Weasel News

The Axis of Weasels are very busy shoring up their power base:

Brussels to investigate US contracts in Iraq:

"The European Commission is examining contracts awarded by the US for reconstruction work in Iraq to find out whether they breach World Trade Organisation rules and discriminate unfairly against European companies."

"The EU insists that the US abide by the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, which states that, in principle, contracts awarded by national governments or their agencies must be open to businesses from abroad."

Russian Power Increasingly Global

"When the U.S.-British war machine rolled into Iraq, the company, which makes 10 percent of the turbines used in power stations around the world, evacuated its Russian employees and prepaid wages to its Iraqi staff to hold down the fort. News from the site is that the office has escaped the turmoil unscathed -- "so far," said director of international sales Leonid Matveyev.

Few Russian firms stand to lose more from the war than Siloviye Mashiny.

Money to cover $350 million worth of contracts the company signed with the Iraqi government is sitting in a United Nations escrow account, along with the rest of the $40 billion pegged for oil-for-food payments, Matveyev said.

It is not yet clear whether the contracts will be honored or the money will be instead used to finance humanitarian aid. "We hope that the new [Iraqi] administration will remember these deals," he said. "

Russia, France, Germany Hold Iraq Talks

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia - Speaking between meetings Friday with Russia's two main allies in the opposition to the Iraq war, President Vladimir Putin said the United Nations should now have the main role in settling the conflict.

Iraq: Chirac under fire at home

"Jacques Chirac is facing mounting criticism from his own party that his decision to oppose the Iraqi war has left France isolated and weak.

As the French president prepared to meet President Putin of Russia and chancellor Schroeder of Germany tomorrow, he came under fire for his three weeks of silence since the invasion.

The French leader is lobbying Tony Blair and George Bush for the UN to have the major role in the reconstruction of Iraq and spoke to the prime minister on Wednesday to present his case."

Berlin backs defence plans outside the EU

" Berlin and Paris also propose stronger integration between the armies of the four countries - Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Controversial statements made by leading EU figures recently over the idea of a group of European countries forming a defence alliance, are begining to take shape - ahead of a mini defence summit on 29 April.

Germany says it supports the idea of developing a defence Union outside the EU, German newspaper Die Welt writes on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder hopes for closer co-operation on defence between four EU countries - Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France."

Posted by feste at April 11, 2003 11:26 AM