I picked this up on a Russian thread.
US Congress: Russia will be barred from Iraq restoration
The US House of Representatives passed an amendment to the law on
financing the war in Iraq, which bars France, Germany, Russia and Syria
from participating in contracts on Iraq’s postwar restoration, financed by
Washington.
Under the amendment, French, German, Russian and Syrian companies
will be barred from taking part in such contracts, as well as from getting
access to information about them. According to the Spanish newspaper El
Mundo, the passage of this amendment is a retaliation against the
opposition of these countries to the US-led military campaign in Iraq.
The US Congress also approved the allocation of $80bn to finance the
war in Iraq, reward key allies, bolster anti-terrorism efforts and help
struggling airlines. The bulk of these funds - $60bn – will go to the
Pentagon.
Earlier, some analysts predicted that Russia would be refused participation in oil contracts in the post-war Iraq
because of its tough position on the Iraqi crisis. Only if the distribution of oil contracts is controlled by the United
Nations will Russia have a slim chance to participate.
On Thursday, UN and NATO countries demanded that the United States give the UN a key role in the post-war
Iraq. However, Washington does not agree. US Secretary of State Colin Powell did not give a clear opinion on the
role of the UN in the post-war settlement in Iraq.
source:rbc
fred |
