Department of Defense Issues Determination for Prime Contract Awards for Iraq Relief and Reconstruction"The Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a determination dated 5 December 2003 for 26 contracts to be awarded by the Department of Defense on behalf of the Coalition Provisional Authority for the purpose of Iraq relief and reconstruction. The determination requires firms to be from the United States, Iraq, Coalition partners and force contributing nations to be eligible to compete for the prime contracts."

What this means is that according to our dear friend Wolfie, Moldova, Tonga, Micronesia and the Marshal Islands are more suited to providing aid to Iraq than Germany France, Canada, Rusia and China. Did someone say wanker?

According to the BBC, US allies query Iraq contract ban: In Canada, Deputy Prime Minister John Manley suggested that such a ban would make it difficult for his country to give further money for Iraqi rebuilding.