The US has alerted American firms of future contracts worth at least $1.5 billion in the second phase of its Iraq reconstruction plans, a US Agency for International Development (USAID) official said.

The  USAID also said it planned to give an additional $350 million in work to construction company Bechtel, its lead contractor in Iraq, hiking the San Francisco-based firm's project funds so far to about $1 billion.
Funding for new work, which will be open only to US firms as lead contractors, has to be approved by Congress and is likely to come from the $87 billion earmarked by President George Bush for Iraq and to fight the war on terror.

The first phase of USAID's rebuilding work in Iraq, some of which was awarded before the war began, has amounted to about $1.5 billion so far.
Work will include the repair and upgrading of Iraq's power grid, potable water and sewage treatment systems, priority roads, bridges and railways, and public buildings.

• Denmark's Export Council said Danish firms had won reconstruction orders in Iraq worth more than $200 million in recent months.

'Danish companies have received orders and commitments from contractors for future orders for around 1.5 billion Danish crowns ($228 million),' said Freddy Svane of Denmark's export council.
Denmark has granted a $52.98 million aid package, with $25.7 million earmarked for reconstruction. Svane declined to comment on the companies involved in the orders.

Denmark's oil and shipping group AP Moeller-Maersk, security company Group 4 Falck, construction firm FLS and health care products maker Coloplast have all shown interest in the rebuilding of the war-torn country.