Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Security spending detracts from Iraq rebuilding BY ALAN FRAWl THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Because of the surging violence, U.S.-financed contractors rebuilding Iraq are spending a quarter of their mon ey to protect workers and insure their projects, according to American officials monitoring the work. Coupled with the current insta bility, the siphoning of resources from reconstruction to security is slowing work on projects like build ing roads and refurbishing electric plants, the officials said. President Bush and Congress approved $87 billion last fall for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. That included $18.4 billion to re store Iraq’s economy and govern ment by repairing and building fa-' cilities and training Iraqis. Stuart W. Bowen Jr., inspector general for the Coalition Provisional Authority, cited esti mates that contractors were spending 10 to 15 percent of their money for security costs earlier this year. That figure "could go as high as 25 percent” due to the recent anti American violence, said Bowen, a figure that is in line with estimates by other provisional authority of ficials. "All I can say is the substan tially-increased threat level has obviously added a drag on con struction project execution,” Bowen told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Baghdad. The provisional author ity is the U.S.-led agency that has been administering Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. In what officials fear could be a vicious cycle, the slowdown in the work means fewer jobs and essen tial services for the Iraqi people. That, in turn, could feed the dis satisfaction that has helped spawn hostility toward the American oc cupiers. "One of the things that would help the security situation is for us to move forward with this work, to employ Iraqis, to provide work for Iraqi contractors and Iraqi suppliers,” Navy Capt. Bruce A. Cole, spokesman for the provi sional authority’s program man agement office, said from Baghdad. "The sooner we can provide people an opportunity to support their families and improve then local areas, the faster there will be a positive impact on the security situation here,” he said. Last week, giant construction companies Siemens AG, Bechtel and General Electric said they had suspended work on some projects because of the instability. Bowen said those companies’ decisions to halt work are "isolat ed instances.” But he added, "If the threat level remains high, they may become more than just iso lated instances.” There are about 15,000 civilians working for defense contractors in Iraq. Many contractors are hiring ex pensive private security firms to protect their employees and work sites.. Because of the risk involved, well-trained security workers can earn up to $1,000 a day. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., estimat ed there are 20,000 private security guards in Iraq, in effect making them the second largest armed contingent in the country behind the 135,000 U.S. troops. Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the money being spent for security means the reconstruction effort is "compromised and limited.” And while he said companies must spend what is needed to protect their workers, the expenditure "underscores the huge cost this operation is going to extract from the United States.” Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Ted Stevens, | R-Alaska, said the money for re construction "is there for them to do what they have to do” includ ing protect their employees. Check out the semester’s final issue of The Gamecock Wednesday \ . Register to win a free X-Box! Rules: 1. Expires April 17,2004. i 2. One winner will be drawn April 21th. 3. Winner does not have to be ! present to win. 4. Not good in conjunction with any other offer. 779.3280 112 Silo Court, Columbia, SC We Love ... Free Storage! Don’t know what you’re doing with all your stuff this summer? Get a storage unit so you know it’ll f will be there when you come back in the fall! They’re your possessions... take care of them. These two locations offer units sizes perfect for student needs and budgets. Call about our summer college special while space lasts! POOL PARTY!! April 29, 2004 • Ethernet/Water included • Free tanning • Free shuttle to USC • Fully furnished • Resort style pool • Awesome Leasing specials * STERLING UNIVERSITY Riverside i ..1 215 Spencer Place Cayce, SC 29033 (803) 739 - 0899