Contracts

I don't understand why U.S citizens care that certain foreign companies are not getting access to bids on contracts. Heck, I don't want them to go tyo ANY foreign countries. I want American taxpayer dollars to go to American companies which will do the most to help the American economy by providing American tax revenue and paying American workers.

But let's assume for a moment that there is a good reason to allow other nations to bid. How does it make the least bit of sense for France, Germany, and Russia to say that allowing their companies to bid on contracts would be what is "best for Iraq" when those same countries have refused to do other things that are "best for Iraq," like provide troops and money, and forgive debt? When Gerhard Schroeder stands next to Koffi Annan and says he wants what is best for Iraq, months after refusing to participate in helping Iraq, who in their right mind can believe him?

These countries don't want what is best for Iraq, clearly, or else they would have been helping Iraq all along: again, forgiving debt, providing troops and money. But they've not done these things. So why else would they want the contracts if not for Iraq's sake? Perhaps ... for their own self-interest? Because they believe that these contracts would help their countries? They want to help France, Germany, and Russia, not Iraq.