Bracing for a Surge in Iraqi Prisoners: Resulting from the US and Iraqi government crack down on violence in and around Baghdad, the US military-led coalition has hired an Australian contractor to manage the Camp Cropper prison facility outside the capital.
The $65-million, two-year contract for feeding three meals a day to 5,000 prisoners and 600 Iraqi correctional officers at the high-security jail in Baghdad was awarded to the Morris Corporation, which snookered several US and international bidders on the deal. The Morris Group may be recruiting in Romania.
Prohibitions: Iraqis and Iraqi companies are prohibited from preparing and serving food to the detainees under the contract. Why? There is no vetting process “to accommodate Iraqi employees while ensuring adequate security,” according to the contract proposal.
The same goes for the food, which must be brought in from outside Iraq. That’s because U.S. officials want to inspect the food and, apparently, there are no approved Iraqi sources for food contracts.
Let’s Hope: This contract goes better than the first one at Abu Ghraib. The food was described one US military officer as crawling with bugs with traces of rats and dirt, and so rancid that it was blamed for sparking riots, which led to a prison lockdown, which led to the torture and abuse that Abu Ghraib became known for.
No word about the contract competition for the larger prison facility, Camp Bucca, which holds over 13,000 inmates.
The Australian newspaper, The Age, has the story.
The last time the Morris Group tried working in Iraq soured quickly when it locked horns with Halliburton/KBR in a legal battle over a subcontract for a military dining facility. The legal battle led to a $20 million settlement in the Australian company’s favor.