SSA hands over Umm Qasr management to Iraqis

SSA hands over Umm Qasr management to Iraqis    Seattle-based SSA Marine completed its port contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to manage the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq yesterday. During the final month of the contract, SSA conducted a transition program to transfer responsibility to run the port operations to Iraqi nationals.
   SSA has managed the Iraqi port since the transfer of control from the British Military on May 23, 2003.
   The port operator said it was the first contractor to work in Iraq, initiating activities while the war was still ongoing.
   Since last year, more than 280 vessels, 1.2 million metric tons of cargo and more than 8,000 people have called the southern Iraqi port, SSA reported. The main cargoes handled included containers, breakbulk, roll-on/roll-off, construction goods, bulk grain, bagged rice and sugar.