Talk:Lincoln Group

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CPA Document

Coalition Provisional Authority "Industry Day" Event Crystal City, Virginia, November 19, 2003

MS Excel spreadsheet

Entry No. 446 - Lincoln Group - Paige Craig - Vice President - 7 Somerton Square Medford, NJ, United States, 8055

wtf? google sat map to above address

news articles

Lebanon's The Daily Star AFP article

(also mirrored: Iraq Directory

New law opening up foreign investment could hurt private sector

Conference on postwar reconstruction hears that transition from a state-managed economy will be rough unless done with caution

DUBAI: Businessmen and economists gathered here to discuss reconstruction prospects in violence-racked Iraq said Saturday that lack of security was a major impediment to investment but that the country still offers enormous potential.

Participants in an Iraq reconstruction conference differed, however, on whether a new law that opens up the country to foreign investors was the right answer to decades of a state-controlled economy which left the private sector "completely disenfranchised," as one banker put it.

Calling for the repeal of CPA Law 39, enacted by the now defunct U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, London-based Iraqi banker Basil al-Rahim said the law states that Iraq "should be opened immediately to foreign investment," except for property and oil and other natural resources.

"The problem is that you're approaching an economy that has been state-managed for 35 years (under the Baath regime of ousted president Saddam Hussein) ... and if you open the floodgates to foreign investors, you'll never give the private sector a chance to get on its feet and compete, and you will not allow domestic wealth creation," he said.

Rahim, whose argument was contested by other panelists, made a powerful case for the "empowerment of the private sector" in Iraq, calling for the creation of a "private sector commission" to oversee its revival and for drastically reducing the state's role in economic activities.

The government's role should become that of "regulator, enabler and facilitator," he said.

Rahim, managing director of MerchantBridge investment bank, said Iraq had six resources which "never converged in one country." Apart from "potential oil reserves estimated at 300 billion barrels," far exceeding the 113 billion barrels of proven reserves, he said Iraq had water from two major rivers, considerable arable land, an educated and professional population and archeological and religious sites that give it a high tourism potential. In addition, Iraq is a focus of "international interest," he said.

Christopher Exline, president of Home Essentials, an American furniture rental company which has been operating in Iraq for a year, said the "barbarism and insanity" practiced against both Iraqis and foreigners over the past weeks should not blur the broader picture.

"There is a phenomenal opportunity for those who look beyond the headlines," he said.

But the chairman of the Iraqi Business Council in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi warned that mounting abductions of foreigners, many of whom have been killed by militant groups, were triggering an "exodus of business" from Iraq.

Even employees of Egyptian telecom giant Orascom were now leaving following the abduction this week of eight staffers, including six Egyptians, Talib Khan said on the sidelines of the conference.

He said "50 percent" of hostage-takers were "gangs" looking for ransoms rather than ideologically motivated groups.

"These riffraff should be contained by employment. ... Even if Arabs and foreigners leave, we have to proceed with reconstruction," Khan said.

Iraqi legal expert Adil Sinjakli said "insecurity and lack of elected government" was one of the main obstacles to investment, along with a foreign debt estimated at between $110 billion and $120 billion.

Paige Craig, executive vice president of Iraqex, a U.S. firm involved in a range of activities from manufacturing construction materials to "providing logistics" for U.S. forces, disagreed with the general view that the security situation was deteriorating.

"People think it's getting worse because they only pay attention to foreigners (who are being taken hostage and often executed). But it's definitely more secure now than it was" a year ago, he said.

Craig said that in addition to using security guards, his firm's staff engaged in a series of diversionary tactics to ward off potential attackers.

"We keep a low profile, both in dressing and in acting. We change vehicles, switch locations," and run front offices staffed only by Iraqis, he said.

The conference will move to discussion of oil issues on Sunday and wind up on Monday.

By Lydia Georgi, Agence France Presse

--Hugh Manatee 06:31, 1 Dec 2005 (EST)


Pre Nov. 2005

moved here from the content page:

Rumours have included that they are front for various Israeli firms (possibly Mossad) looking to get into the US Military markets. They have also boasted about practicing their own brand of US public diplomacy on their own.

In one respect they seem to be a typical Beltway firm: overpromise and underdeliver. Right now they are under investigation by the US GAO about expenditures in Iraq and whether they have been ripping off the US Government.

I just removed the same paragraphs from the article page, for posting here. It looks as though anonymous IP user User:70.21.28.174 had added in this material.

These are serious allegations and must be cited. I would also recommend rephrasing along the lines of "[This person] claimed that Lincoln Group..." or "[This article] noted that Lincoln Group has been associated with..."

--Diane 14:34, 29 Sep 2005

Job Announcements

Posting the following here until they can be mined for info:

This one is a hoot! Do you have to provide your own militia to protect you on the job? It would take your whole salary to stay alive! Artificial Intelligence 07:37, 2 Dec 2005 (EST)

"Due to ongoing expansion, Lincoln Group has immediate need for Sr. Media Tracking and Trend Analysis Professionals to provide tracking, coding and classification of data collected. Qualified candidates include statisticians who can identify random samples of original source media (not from the database), and a separate qualified Media Analyst who has experience in recording and coding data correctly. The work would be based in the companys offices in Iraq. The position will report directly to the Project Manager for the contract.The candidate should have extensive experience in the Middle East and expertise in all forms of media. The candidate should have experience and be able to negotiate with the Iraq Centre for Research and Strategic Studies (ICRSS) to provide independent, reliable polling services. ICRSS will conduct accurate impartial research to include random sampling, focus groups, house to house surveys, and demographic-centered polling throughout Iraq. ICRSS will track qualitative and quantitative measures of the PR and advertising campaigns. These efforts are designed to give clear feedback on the ultimate effectiveness of the various initiatives and strategies employed by the contractor in changing perceptions over time, and in overcoming negative messages following a controversial event. A broad range of experience with governments, non-governmental agencies and private business is essential. Recent experience in Iraq and its neighboring countries is a plus, as is a proven track record of reaching mass audiences in a Middle Eastern nation. Candidate may be western-oriented from the Middle East, with extensive experience in both the United States and Iraq, or have extensive experience in the Middle East. In all cases candidates should provide examples of print or video media. Salary: $80K to $150K depending on experience. All company employees receive profit sharing, bonuses, medical and dental and workers compensation insurance. Youre your resume and a summary of your most relevant specific experience and accomplishments to mpoage@designstaffing.com."

Former employee of Lincoln Group

I worked at Lincoln Group (back when it was called Iraqex) for about a year. I was offered $500/month internship to work in Iraq. Do you think I stayed? These guys are dirty. Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty....

SW Ranks #2 on Yahoo! Search

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