Day one of the attack (3/20), US launched 45 guided missiles to Baghdad, with average $1 million a-piece, US burned approx $45-50 millions on Thursday morning [Assuming US claims to use these missile attacks to kill top 50 Iraqi officials include Saddam, that's equal to $1 million per 'head'].
Later that day, President Bush authorized 'up to' $22 million in assistance for those fleeing Iraq [22 million Iraqi population, that's $1 per Iraqis], on the same day US seizing $1.74 billion in Iraqi assets already frozen in the United States [$79 per each Iraqis].
AND on the same day US will give
Israel $1 billion in direct military aid [6.5 million population,
$154 per Israelis] and $9 billion in loan guarantees [$1,385 per
every Israelis], AND on the same day US plans to provide Middle
East ally Egypt with $2.3 billion in aid to help it weather
the economic shock of the U.S.-led war in Iraq [68 million population, $33.8
per every Egyptians], AND on the same day U.S. Department of Defense approved
15 major contracts worth of $1,158,930,815.
See Also: Analysis: Cost of the War in Iraq (December 10, 2002)
Tomahawk Missiles,
Raytheon, Campaign Money, And the US Air Attacks
(Winter 1999 issue, Covert Action Quarterly)
1) Bush OKs $22 Million in Aid for Iraqis
(3/20: AP)
2) Treasury Seizes Iraqi Assets in US (3/20: AP)
3) House OKs GOP Budget With Bush Tax Cut (3/21: AP)
4) US readies $2.3 bln for Egypt to offset Iraq war (3/20:
Reuters)
5) Israel says U.S. clears $10 bln aid, loan package (3/20:
Reuters)
6) DoD Contracts for March 20, 2003 (US Department of Defense)
1) Bush OKs $22 Million in Aid for Iraqis
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Thursday authorized up to $22 million in assistance for those fleeing Iraq.
Bush said the money may be needed ``to meet unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs that are anticipated in the event of a future humanitarian emergency in the Middle East.''
The money can go to international, governmental and nongovernmental groups, Bush wrote Secretary of State Colin Powell.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed Thursday using money from Iraqi oil sales to buy food and medicine for Iraqis and refugees fleeing the U.S.-led war. But he argued that the United States bears ``primary responsibility'' for humanitarian assistance during and after the military strike.
03/20/03 21:11 EST
2) Treasury Seizes Iraqi Assets in US
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (March 20) - The Bush administration is seizing $1.74 billion in Iraqi assets already frozen in the United States, saying it will use the money for humanitarian purposes in Iraq.
President Bush signed an executive order on Thursday directing the Treasury Department to take the action.
Treasury officials believed it marked the second time since World War II that the government confiscated financial assets.
The assets, which were frozen by the government in 1990, are currently sitting in accounts at 17 banks, including Citigroup, Bank of America and Wachovia, in the United States.
Bush's order ``authorizes Treasury to marshal the assets and to use the funds for the benefit and welfare of the Iraqi people,'' said Treasury Secretary John Snow.
The $1.74 billion will be transferred to an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Of that amount, roughly $1.4 billion will be made available to help the people of Iraq, a senior Treasury official said. Roughly $300 million will be set aside for payments on legal claims by people who say they were victims of the Iraqi regime, the official said.
The assets are being held in bank accounts under the names of the Government of Iraq, the Central Bank of Iraq, Rafidain Bank, Rasheed Bank and the State Organization for Marketing Oil.
03/20/03 20:00 EST
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House approved a $2.2 trillion budget for next year early Friday embracing President Bush's tax-cutting plan for bolstering the economy after top Republicans appealed to GOP lawmakers to show wartime unity.
The near party-line 215-212 roll call came after a long day of arm-twisting by House Republican leaders and top administration officials, who were determined to shield the president from a domestic defeat as war with Iraq commences.
The fiscal blueprint for 2004 would pave the way for a bill later this year bearing Bush's signature initiative for stimulating the economy: $726 billion in tax reductions through 2013.
Responding to political pressure to eliminate federal deficits, it also calls for billions in cuts in programs like Medicaid and veterans assistance, which made many Republicans nervous.
That prompted telephone calls to wavering lawmakers from the GOP hierarchy, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Treasury Secretary John Snow and White House chief of staff Andrew Card. It also sparked repeated references to the war, which the House debated for two hours before the budget vote.
``Just like we commended our troops tonight, it's time we do our job,'' said House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa.
Democrats said the tax cuts would only make mounting deficits even worse - passing that debt to the next generation, some of whom are in combat in Iraq.
``You're sticking those 250,000 young Americans and their children with that bill,'' said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss. ``And that's inexcusable.''
In the Senate, which debated its own GOP-written blueprint for next year, an attempt by Democrats and moderate Republicans to reduce by one-half Bush's $726 billion tax-cutting plan appeared in trouble.
With a vote on that proposal likely Friday, two pivotal senators - John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ernest Hollings, D-S.C. - said they would oppose trimming those tax reductions to $350 billion through 2013.
``Without either of them, we lose,'' said Sen. John Breaux, D-La., a sponsor of the drive to reduce Bush's tax plans.
Bush's tax cut would eliminate levies paid by individuals on corporate dividends and accelerate already scheduled income tax cuts, such as immediately increasing the child care tax credit to $1,000.
The House spent all day debating its spending plan. It rejected three alternatives by Democrats that would have eliminated most of Bush's tax reductions and increased spending, and one budget by conservative Republicans with deeper tax and spending cuts.
In a bid for support from party moderates, top House Republicans removed proposed Medicare savings from their budget. Yet they still had to perform a balancing act between centrists unhappy with the tax reductions and cuts in social programs, and conservatives complaining that spending was too high.
But support for the plan grew after a closed-door meeting at which House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and others argued that the outbreak of war was not the time to hand the president an embarrassing budget defeat.
``This is a very, very serious time, a grave time,'' Hastert told reporters later. ``We have a lot of work to do.''
``I'd describe it as patriotic intimidation that's going on,'' said Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., describing the session.
The congressional budget limits overall spending and revenues, paving the way for future bills in which binding revenue and spending decisions are made. It does not need the president's signature.
Yet it always sparks a political firestorm. This year's focused on the GOP's quest for new tax cuts at a time of war and with annual federal deficits expected to set records exceeding $300 billion.
``The Republican plan allows U.S. troops to go into a war today and then slashes their veterans benefits by billions when they return tomorrow because their budget needs those billions from veterans to fund a $90,000 tax cut per millionaire,'' said Steve Israel, D-N.Y.
Democrats also accused the White House of delaying a request to pay for the war - expected to approach $100 billion - until the budgets were passed, preventing Democrats from arguing that the war's costs make the tax cuts unaffordable. Republicans denied that and said Congress would approve the funds quickly.
Like Bush, the House and Senate budgets set aside $400 billion over the next 10 years for new Medicare prescription drug coverage. Democrats say that is too low.
While the budget Bush sent Congress in February projected huge, unyielding deficits, the House sees surpluses returning in 2012, the Senate in 2013.
Both, however, rely on future spending cuts that many analysts say will not pass Congress.
The House budget would order lawmakers this year to find $255 billion in savings over the next decade in benefits such as student loans, Medicaid and civil servants' pensions - all with staunch congressional defenders in both parties. It also plans 0.4 percent more next year for most nondefense programs - a small fraction of recent years' increases.
The Senate plan proposes more spending than the House in the near term,
but extremely small increases later - which will be revisited by future
Congresses anyway.
03/21/03 03:06 EST
WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The Bush administration plans to provide Middle East ally Egypt with $2.3 billion in aid to help it weather the economic shock of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, sources familiar with the plan said on Thursday.
The package, comprised of $2 billion in loan guarantees and $300 million in economic grants, will be wrapped into a $75 billion-plus war budget that U.S. President George W. Bush will send to Congress as early as Friday, according to diplomatic and congressional sources.
The emergency budget request would pay for the war in Iraq and for a portion of the reconstruction costs, as well as provide billions of dollars to beef up security in New York and other possible reprisal targets.
Bush is also expected to ask Congress to grant Israel $1 billion in direct military assistance and $9 billion in loan guarantees, Israeli officials say, though U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said no final decisions had been made.
Egypt is already the second largest recipient of U.S. aid after Israel and one of Washington's best friends in the Arab world. Egypt and Israel had both been seeking far more than Washington is now offering.
Iraq's neighbor Jordan is also in line to receive more than $1 billion in aid, including subsidized oil, to help cushion the economic fallout from the war.
The White House says it has dropped plans to provide a massive aid package to Turkey, which included $6 billion in direct aid with up to $24 billion in loans, after its parliament refused to allow 62,000 American troops into the country to launch a northern front against Iraq.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Turkey's decision to open its air space to U.S. military overflights did not warrant reviving package. Other U.S. officials and congressional aides said they expected Turkey to receive at least some financial assistance from its NATO ally.
ALREADY HIT HARD
Egypt, the Arab world's most populous state, is still reeling from an economic slowdown which started in 2000 and worsened after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Tourism Minister Mamdouh el-Beltagi has estimated that a war in Iraq could cost Egypt's tourism industry $2 billion.
According to congressional sources, Egypt had asked for $4.4 billion in
war-related aid, including as much as $2.2 billion in grants and $1.2 billion
in debt relief. Israel had requested nearly $4 billion in direct military
aid.
03/20/03 19:46 ET
JERUSALEM, March 20 (Reuters) - Israel's Finance Ministry said early on Thursday that the United States had approved a package of $1 billion in direct military aid and $9 billion in loan guarantees.
The package is part of a massive war budget which U.S. President George W. Bush will send to Congress soon after any military action is taken against Iraq.
Israel, in a deep recession caused by a global slowdown and 2-1/2 years of Palestinian-Israeli violence, initially requested $4 billion in direct aid and $8 billion in loan guarantees.
U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice informed Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the news on Wednesday night.
"Rice told Netanyahu that the (Bush) administration decided to raise the amount of the guarantees by $1 billion over what had been planned because the Americans were impressed by the economic plan that has been presented to the government," the ministry's statement said.
"As for the military aid, Netanyahu explained to Rice the special
needs of the security apparatus and requested that all $1 billion be transferred
to Israel this year," it added. "Rice responded that the request
would be viewed positively."
03/19/03 18:00 ET
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of Defense
No. 128-03
FOR RELEASE AT
(703)697-5131(media)
5 p.m. ET
March 20, 2003
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE
The McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Boeing Co., is being awarded a $689,529,166 firm fixed price
contract modification to provide Joint Direct Attack Munitions
(JDAM) Lot 7 Guidance Kits. The JDAM weapon system provides the
Air Force and the Navy with an improved aerial delivery
capability for existing 500, 1,000, and 2,000-pound bombs. The
JDAM is a strap-on kit with Inertial Navigation System/Global
Positioning System capability. The locations of performance
are: McDonnell Douglas Corp., Berkeley, Mo. (69%); Honeywell
Inc., Military Avionics Division, Minneapolis., Minn. (31%).
Total funds have been obligated. Solicitation began January
2003 and negotiations were completed in March 2003. This work
will be completed by March 2005. The Air Armament Center, Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
(F08635-03-C-0055).
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics-Marietta, Marietta, Ga., is being
awarded a $70,521,000 firm fixed price contract to provide one
CC-130J aircraft for the United States Air Force Reserve
Command. Total funds have been obligated. Negotiations were
completed in March 2003, and work will be completed by April
2005. The Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity
(F33657-00-C-0018/P00050).
Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a
$6,792,153 firm-fixed price provisioned item order contract
modification to procure four separate line items of initial
spare parts for the Oman Air Force in support of their F-16
aircraft consisting of two antennas for $1,360,564; three Radar
Cores for $108,516; three Medium Duty Transmitter for
$2,817,791; and two radar fire control for $1,812,282. No funds
have been obligated. Funds will be obligated as individual
delivery orders are issued. This work will be completed by
June 2005. The Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base,
Utah, is the contracting activity (F42620-99-C-0027/PM0295).
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, Colorado Springs,
Colo., was awarded on March 19, 2003, a $5,401,036
cost-plus-award-fee contract modification to provide the Theater
Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) Program which provides
force and unit level commanders an automated command, control,
and intelligence capability that greatly improves the joint
forces air campaigns and commanders' ability to plan and execute
theater campaigns and operations. This action provides for
TBMCS Inc., 1.1 training, course material, and specialty
training on Perimeter Security System. The proposal includes
travel based on the deployment of Mobile Training Term at
Government designated sites. Total funds have been obligated.
Solicitation began September 2002 and negotiations were
completed in October 2002. This work will be complete by
September 2003. The Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air
Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity
(F19628-95-C-0143/P00356).
NAVY
Tecnico Corp., Chesapeake, Va., is being awarded a
$23,208,729 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity,
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering technical and
logistics services, and staging facility & support services.
Contractor will perform alterations to shipboard systems and
equipment including, but not limited to, Title "D" and "K"
ship
alterations, type commander initiated, machinery, and ordnance
alterations; planning yard work instructions; engineering change
proposals; and field changes. Work will be performed in
Norfolk, Va. (30%); San Diego, Calif. (30%); Mayport, Fla.
(10%); Ingleside, Texas (5%); Pascagoula, Miss. (5%); Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii (5%); Bremerton, Wash. (5%); Everett, Wash. (5%);
Sasebo, Japan (2%); Yokosuka, Japan (2%); Earle, N.J. (.5%);
Santa Rita, Guam (.5%); and is expected to be completed by
March, 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $185,000, will
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was
competitively procured and posted on the Internet, with 28
proposals solicited and four offers received. The Naval Surface
Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Philadelphia, Pa., is the
contracting activity (N65540-03-D-0018).
Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded
a $12,711,163 modification to a previously awarded
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-99-C-1270) to continue
further research on the Joint Technology Demonstrator Engine
(JTDE) Program. The JTDE program provides the demonstration and
verification required to transition, with acceptable risk,
affordable, high payoff turbine engine component technologies
for a wide variety of propulsion systems. This contract
modification is for the infusion of numerous advanced technology
components to the base program JTDE engine in order to achieve
final progress towards the Integrated High Performance Turbine
Engine Technology (IHPTET) Phase III goals. Work will be
performed in East Hartford, Conn., and is expected to be
completed in June 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command,
Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
Talley Defense Systems, Mesa, Ariz., is being awarded an
$8,867,704 fixed-price modification under previously awarded
contract (N00178-00-C-1016) to exercise an option for production
of 6,091 Shoulder-Launched, Multi-purpose Assault Weapon (SMAW),
High-Explosive, Dual-Purpose Encased Assault Rockets for the U.
S. Marine Corps (USMC). The SMAW system consists of a reusable
launcher, equipped with a 9mm spotting rifle, and a family of
encased rounds, including the High Explosive Dual Purpose, High
Explosive Anti-Armor, and the Common Practice encased round.
The SMAW system was developed by the USMC, and is designed to
defeat bunkers and armored vehicles. Work will be performed in
Mesa, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by August 2004.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. The contract was competitively procured and posted on the
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) web
home page, with two proposals received. The Naval Surface
Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va., is the
contracting activity. (N00178-00-C-1016)
BAE Systems Technologies, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being
awarded a $6,092,783 estimated value modification to a
previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract
(N00421-01-C-0192) to exercise an option for technical and
engineering services in support of the Naval Air Systems Command
Aircraft Division's Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems
Branch. The estimated level of effort for this contract is
125,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Md.
(88.5%), and San Diego, Calif. (11.5%), and is expected to be
completed in March 2004. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command,
St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity.
Rogers-Quinn (RQ) Construction, Inc.*, Bonsall, Calif.,
is being awarded $5,710,000 for firm-fixed-price Task Order 0010
under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award
construction contract for pier and quaywall security lighting
and perimeter security lighting at Naval Base, San Diego. Work
will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be
completed by October 2004. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was
competitively procured with 87 proposals solicited, 17 offers
received and award made to multiple contractors on Feb. 26,
2001. The basic total contract amount is not to exceed
$150,000,000 (base period and four option years). The multiple
contractors (four in number) may compete for task orders under
the terms and conditions of the existing contract. One proposal
was received for this task order. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Southwest Division, San Diego, Calif., is
the contracting activity (N68711-01-D-6229).
ARMY
Hunt Building Corp., El Paso, Texas, was awarded on
March 18, 2003, a $19,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to
replace family housing. Work will be performed at Holloman Air
Force Base, N.M., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 30,
2004. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. There were 27 bids solicited on Dec. 24, 2002, and
four bids were received. The U. S. Army District, Albuquerque,
N.M., is the contracting activity (DACA47-03-C-0006).
DynCorp International L.L.C., Fort Worth, Texas, was
awarded on March 18, 2003, a $6,046,552 increment as part of a
$286,237,561 firm-fixed-price contract for a Global Air Traffic
Management upgrade (39 C12T aircraft to C12U configuration).
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to
be completed by Jan. 31, 2004. Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source
contract initiated on March 8, 2000. The U. S. Army Aviation
and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting
activity (DAAH23-00-C-0226).
Lockheed-Martin Corp., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded
on March 18, 2003, a $7,500,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for
the Loitering Attack Missile and the Container/Launch Unit Risk
Reduction Effort. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, and
is expected to be completed by March 18, 2004. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was
a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 3, 2002. The U. S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is
the contracting activity (DAAH01-03-C-0035).
Raytheon Corp., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on March 18,
2003, a $7,500,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the
Precision Attack Missile and the Container/Launch Unit Risk
Reduction Effort. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and
is expected to be completed by March 18, 2004. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was
a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 9, 2002. The U. S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is
the contracting activity (DAAH01-03-C-0038).
L-3 Communications, Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded on
March 17, 2003, a delivery order amount of $20,527 as part of a
$9,859,520 firm-fixed-price contract for repair, support, and
maintenance of terminals, modems, up-converters and
down-converters. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City,
Utah, and is expected to be completed by March 2008. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This was a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 20, 2002. The
U. S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth,
N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-03-D-G203).
*Small Business
[Web version: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/c03202003_ct128-03.html]