Golden Opportunities in the New Iraq!

First, the sales pitch, from the Sandi Group homepage:

Welcome to The Sandi Group

The Sandi Group and Iraq’s private sector are both on the threshold of extraordinary growth. The combination of massive infusions of aid for reconstruction, the resurrection of Iraq’s oil industry and the release of pent up consumer demand are creating a vast range of business opportunities. The Sandi Group is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these opportunities directly and to assist our partners and customers in doing so as well.

There is no doubt that the environment in Iraq is challenging. Wrenching social and political change has created security issues as well as legal, political and regulatory ambiguities. It will be some time before multi-national corporations and international investors will be able to operate effectively on their own in Iraq.

The Sandi Group has been designed to solve this problem. We offer a focused and complementary menu of services to allow multi-national companies and foreign investors to thrive in this environment. Our customers can rely on our execution skills and professionalism to deliver solutions to the challenges of Iraq, whatever their needs. At the same time, The Sandi Group is investing in facilities that complement these services, especially in the hotel sector.

Over the past year, the Group has emerged as one of Iraq’s corporate leaders, helping the country on the way to stability and prosperity. Going forward, we will continue to grow and deepen our superb management team, expand our core businesses and deepen our international partnerships. We will also adhere to our corporate philosophy of not simply doing well in Iraq, but doing good as well.

And now, the reality, from today's New York Times:

Also, insurgents claiming to represent three Iraqi militant groups issued a videotape showing what they said were 10 abducted Iraqis who had been working for an American security and reconstruction company.

Masked insurgents in the video said they represent the Mujahedeen Army, the Black Banner Brigade and the Mutassim Bellah Brigade, all previously unknown groups. Nine blindfolded hostages could be seen lined up against a stone wall and a 10th was lying in a bed, apparently wounded.

The militants said they would kill the hostages if the company, Sandi Group, does not leave the country. They also threatened more attacks on its Iraqi operations.

Chad Knauss, an American and deputy chief operations officer of Sandi Group in Iraq, declined to comment on the claims. The company, based in Washington, employs 7,000 in Iraq.

I wonder, is there a company functioning in Iraq that converts human corpses into high-grade fertilizer for the export market? If so, I'll open my wallet. Otherwise . . .