Pentagon Priming the Pump For the Flow of Cash to Iraq.

Prospects are improving for firms angling for the U.S. government funded Iraq reconstruction work. On January 12, 2004 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected 10 contractor teams to compete for forthcoming U.S. Central Command task orders that could total $10 billion over the next five years. Corps also expects to award by January 17, 2004 two follow-on contracts for Iraqi oil-sector infrastructure repair. Recent task orders have included electrical repair work in Iraq and military construction in Afghanistan.