Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Engineer Hopes To Help Iraqis

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2003 15:24:00 -0400

Engineer Hopes To Help Iraqis
OCTOBER 1, 2003

What goes around sometimes comes around in unexpected ways. Just ask
former Iraqi exile Faris Al-Salihi, president of WATCO Wireless.

Al-Salihi is an Iraqi-born Kurd whose Leesburg, Va.-based wireless and RF
network and consulting company WATCO is one of the bidders for the three
upcoming regional wireless network contracts in Iraq.

Al-Salihi has been in self-imposed exile from his homeland since the 1970s
when, after earning his doctorate in electrical engineering in Britain, he
declined
an offer to become an official in Saddam Hussein's communications ministry. As
a result, Salihi says his father was imprisoned and tortured by Saddam's regime.

Al-Salihi has spent the last few decades bolstering his experience in wireless
communications, working in British Telecom's labs, leading CellNet and serving a
stint as chief engineer at Orange. He came to the United States in 1992 and
founded WATCO in 1996.

Through WATCO, Al-Salihi hopes he can help his native homeland recover from
repression and years of war.

"From a personal perspective, building a new operating company in Iraq would
represent the culmination of my life's work. I have been designing cellular
networks and managing radio planning projects for a long time now, and all that
work seems to be leading to the day I can finally bring my knowledge back home
to help my family and friends when it is needed most," he says.

The Coalition Provisional Authority is due to announce the contract for the
wireless networks in Iraq soon, although the Pentagon, which oversees the CPA,
earlier had delayed the contract announcement for further review of the
proposals.

If WATCO wins one of the contracts, Salihi says his company will move
aggressively and swiftly to bring competitive wireless services to Iraqis. His
company has eagerly worked out the logistics of getting started, including
immediate movement into the country.

If the company doesn't get a contract, Salihi isn't deterred. He says his company
will continue to develop contracts in the Mideast and other emerging markets.
"Even if we don't win, we will still do all we can to help the Iraqi people in
every
way we can," he says.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA326402&spacedesc=Departments&stt=000

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