PRESS RELEASE Voices UK [1]
17 February 2004
Contact: 0845 458 2564 or 07791 486 484

Corporate war profiteers presented with giant blood-splattered cheques
Protests across the US/UK mark day of action against the corporate invasion of Iraq - 24 February, London

Tuesday February 24th, 11am outside Bechtel’s office at 11 Pilgrim Street (near Blackfriars tube): US President George Bush will be awarding giant blood-splattered cheques worth billions of dollars to US corporations Bechtel and Halliburton – and British construction company AMEC - outside Bechtel’s office in Central London next Tuesday as part of an International Day of Action to Stop the Corporate Invasion of Iraq. At least 19 protests will be taking place in the US and Britain, including demonstrations and actions in San Francisco, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Austin, Texas [B].

In April 2003, with Iraqi blood still wet on the ground, Bechtel was awarded a $680 million no-bid contract to ‘rebuild’ Iraq and last month it received a further $1.8 bn contract despite evidence of slow progress and shoddy work [C]. Halliburton has received over $9 billion worth of contracts amidst allegations of bribery and overcharging [D]. Both companies have close links to the Bush administration. Meanwhile Mike O'Brien, the UK minister of international trade and foreign affairs, has been dispatched to Washington this week to lobby on behalf of British firms and AMEC is ‘confident of winning a key role in a $3.8 billion contract to rebuild Iraq’s dilapidated electricity generation and transmission system’ [E]

Voices UK spokesperson Emma Sangster said ‘The Bush administration has been treating reconstruction contracts as prizes to be handed to their friends and campaign supporters, delaying Iraq’s recovery with potentially catastrophic consequences whilst dropping the cost on the US tax payer. The British Government meanwhile is doing all it can to serve the interests of its own corporate friends, all of which comes at the expense of the Iraqi people.’

Photo opportunity: ‘George Bush’ will be presenting his giant cheque to ‘representatives’ of Bechtel and Halliburton outside Bechtel’s office at 11 Pilgrim Street (near Blackfriars) between 11am and 12 noon.
For more information contact 07791 486484, 0845 4582564

NOTES
[A] Voices in the Wilderness UK has been campaigning on Iraq for the last six years.
[B] See http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php?calid=7342
[C] See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,939297,00.html ($680 mn); http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4832191-103550,00.html ($1.8 bn); and http://newsobserver.com/24hour/business/v-print/story/1083030p-7562310c.html (shoddy work)
[D] See http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1137573,00.html (‘bribery’)
[E] See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,1147226,00.html (O’Brien); and http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1148166,00.html (AMEC)