Bush Cronies New Firm Consults On Contracts In Iraq

[Oilwellian]

A group of businessmen linked by their close ties to President Bush, his family and his administration have set up a consulting firm to advise companies that want to do business in Iraq, including those seeking pieces of taxpayer-financed reconstruction projects.

The firm, New Bridge Strategies, is headed by Joe M. Allbaugh, Mr. Bush's campaign manager in 2000 and the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until March. Other directors include Edward M. Rogers Jr., vice chairman, and Lanny Griffith, lobbyists who were assistants to the first President George Bush and now have close ties to the White House.

At a time when the administration seeks Congressional approval for $20.3 billion to rebuild Iraq, part of an $87 billion package for military and other spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, the company's Web site, www.newbridgestrategies.com, says, "The opportunities evolving in Iraq today are of such an unprecedented nature and scope that no other existing firm has the necessary skills and experience to be effective both in Washington, D.C., and on the ground in Iraq."

The site calls attention to the links between the company's directors and the two Bush administrations by noting, for example, that Mr. Allbaugh, the chairman, was "chief of staff to then-Gov. Bush of Texas and was the national campaign manager for the Bush-Cheney 2000 presidential campaign."

The president of the company, John Howland, said in a telephone interview that it did not intend to seek any United States government contracts itself, but might be a middleman to advise other companies that seek taxpayer-financed business. The main focus, Mr. Howland said, would be to advise companies that seek opportunities in the private sector in Iraq, including licenses to market products there. The existence of the company was first reported in The Hill, a Congressional newspaper.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/30/politics/30LOBB.html?ex=1065932299&ei=1&en=3b>

[JanMichael]

1. Pretty slimy.

I posted about this war profiteering yesterday, and only had a few responses, I guess it wasn't seen as important as candidate bashing/worshiping:shrug:

Apparently John Edwards took offence to this too.

[Oilwellian]

2. A lot is getting lost...

in all of this candidate bashing. Which makes one wonder if that isn't the intent.

[mandyky]

3. This is the next scandal that needs exposing

While we keep up with Traitorgate, we must be alert to additional stuff. We know it's there, but TV corporate media won't cover it til we get noisy.

[bigtree]

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

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

From the Guardian:

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

Iraqi International Law Group's http://www.iraqlawfirm.com/
mission 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

"An announcement from the 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

[Oilwellian]

6. Excellent addition to the issue

Thanks very much.

[ramapo]

4. Imagine the outrage

if this was the Gore administration...

I know the reason is that the media is controlled by the corporations that run the government but it is still hard to believe that nobody is picking this story up and exposing this slimy group.