The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> A FIGHTING CHANCE br> Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld thinks his folks are going to be running Iraq in a few months. So does Secretary of State Colin Powell . Perhaps it will be neither of them. Instead of arguing about it, the Treasury Department and the Justice Department have actually been doing something about it. Both agencies have worked up detailed plans mapping out the economic and judicial blueprints for a post-Saddam Iraqi nation. /p>

"It's free market, rule of law," says on knowledgeable Treasury Department staffer. "This is going to be Hong Kong, Iraq-style."

The Justice Department is said to have already spoken to several constitutional law experts based in the United States, who have previously written draft constitutional-style documents for countries in Africa. "They want to establish a system that is democratic, with an open court system, something similar to the United States," says the Treasury source. "The British will have a hand in all of this, they are pulling together their own models and plans, but this isn't going to be a U.N. style operation. No way."

Late last week, perhaps anticipating that Germany was going to be on the outside looking in, Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder attempted to claim that he was supportive of Saddam's removal all the time, and that the sooner he was gone the better so that all countries could begin helping rebuild Iraq.

"Ain't going to happen," says a State Department staffer. "The Germans and French are s--- out of luck. Coalition countries have put their peoples' blood in the sand of Iraq, we're not going to let a bunch of cowards show up late and expect to play a role. They weren't up to the fighting, and that may well have been the easy part of this project."

In fact, many of the countries that opposed the toppling of Saddam may be on the losing end of this deal. House Republican leader Tom DeLay is mulling legislation that would bar any U.S. Agency for International Development contracts related to Iraq's reconstruction from being shared with German, French or Canadian companies. Under current USAID rules, only American companies are allowed to bid on contracts from USAID, but the winning U.S. bidders are allowed to take on foreign subcontractors for the jobs. According to the State Department source, British firms are expected to get the bulk of USAID subcontracts if they qualify for the work. "Our allies will get the first crack at the aid money," says the State Department staffer. "It's only fair."

p> 60 MINUTE MOUSE

topics:
Bill Clinton, Constitution, Law, Military, Iraq, Africa