Stranger Asks a Good Question

From Stranger at Blah3 re: Gitmo and Downing Street Memo:

If what the White House says is true (I know, just go with it for a minute) and no one had made up their minds about going to war with Iraq until after Powell went to the UN, why was the order to build Guantanamo put in way back in 2002 - and why was the contract awarded before 9/11/01 - and even before Bush was elected?

No. 386-02
5 p.m. ET July 26, 2002

Brown & Root Services, a division of Kellogg Brown & Root, Arlington, Va., was awarded today a $16,000,000 task order under a previously awarded cost reimbursement, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity construction contract for construction of a 408-unit detention camp at the Radio Range area of U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Units will be of modular steel construction. Each unit measures 6 feet 8 inches by 8 feet and includes a bed, a toilet, and a hand basin with running water. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay and is to be completed by April 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured with 44 proposals solicited, three offers were received, and award was made on June 29, 2000. The total contract amount is not to exceed $300,000,000, which includes the base period and four option years. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-00-D-0005).

No. 386-02 5 p.m. ET July 26, 2002

Before? Oh My God.

I'm getting very uncomfortable with all the subtle clues that 9/11 was an event that had its roots here rather than a cave in Afghanistan. Please, someone, tell me this is wrong. Show me incontravertible proof that this is wrong.