LONDON Ñ The U.S. Defense Department plans to reject numerous
non-U.S. companies from participating in the reconstruction of Iraq.
Western diplomatic sources said the Pentagon plans to enforce guidelines
that bar many European companies from bidding on multi-billion projects in
Iraq, particularly those in the energy sector. The guidelines will reject
any company that has invested in Iran's energy sector.
The Iran-Libya Sanctions Act calls for a U.S. government boycott on any
company that invests more than $20 million a year in the energy sector of
either Iran or Libya. A range of French and other European companies have
been classified as violating the U.S. law.
The companies include the French TotalFinaElf of France, Britain's Royal
Dutch Shell Eni of Italy.