(2003-12-10) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today said that some items and services are exempt from the Iraq reconstruction bid ban imposed by the United States on countries which did not support the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

"In the interest of strengthening our friendships, France, Germany and Russia will be permitted to bid on some things," said Mr. Rumsfeld. "For example, we have a pressing need for more of those terrific human shields. There were a lot of them around before the war, but we can't find them now. While we're figuring out where Saddam hid them, we would welcome some French, German or Russian human shields."

Mr. Rumsfeld said that Halliburton and Bechtel did not wish to bid on the human shield contract, "so that gives our old European allies a clean shot at it."