07-F-0576 DOC 12

Page 1 of2 Jones, Richard H. (AMB) ~rom: Jones, Richard H. (AMB) l Sent: Saturday, December 13, 200311:00 PM G "'\ To: Bremer, Paul "' 8 I Subject: RE: The SAIC contract OK, I'll bring this e-mail to the 0730 meeting. OJ To: Jones, Richard H. (AMB) ~;-:~~~~~~- ~ Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 6:27 PM Subject: FW: The SAIC contract Fyl. Lers discuss LPB L f"J.- ""'"\. P\.. "I ---on~~z:saoe---- ~rom~ J I ~ Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 5:46 PM ) To: Bremer) Paul 1 1. Cc:!tb\f6 I Pv-' Subject: Rf: The SAIC cootract I. I have been in touch directly with the subcontractor SAIC has enlisted to restart transmissions in the north. We can pick up that contract ourselves- at about $250,000 plus certain equipment which was to have been provided to SAIC. The company, based in Amman, says it has a high degree of confidence it can get back on the air in the north if the equipment SAIC promised materializes. 2llbl(6) land I are planning on meeting today. Dr. Rice asked for a "tiger team" approach to coming up with new programming; we are all committed to making that happen as quickly as possible. We all wtder&tand the urgency. In fact, Dr. Rice indicated there would be daily video conferences in order to assess our progress. We will provide you with a plan just as soon as we have a realistic assessment of what's on the growtd at the convention center and how quickly we can muster the material and human resources needed to make this happen. Seat: Sat 1211312003 7:56AM To: Thatcher, Gary (SES-2) ~-~~i~i~~~.e~::fe--- ~ (,. '\ Cdlh\(6\ I P\.V'} ubjeet: RE: The SAIC contri!ICI rlhll6l ~oes not address the key question which Dr Rice and all of us care about --which is how are we going to get transmissions started to the north within 30 days and how and when will we be on satellite. The details of getting out of the SAIC contract are just that, details. Please send me your plan tO answer the fundamental questions and then we can decide what to do about SAIC. 1111111111.11 00859 12/1412003 01· 'f .. 0~1(, 'bot. \0. ~""~ . . ~~c«liaCY.> • .L1V\~ Page 2 of2 LPB Seo ' t · ..,~sattw:t:t.,.2 t at31W.ao_o_ J 1 _: 2 ~~~i%X{'sapc I 4 AM---~ ~C~:) o:,~": Paul . _ Ctd(hM) ubject: The SAlC conlraet You asked, by Saturday, a status report on the SAIC contract and a plan for moving forward. Today, I met with senior vice-presidents and attorneys for SAIC and officials of the Defense Contracting Command, Washington. After lengthy discussions, we issued what is know as a "cure letter" • the first step in the process of formally declaring SAIC in defauJt of the contract. SAIC has agreed to: I. Absorb any additional costs to the government for its mishandling of transmission in Kurdistan. Specifically, it has proposed a temporary solution, at a cost of $250,000, until a permanent solution can be in place in approximately six months. 2. Withdraw any charges to the government for two employees in Erbil whom, I suspect, did no work that benefitted IMN. They were the ones who falsely claimed the transmissions woUld start by November 28. Cost: in excess of $200,000. The company has promised to deliver a curative plan by next Wednesday. After evaluating it, we will decide whether to declare SAIC in default and formally terminate the contract. We are trying to determine a legal strategy that will at least salvage part of the $20 million that remains unspent in the contract. SAIC has already raised the idea of a "contribution" to the government to make up for its performance, including working without charge to DOD from January I until we can get a new contractor to replace them. If you find this course satisfactory, please forward this e-mail to Dr. Rice, who asked to be kept informed on the SAIC situation. 12/1412003