US delays Iraq pre-proposal conference

11 December 2003
The US Department of Defence on 11 December announced that it had delayed the issue of $18,600 million in US tenders until 19 December. 'The scheduled release of the solicitations in support of the Iraq reconstruction contracts has been temporarily delayed,' said a statement on the official website - www.rebuilding-iraq.net. 'Additional information will be provided as soon as possible.' The statement added: 'The pre-proposal conference scheduled for 11 December 2003 has been changed to 19 December 2003. The location and time will be provided not later than 12 December 2003.'

The US received heavy criticism from the international community for its decision in early December to limit the awards of all 26 prime contracts to coalition countries only. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 11 December said that the US had made an 'unfortunate decision'. 'Whatever initiative we take I believe it should be unified rather than divisive,' he said after meeting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin. 'In that respect I would not classify the decision taken yesterday as unifying.' (MEED 10:12:03)

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