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Home--Issues--Water USAID - Pushing Privatization U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) history goes back to the Marshall Plan after World War II, and it was formally signed into existence in 1961 under the John F. Kennedy administration. USAID works to advance US foreign policy interests in developing countries. Using funds from the US federal budget, one of USAID's key objectives is to "expand democracy and free markets" by providing US foreign assistance. USAID has offices around the world, including India, where it spent over US$ 164 million in 2002. USAID is active in various areas including food aid, agriculture, rural development, health, population control, power sector and infrastructure development. In India, as elsewhere, USAID claims to work to "boost economic growth and reduce widespread poverty" through supporting economic reforms and restructuring. USAID partners with the private sector, state governments as well as non-governmental organizations to carry out its mission.USAID is also very active in post aggression Iraq plans. A small group of U.S. construction companies identified by the Wall Street Journal as Bechtel Group; Halliburton; Kellogg, Brown & Root; Louis Berger Group; Parsons Corp; and Washington Group International were invited by the USAID to bid on post-war Iraq contracts totaling more than $600 million. The companies contributed $3.5 million in the past two election cycles to lawmakers and presidential candidates 66 percent to Republicans according to records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. For more information, see Water Privatization, Corruption and Exploitation |
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