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It was all about oil after all

fff

Well-known member
State Department Inspector to Investigate Texas Oil Company’s Deal in Kurdistan

By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
Published: July 25, 2008

BAGHDAD — The State Department’s internal watchdog division will investigate allegations that department officials did nothing to prevent a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush from concluding an oil deal with the Kurdistan regional government that undermined both American policy and the Iraqi central government.

The Kurds’ deal last year with Hunt Oil Company of Dallas — and similar contracts between the Kurds and other energy companies — have infuriated the Iraqi government, which has called them “illegal” attempts to usurp Baghdad’s authority.

American officials have also stated publicly that the contracts undermine Baghdad’s fragile central government and that they have discouraged such deals until the Iraqi government passes a national oil law.

But earlier this month a Congressional committee released internal e-mail messages and documents from the State Department and Hunt Oil that suggested that State Department officials did not try to dissuade Hunt Oil from signing the deal with the Kurds.

This week, the acting inspector general of the State Department, Harold W. Geisel, disclosed in a letter to lawmakers, which was also provided to The New York Times, that he had “initiated a review of the responses provided to the Congress recently on the issues surrounding oil contracts, oil field development and U.S. policy in Iraq.”

The inquiry is a response to a letter from four Democratic senators — Charles E. Schumer of New York, Carl Levin of Michigan, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Claire McCaskill of Missouri — requesting an investigation of how State Department policy squares with the department’s involvement in the Hunt matter as well as recent negotiations for contracts between the Iraqi government and other Western companies.

American officials have provided help drafting no-bid contracts being negotiated between the Iraqi Oil Ministry and Western companies to provide oil field services. The administration has said it provided nothing more than technical help and played no role in choosing the companies. But the contracts have been seized on by critics of the war who contend that Iraq’s oil wealth was a motivation for the 2003 invasion — an allegation the administration has repeatedly denied.

A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the new inquiry.

Senator Schumer predicted that the investigation “may finally help us get to the bottom of the Bush administration’s role in the awarding of oil contracts in Iraq.”

“If, as alleged, the State Department misrepresented U.S. policy to companies like Hunt, that is highly troubling,” he added. “But this probe may shed light on an even more explosive possibility — that the administration undermined U.S. policy by actively helping Iraq smooth the way for these deals.”

Among the documents disclosed earlier this month by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was an e-mail message from a senior Hunt official who stated that he was told by State Department officials in June 2007 that the American government did not object to contracts with the Kurdish regional government.

I specifically asked if the U.S.G. had a policy toward companies entering contracts with the K.R.G.,” according to the message from the Hunt official, David McDonald, which was sent to a colleague a few weeks after the Sept. 8 deal with the Kurds. The State Department officials, he said, stated that there was no policy, neither for nor against.

He added in the e-mail message: “There was no communication to me or in my presence made by the nine State Department officials with whom I met prior to 8 September that Hunt should not pursue our course of action leading to a contract. In fact, there was ample opportunity to do so, but it did not happen.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/world/middleeast/25baghdad.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

And this:

Perle Linked to Kurdish Oil Plan
By Susan Schmidt and Glenn R. Simpson
Word Count: 688
Influential former Pentagon official Richard Perle has been exploring going into the oil business in Iraq and Kazakhstan, according to people with knowledge of the matter and documents outlining possible deals.

Mr. Perle, one of a group of security experts who began pushing the case for toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein about a decade ago, has been discussing a possible deal with officials of northern Iraq's Kurdistan regional government, including its Washington envoy, according to these people and the documents.

More:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121729971113092303.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us
 

jigs

Well-known member
I am so sick of the spineless cowards (liberals) that find every friggin angle to find the war unjust, illegal, in humane or how many people are getting rich off of dead soldiers.

not ONCE has a knuckle dragging sphinter mole (liberal) stood up and put 100 % of their support behind the boys over there. why don't you people go live some where else, bercause you do NOT deserve the freedoms awarded you by the brave men and women who are giving so much of them selves ( and some gave all ) to keep this the greatest nation the world has ever seen


now with Iran's President claiming the world powers have fell, and the world will see a new regime rise up for the betterment of the world, you gutless cowards (liberals) better hold on to your asses, because there WILL be an all out assult from extreme Muslims....and Iran will back them with NUKES ! and I bet Russia and China will be there to back them up.....


it will be a dirty nasty war, and you idiots better drop your "make love not war" BS and start practicing your one shot one kill shooting..... it is coming, and it will be fought on our soil!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Jigs-- the problem is the country as a whole Libs, conservatives, neocons, libertarians supported the war and GW Bush going to war when they thought the cause was just - until they found out that the info they had been given to make the case for that war had been censored, altered, and in some cases completely made up false info that was lies...

I have a hard time calling Congressmen Paul, Roehrbacher, Jones, ex-Congressman Barr, several retired Generals and many others-- Libs- and they are some of the most vocal condemning what was done by King George- and calling for investigations to make sure it can't happen again....

Questioning the actions and intents of the Political Machine to me in no way shows disrespect for or nonsupport of the troops.. In fact to me- its just the opposite...It would be a travesty to the troops and the American people if we didn't delve out all reasons that these troops were used/misused and that Trillions of dollars of US taxpayer money has been spent- and in many cases sqandered away in corrupt contracting practices .....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of displaced power exists and will persist."
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without.
~Dwight D. Eisenhower
 
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