Britons keen to work in Iraq, says project firm
By Christopher Hope

Foster Wheeler Energy, the first British company to win reconstruction work in Iraq, yesterday reported "significant interest" from Britons wanting to work there, despite the increased dangers to foreigners.

The Reading-based subsidiary of US giant Foster Wheeler won an $8.5m contract in March to help rebuild Iraq's battered oil infrastructure.

However, there had been speculation that Foster Wheeler was planning to pull out because of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq. Four weeks after the contract win, four civilians were executed near Fallujah, as the instances of hostage taking increased.

Foster Wheeler originally agreed to hire 34 staff for its Baghdad office, where they were due to oversee reconstruction of the oil infrastructure. But by a deadline originally set for yesterday, the company had only two staff in the war-torn capital.

It said it was progressing with the contract after agreeing new terms with the United States' Programme Management Office in Iraq.

Under the new deal, Foster Wheeler has agreed to send fewer staff and provide extra security for them. A spokesman said: "Certain security provisions have been reviewed. We are therefore mobilising our staff."

Foster Wheeler's UK website was advertising for structural, piping and mechanical engineers in Iraq yesterday. A spokesman said there was "significant interest" from inside and outside the company to work there.

He confirmed that candidates were being offered danger money. The spokesman said: "Would you go out there on a normal base salary?"
Brian Wilson MP, the prime minister's overseas trade adviser who has a special interest in Iraq, said: "There are thousands of British companies that want to work in Iraq despite the dangers."

But he warned: "No company which does not fully understand the security issues should ever think of working in Iraq."

He said: "When Foster Wheeler bid for this work they were fully aware of the security implications. What they have now announced unfortunately demonstrates the reality that a far higher proportion of money is going on security, which means less is being spent on the physical improvement that Iraq wants and needs."

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2004/05/21/cnirq21
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