back in April Naomi Klein observed that in Iraq 'a people, starved and sickened by sanctions, then pulverised by war, is going to emerge from this trauma to find that their country had been sold out from under them. They will also discover that their new-found " freedom" - for which so many of their loved ones perished - comes pre-shackled by irreversible economic decisions that were made in boardrooms while the bombs were still falling. They will then be told to vote for their new leaders, and welcomed to the wonderful world of democracy.'