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COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE (PMO)
Baghdad, Iraq
APO AE 09335
January 29, 2004
For Immediate Release
2004-004
Bruce Cole, 914-360-5766
PMO Media Relations
Reconstruction Work to Begin at Umm Qasr
-- To Include Iraqi Contractors, Suppliers and Workers
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Work will start soon on a $10.3 million project to
renovate the Umm Qasr Naval Base for the Iraqi Armed Forces. The
project is funded through the Project Management Office (PMO) of the
Coalition Provisional Authority.
The PMO manages the $18.4 billion appropriated by the U.S.
Congress to support the reconstruction of Iraqi infrastructure.
The Umm Qasr project includes building renovation;
construction of electrical, water and sanitary sewage systems; security
improvements; dock repair and dredging.
"This project is among the first four in a long line of
construction we'll manage," said retired U.S. Navy rear admiral David J.
Nash, the PMO director. "We have more than 2,300 projects to complete
in the coming years and we will work closely with the Iraqis to get the
job done," he added.
The project is important to the Iraqi security necessary to
continue with the major task of rebuilding the nation's infrastructure.
"A key benefit of completing this project is to give the
Iraqi Armed Forces the facilities they need for the defense of their
country," said Major General Paul D. Eaton, U.S. Army, commanding
general of the Coalition Military Assistance and Training Team.
"We also know that helping Iraqis gain jobs and build
industries has a direct impact on their safety and security," said Rear
Adm. Nash. "Military facilities are only a part of the
reconstruction." Most of the 2,300 PMO projects are distributed among
the oil; electricity; public works and water; communications and
transportation; security and justice; and buildings and health sectors.
The work at Umm Qasr is expected to be complete in
approximately mid-May 2004. The prime contractor, Weston Solutions,
Inc. of West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.A intends to involve Iraqi
contractors, suppliers and labor.
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