OIL WAR

Cheney denies helping old firm to land Iraqi contracts

US Vice-President Dick Cheney has denied helping his former oil services company get multibillion-dollar US Government contracts in Iraq.
Democrats have questioned the role of Mr Cheney's former firm, Halliburton, in rebuilding Iraq. The company, headed by Mr Cheney before he became Vice-President, has contracts worth nearly $2 billion.
Mr Cheney bristled at the suggestion that his connection influenced the awarding of the no-bid contracts to Halliburton.
"Since I left Halliburton to become George Bush's Vice-President, I've severed all my ties with the company," he said. "And as Vice-President, I have absolutely no influence of, involvement of, knowledge of . . . contracts let by the US Corps of Engineers or anybody else in the federal government," he spluttered.
Asked why Halliburton did not have to compete with other firms for the contracts, Mr Cheney said: "I have no idea. Go ask the Corps of Engineers."