Brooks said three Iraqi ministries — defense, internal security and transportation — are apparently arguing among themselves over who should control the movement of foreign contractors. Oil and telecommunications companies also are facing problems, he said.
An Iraqi businessman, who works with international companies, expressed his frustration with the Iraqi government. “We are, on one side, trying to promote Iraq to get foreign investors, but from the other side, the government is creating all kinds of difficulties ... They just create rules overnight ... It’s a state of chaos.”
On Thursday, four U.S. Embassy workers were reportedly stopped and detained by Iraqi security forces for two hours.
And last week, the embassy issued a warning that people were being held for days over visas and paperwork. “Detentions often last 24-96 hours or more,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement posted on its Web site. “The Embassy’s ability to respond to situations in which U.S. citizens are arrested or otherwise detained throughout Iraq is limited, including in and around Baghdad.”
Brooks said the problems extend to companies working with the U.S. government, private companies and on their own. Security companies in particular are not getting paperwork approved for routes. When armed guards can not travel in Iraq, that often means the companies that hire them also can not travel.
(Sources: Washington Post, US Embassy)
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