U.S. cancels Iraq contract after questions raised

[dArKeR]

Updated: 9:02 p.m. ET March  05, 2004

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army canceled a $327 million contract to equip the Iraqi army on Friday, citing technical problems with the bidding process and denied political considerations played a role in awarding the original contract.

An Army official told reporters that new proposals for the work would be sought after a review found a huge spread in competing bids, an indication that competing suppliers had not understood the contract requirements in a uniform way.

“When we looked at the statement of work, we saw that there were some ambiguities in there,” said the U.S. Army official who spoke on condition he was not further identified.

Losing companies have claimed their bids were not properly assessed, that Virginia-based Nour USA had made an unrealistically low bid and that it did not have the experience to fulfill the contract.

Nour USA has said it stands by its proposal and insists it won the deal on merit. Its chairman, Houda Farouki, is a close friend of Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4461467/

[unblock]

1. technical problems with the bidding process

i see, halliburton didn't win .... the problem with the bidding proceess was they they HAD one....

[I AM SPARTACUS]

2. unusual...Smirko Gang usually ignores & belittles criticism rather than..

...even bothering to keeping up appearances...hmmm, drip, drip drip, mm-hmm...