Leading U.S. Security Firm Slows Mideast Hiring

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- A leading U.S. defense contractor has put the brakes on
hiring for missions in the Middle East.
KBR, until 2008 the leading security contractor in Iraq, has overseen a
sharp drop in hiring for assignments in the Middle East. Executives said the
U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and handover of security to the Baghdad government
have reduced the company's role in the Arab world.