More Bush Cronies Profiting From the Blood of our Men and Women in Iraq

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From the Guardian:

Wednesday September 24, 2003 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1048205,00.html

"Fancy your chances making a fast buck from the reconstruction of Iraq? Well, you'll need to invest in a bullet-proof vest for starters, and then make some well-connected business contacts on the ground. That's where the Iraqi International Law Group can help. Indeed, judging by the blurb on their website http://www.iraqlawfirm.com/ , they are the only firm worth consulting if you want to strike it rich in Iraq."

As for its mission, the firm explains: "The lawyers and professionals of IILG have dared to take the lead in bringing private sector investment and experience to the new Iraq. "Our task is to provide a 'last mile' connection between foreign capital, initiative, technology, experience and know-how and the organisations, enterprises, institutions and entrepreneurs in Iraq eager to rebuild this ancient and war-torn country, to catalyse and ignite the realisation of the new Iraq's huge economic potential."

"Amid boasting about its lucrative connections, IILG is surprisingly modest about the family connections of its founder, Salem Chalabi. The website doesn't mention that he is a nephew of Ahmed Chalabi, who just happens to be the leader of the US-backed Iraqi National Congress (INC), a member of the governing council and current president of Iraq."

"One of Ahmed Chalabi's staunchest supporters in Washington is Douglas Feith, a former lawyer who is currently third in the Pentagon pecking order. The pair worked closely together in the run-up to war, with Chalabi providing "intelligence" about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (much of which proved to be wrong) and boasting that he had a secret network inside Iraq which could be harnessed to help run the country once the US invaded."


More Cronyism:

Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Page A17 By Al Kamen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A51378-2003Sep9?language=printer

"A most timely announcement from the highly regarded international corporate and commercial law firm of Zell, Goldberg & Co:
The firm "has recently established a task force dealing with issues and opportunities relating to the recently ended war with Iraq," its Web site announced."

"With offices in Israel and Washington, the firm says it "is assisting regional construction and logistics firms to collaborate with contractors from the United States and other coalition countries in implementing infrastructure and other reconstruction projects in Iraq."

"Through its Washington, D.C., office, ZGC is also assisting American companies in their relations with the United States government in connection with Iraqi reconstruction projects as prime contractors and consultants."

Interested parties can reach the law firm through its Web site, at www.fandz.com.

Fandz.com was the Web site of the Washington law firm of Feith & Zell, P.C., as in Douglas J. Feith, former Pentagon official in the Reagan administration and now undersecretary of defense for policy and head of -- what else? -- reconstruction matters in Iraq.

His wealth seems almost entirely bound up in telecommunications stocks: AT&T -- $500,000 to $1,000,000, Bell South -- $500,000 to 1,000,000, Lucent -- $250,000 to $500,000, SBC Comm -- $1,000,000 to $5,000,000, Verizon -- $1,000,000 to $5,000,000, Qwest Comm Intl $500,000 to $1,000,000, Vodafone $250,000 to $500,000, more in trusts and so forth, the list goes on and on. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/feith.douglas.2002.pdf

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1. hopeful kick

sigh. night.