IRAQ PAYS U.S. DEFENSE CONTRACTOR

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Iraqi Defense Ministry has completed payments to aU.S. contractor that threatened to impound T-72 main battle tanks for the Iraq Army. U.S. Central Command said the Iraqi ministry has paid Defense Solutions for the refurbishing of 77 T-72 tanks donated by Hungary. Centcom said in a statement that the final payment of $1 million was delivered to company chief executive officer Timothy Ringgold on Nov. 9.