Gli americani vogliono mettere un venditore di armi a capo dell'Iraq

[yurj]

US arms trader to run Iraq

Exclusive: Ex-general who will lead reconstruction heads firm behind
Patriot missiles

Oliver Morgan, industrial editor
Sunday March 30, 2003
The Observer

Jay Garner, the retired US general who will oversee humanitarian relief and
reconstruction in postwar Iraq, is president of an arms company that provides
crucial technical support to missile systems vital to the US invasion of
the country.

Garner's business background is causing serious concerns at the United
Nations and among aid agencies, who are already opposed to US
administration of Iraq if it comes outside UN authority, and who say
appointment of an American linked to the arms trade is the 'worst case
scenario' for running the country after the war.

Garner is president of Virginia-based SY Coleman, a subsidiary of defence
electronics group L-3 Communications, which provides technical services and
advice on the Patriot missile system being used in Iraq. Patriot was made
famous in the 1991 Gulf war when it was used to protect Israeli and Saudi
targets from attack by Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles. Garner was involved
in the system's deployment in Israel.

SY Coleman has also worked on the Arrow missile defence system, deployed in
Israel, and is involved in the US national missile defence programme.
Garner joined SY Technologies, taken over last year by L-3, in 1997, after
leaving the US army.

Defence analyst David Armstrong of the Washington-based National Security
News Service says: 'It seems inappropriate for somebody to step into a
humanitarian and administrative role from a company with a role in
providing equipment which, albeit defensive, is vital to the success of the
US operation.'

Phil Bloomer of Oxfam said 'The worst case scenario would be to put in
charge of the reconstruction someone from the US or UK linked to the arms
or oil industries.'

According to its website, SY Coleman provides technical services such as
missile system engineering and target system design for a wide range of US
military programmes, and also makes some components. It also provides
operational services such as battle management and 'warfighter support'.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that it was a Patriot missile that
was involved when a British Tornado was hit last week.

Jack Tyler, an SY Coleman senior vice-president, confirmed that Garner
still held his position at the company.

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Che gente di cacca

[Shaytan (POL)]

Fare votare gli iracheni pare brutto, visto che in teoria dovrebbero portare la "democrazia" in Iraq(k)...