CONSUMERS FOR PEACE, LAUNCHING NEW WEBSITE, ASKS PUBLIC TO HELP IN GETTING A RESPONSE FROM CHENEY ON OIL ARTICLE
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2006-09-25 12:41. Activism
The public is being asked to call the press office of Vice President Dick Cheney – (202) 456-0373 – to get the vice president’s response to an article raising questions about Cheney’s dealings in oil prior to becoming Vice President. The request, and the article that was sent to Cheney’s press office a month ago for comment, appear in the new website of Consumers for Peace.org, which promotes the ExxonMobil War Boycott and which is being launched today.
http://www.consumersforpeace.org The article, based on internet research, discusses the involvement of Halliburton Inc., under Cheney’s leadership, in suspect oil dealings in Russia, Iraq and Nigeria. The article notes that I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, formerly a close aide to Cheney, was a lawyer for notorious oil trader Marc Rich between 1985 and 2000. Libby resigned from the Vice President’s staff in 2005 after he was indicted in a case related to the leaking of information about CIA employee Valerie Plame. The article says that Halliburton under Cheney was dealing in areas in which Rich had made deals.
The author of the article, Nick Mottern, Director of Consumers for Peace, writes that he called Cheney’s press office three times since the article was submitted for comment, was told that someone would get back to him, but there has been no response.
The website reports that BP (British Petroleum) has declined a request to boycott the Pentagon over Iraq, made by Consumers for Peace. This request, endorsed by peaceworker Cindy Sheehan, historian Howard Zinn and 40 other peaceworkers was also sent to 11 other major suppliers of petroleum products to the U.S. military, including ExxonMobil and Shell. BP said that it provides products to all legitimate customers and that it does not get involved in “geopolitics”. The website provides references that contradict that claim. No other firms have answered the letter, sent in July this year.
Another article discusses steps a Brattleboro, Vermont group are taking to reduce petroleum consumption but reports they are not prepared for fuel and food emergencies that could result from a dramatic hike in oil prices such as might result from bombing of Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14305