Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday April 27 2004 — A7 I World & Nation Q Tern HJS ©ortracfioirs WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten comof dollars in US contracts for Iraq reconstruction have paid more than $300 million in penalties since 2000 to resolve allegations of bid rigging fraud delivery of faulty military parts and environmental damage The United States is paying more than $780 million to one British firm that was convicted of fraud on three federal construction projects and banned from US government work during 2002 according to an Associated Press review of government documents A Virginia company convicted of rigging bids for American-funde- d projects in Egypt also has been struction contracts' “We have not made firms pay the price when they screw up” said Peter W Singer a former Pentagon fined Drang penalties often were for violations committed years ago or by subsidiaries unrelated to the ones working in Iraq Spokeswoman Pamela Blossom said AMEC the convicted British firm wrote new company ethics rules after its punishment “None of the people involved are with the company any more’’ said Blossom whose firm paid $ 2 million in fines for contract fraud on projects in California and Missouri “We're a much better company official who worked on a task force overseeing military and contract work in the Balkans “But it’s not the company’s fault if it has a dumb client I’m not blaming the companies I’m blaming the government’’ said Singer now a fellow at the Brookings Institution a Washington think tank The contracts are legal because the Bush administration repealed regulations put in place by the Clinton administration that would have allowed officials to bar new government work for companies convicted or penalized during the previous three years Spokesmen for the companies defended the contracts saying the awarded Iraq contracts worth hundreds of millions And a third firm found guilty of environmental violations and bid rigging won US Army approval for a subcontract to clean up an Iraqi harbor Seven other companies with Iraq reconstruction contracts have agreed to pay financial penalties without admitting wrongdoing Together the 10 companies have paid to resolve 30 alleged violations in the past four years Six paid penalties more than once But the companies have been awarded $7 billion in Iraq recon- panies with billions aim poBDiions getting new contracts through a process called debarment Companies often avoid debarment by agreeing to settle misconduct cases and pay penalties without admitting guilt AMEC was the only one of the 10 punished Iraq contractors ever debarred and it was banned for just one year If a US company is not on the list of banned firms it can compete for Iraq work said Army Maj Gary Tallman a spokesman for the Iraq contract management office “If they pay their tine or do what they have to do to get off a debarment list they are back in good standing and eligible to compete" Tallman said ( 1 now” Federal regulations require contractors to have a “satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics” The government can ban unethical companies from gov-emme- nt Kerry questioning Bush’s war service WHEELING WVa (AP) prove that he showed up for duty in the National Guard” Kerry said Monday during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” “And I’m not going to stand for it” Kerry’s direct criticism of Bush’s Guard record reflected an aggressive strategy to chal- lenge the president but was at odds with the defense he offered in 1992 for Democratic candidate Bill Clinton who avoided service in Vietnam As Republicans criticized Clinton Kerry warned against playing to “the worst instincts of divisiveness and reaction that still haunt America" “We do not need to divide ' America Over who served and how” Kerry said at the time “I have personally always believed that many served in many different ways” —John Kerry a decorated Navy veteran criticized by Republicans for his anti-wactivities during the Vietnam era lashed out at President Bush on Monday for failing to prove whether he fulfilled his commitment to the National Guard during the same period Conservative critics have questioned whether Kerry deserved all three of his Purple Hearts for battle wounds an issue the Democratic presidential candidate sought to put to rest last week by releasing his military records On Sunday a top Bush adviser criticized Kerry for ieading anti-wprotests after he returned from the battlefield “This comes from a president who can’t even show or Authorities worry over violence in young girls ar ' ar ' BALTIMORE (AP) — Twelve-year-o- being pummeled and stomped at a birthday party in a beating that was shocking not just because of its savagery but because it was meted out by ' other girls Authorities say it js symp- AP photo man takes a photograph' of the Mona Lisa painting behind a protective glass in the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday The Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece of a mysterious woman with a technical slight smile is deteriorating quickly the museum said Monday announcing that an A th study Iraqi leaders unveil a new standard Iraq's Governing Council approved a new flag for (tie country dropping the old colors and slogan "God is great1' New flag Old flag Blue crescent signifies Islam ' being conducted to determine why Mona Lisa arousing worry ack" Wh ' Cnmp 1C OUI Red for Arab nationalism aor is the painting deteriorating? £ PARIS (AP) — The Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci’s por- Blue stripes it stripe Arabic "Allahu akbar”or"God represents is great" added the Kurd in 1980s minority ' Yellow representing the ' Tigris and Euphrates rivers Green and black symbolize Islam AP SOURCE: Associated Piwa US-picke- Iraqi leaders d declare new dam’s regime It also avoids the colors used in other Arab flags: green and Mack for Islam and ' red for Arab nationalism The'' change recalls the US agenda of creating a “New Iraq” that is " exceptional in the Arab world ' ' The flag designed by an and approval by artist fraqi the Governing Council has ' two parallel blue stripes along is great" the bottom with a yellow The new design not only abandons the symbols of Sad-stripe in between Iraq (AP) — leaders ' Iraq’s a approved newflag for the country dumping Saddam stanHussein’s dard The new design is white with two blue stripes and although it has a crescent representing Islam the flag no longer bears the words “God BiAGHDAD US-pick- ed ck - trait of the unknown woman with the enigmatic smile' is sparking a new kind of mys- tery: What is causing the Renaissance masterpiece to deteriorate so quickly ? Hie thin poplar panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since conservation experts last evaluated it the Louvre Museum said Leonardo’s master-wor- k — now nearly SOOyears' old — is inspected evfay one ' to two years The Louvre said the “state of conservation” of the most fampus artwork in France’s most famous museum “has aroused some worry” Center for The state-ru- n Research arid Restoration of Museums of France will con- duct a study to better detert mine what materials the V painting is made of arid evalu- ate its vulnerability to temper- - Logan UT 'PanariediCv"'- (435) 750-325- aturc changes Some seasoned visitors say they have noticed changes: “We lived in Paris in 1962 and 1963 — she seemed brighter back then” said Enid Kushner 74 a retired lawyer from Cleveland e visitor Kristy Vander Ploeg 23 of Toronto said: “I didn’t expect it to look like that — it’s a lot more faded than I thought it would First-tim- be” The painting has yellowed from layers of varnish applied over the centuries but the Louvre has resisted pressure fJ - -' tint 6 months Him pay a fate toot's as low as 14 iindm Mm doww lorigor than otow tendorV rates) Or kxdc-i- your rate for 5 yan at a stightty highor rate Home Equity Loans also ocme with special Q2cks that let you aabess your loan ecsfly Your first order of 25 Home Equity Checks are free! n s vV--'Vv- Prerequisites: A minimum of I year of active experience or equivalent will as be taught part of the course v Anatomy and Physiology v : : ' v: Z v -English 1010 (ACT of Compass test) 0960 (ACT or compass test) ' Medical Terminology : : y V'vv'-- S? 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USU :t ' & i3qiiiityL6dncdll : 753-408- 0 to: wwwusuccuorg Or-log-o- 'Course' Elays' and Times? y6 v from pmto-lTuesday and Thursday Evenings z interestpayinentsonconsumer Items I ek V : ! : :X- - Gel the biggest allowable tax deductions i : ''Math education debt cbnsolidcition and met eat the lowest HomeEquity rates in history- - Tc : : FimtusiNcswnaNaraiNTsnEssiniEiicssTS Firicmoe ': “LOW” IH “LOADS omg 0 v r intensity “We’ re seeing girls doing things now that we used to put off on boys” former Baltimore school Police Chief Jansen Robinson said “This is vicious you’ fighting It's a nationwide phenomenon and it’s catching us all off guard” oinrusTjfyouIliveworklworship orgotoschooTm CacheCountyjUtahTorlFranklinCounty ilEEuS WE P0TTBE progralm prepares the student to provide advanced life support to per-- : sons at the site ’of an injury or illness or during transport to a medical facility Paramedics work directly under the supervision of an ER physician or RN i : They are required to be state certified The program is delivered via video V V streaming and satellite from Weber State University Course Dates s May 1 8 2004 Maiy 6 2005 : skills camp Plus a mandatory two-we- tomatic of a disturbing trend around Townes the country: Girls are turning to violence more often and with terrifying to touch it up The last real weak on the Mona Lisa dates to the mid 1950s when experts removed several age spots The Louvre says the most Police and prosecutors said recent analysis can be done Nicole's beating Feb 28 without talting the painting out of the public eye: Thebegan when a boy at the party Mona Lisa now has its own acting on a dare kissed the' ' "girl on the cheek The other wall next year it will get its children exploded with own room “eeeewws” and laughter For the museum's crown to the police report left is tochance: little according jewel The mother of The painting is housed in an glass case and the birthday girl apparently visitors are held back by a See VIOLENCE on A8 waist-hig- h barrier -- : this EMT-Bas- Nicole ld Townes is out of a coma but still struggling to recover after 'S' ' ' ' North Mean Igari Utah 5432 1 695 East 1000 North Smtthiteld Otfioo:&90'Soulh MajiSrmthlield Lofafaf Houn: 9dm to Saturdays: Downtown Ldtfcy Dnve-U- 198- 6 gOcttn tdipta' 5phvFridays tiir6 Drtv-U9 artvtpl pm Smtthflld: ljjqmt'j 7 pm'weeicclTys ’ p ! ’ v YiV V: |