It was about the rebuilding pork. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw...e7may07,1,2323999.story?coll=la-home-leftrail Consulting and Policy Overlap Advisor Perle has given seminars on ways to profit from possible conflicts discussed by defense board he sits on. By Ken Silverstein and Chuck Neubauer, Times Staff Writers WASHINGTON -- Last February, the Defense Policy Board, a group of outside advisors to the Pentagon, received a classified presentation from the super-secret Defense Intelligence Agency on the crises in North Korea and Iraq. Three weeks later, the then-chairman of the board, Richard N. Perle, offered a briefing of his own at an investment seminar on ways to profit from possible conflicts with both countries. Perle and his fellow advisors also heard a classified address about high-tech military communications systems at the same closed-door session in February. He runs a venture capital firm that has been exploring investments in that very area. . . . Perle is not the only member of the policy board with business interests in the defense sector. A report by the Center for Public Integrity identified at least eight other members who have ties to major defense contractors. For example, retired Navy Adm. David Jeremiah is a director or advisor for at least five companies that received more than $10 billion in Pentagon contracts in 2002. Chris Williams, a former national security advisor to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Rumsfeld's former acting undersecretary of Defense for policy, is a lobbyist for a number of defense firms, including Boeing. "People serve on the board pro bono and they have to make a living," Ikle said. "We file a disclosure form that is reviewed [by government ethics advisors], and if there's a problem it has to be taken care of." John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has asked the Pentagon's inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, to investigate Perle's business activities and any conflicts they might pose for his membership on the policy board. Conyers also requested that Rumsfeld release Perle's ethics disclosure form and policy board meeting minutes, the latter which he has promised to review only with staffers who have top secret security clearances. Rumsfeld refused to turn over Perle's ethics statement, but he has told Conyers' office that the minutes will be released. Where do we sign up for the no bid, open-ended, billion dollar contracts? Halliburton Iraq contract expands http://edition.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/05/07/sprj.nitop.haliburton/ WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army Corps of Engineers says a contract awarded without competition to a subsidiary of Halliburton included not only putting out oil well fires in Iraq but also "operation of facilities and distribution of products." WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army Corps of Engineers says a contract awarded without competition to a subsidiary of Halliburton included not only putting out oil well fires in Iraq but also "operation of facilities and distribution of products." Officials previously have said the multi-million dollar contract only dealt with putting out oil well fires and performing emergency repairs as needed. . . . He did not give an overall dollar amount on the contract. Halliburton has said accusations that it received preferential treatment were off-base. It has said KBR is the only contractor that could implement the complex contingency plan. In a March press release, Halliburton said once the oil well fires were put out, it would "provide for the continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure."
The process for signing up for the no bid, open-ended billion dollar reconstruction projects is specifically outlined... ...in the secret notes of the Enron/Administration energy policy meetings.
The Army Corps of Engineers says a contract awarded without competition to a subsidiary of Halliburton included not only putting out oil well fires in Iraq but also "operation of facilities and distribution of products." Well I guess the Bush gang forgot to release this detail to the press when they first gave the bidness to Halliburton without a bid. These guys have no shame. Most corrupt administration since the Teapot Dome Gang. I know. Clinton lied about a blow job and that is much more important and detrimental to democratic governance in your Republican opinion , since it was under oath. This was just payola for campaign contributions and some influence peddong by VP Cheney. After all Cheney and Bush didn't lie about the payola, they just did it and forgot to mention the other $24 million or so.. Is there any level of this type of thing before you Republicans would start to wonder? ************************ WASHINGTON - The no-bid contract that Halliburton Co. received to put out Iraqi oil well fires has risen to $76.7 million, pushed higher after the government gave Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites)'s former company the added job of restarting Iraq (news - web sites)'s oil Halliburotn
No one in the world is as experienced as Halliburton at performing this type of work. No one. glynch, unless you would like to dazzle us with your knowledge of the oilfield services industry, I recommend you not opine on this issue further. You simply do not know what you are talking about. Secondly, a $76.7mm contract is peanuts to Halliburton. They are accustomed to bidding on projects in the billions, this is a drop in the bucket.
Then why is Halliburton virtually bankrupt? All these conservatives talk and talk and talk about the free market, but in reality they practice old fashioned state socialism. Where's the competition here, TJ? Speaking of failures associated with the Bush Adminstration...want to know how to overthrow Kim Il Jong? Send in the Bush economic team.
Until I see serious posts, I'm not even bothering. Seriously? Halliburton.... Bankrupt??..... Where?... On your Monopoly game? Get into the financial industry before you speak again on this topic.... I'll pay attention. BTW: Series 7, 63, 65, 31, 35 under my belt, and you?
All these conservatives talk and talk and talk about the free market, but in reality they practice old fashioned state socialism. Bingo. YOu nailed it. The Carlyle group and the Bushs' make their money through influence pedding with the government. They like to score big on making money off the government. Privitization of government services, that they give out as patronage to their contributors is one of their current themes. Dubya's only real success as a "business man" was to broker a government loan to help the Rangers get a stadium. He was well paid for this. They talk of rugged risk taking risk taking, but they prefer government contracts, preferably on a cost plus basis.
Yes I agree 100%. You have to have one of the single highest IQs on this BBS, if not in the entire world. This "Republican" President Bush is saying to hell with the traditional Republican policy of high taxes and universal healthcare and is instead trying to lower taxes. I commend President Bush on his original thinking. Also, you made an excellent point about the Bush economic team. I think if they went to North Korea then they would immediately start a dot com bubble and then burst it in order to destroy the economy. You are ahead of your time Towel. I commend you on your forward looking perspective.
Typically, these firms overcharge the government for work they never fully complete. That's just from what I saw of civilian contractors during my army days. People working on government contracts know that there is little accountability for the quality of work they do on projects like these. When you're company is friends with the administration, the accountability factor disappears completely. Just my two cents.
Exactly. This "Bush went to war to help his oil buddies" arguement is tired and silly. Frankly, I think it's just something anti-Bush people say to get under the skin of the Bush supporters. Unless you can name a company more qualified than Halliburton, the whole idea has zero credibility.
I don't know who's better, but there are certainly other Oilfield services companies to open the bidding to. Shlumberger Transocean Baker Hughes National Oilwell
Again we have this whole reversed logic rebuttle of the Haliburton claim...I don't know if this was about oil, or not, but the refutation that this was about oil on the grounds that Haliburton is very qualified is senseless...it omits one simple link in the logical chain: That Bush et al knew Haliburton's qualifications before they engaged in the war. IF this was about oil, to whatever degree, surely it was therefore done with forethought...ie they went about things which would best reward them. People who were saying we're attacking Iraq because of the oil company connections are hardly going to be surprised when, after the fact, the qualifications of those oil connections are real. It leaves out the entire aspect of pre-meditation. Consider: A man is suspected of plotting to kill his father for his money. Then the father is killed, it turns out that the son inherits, and his defenders say there is no connection between his new found fortune and his father's death on the grounds that he is the most logical heir. It may be a factual statement, but it in no way addresses the question. And there are the additional complications, for instance in this case the executor happens to be the son's close friend, and that other possible heirs were never given a chance to see the will...And is also based on the supposition that Haliburton is so clearly the obvious choice that it was foretold...If that isn't true, it's even uglier. If this was about oil, it means that it was done in a manner that those involved would be in a position to benefit...To claim afterwards that there is nothing suspicious about their benefiting because they are the ones who are in a position to do so logically is to, as I said, preclude that position itself as motivational.
Schlumberger is the world's largest oilfield drilling and exploration company. They dwarf Halliburton in size.
Maybe read it again...I wasn't saying it was about oil, or that I had proof...I was stating that the " Haliburton is qualified!" as a rebuttle of the It's About Oil accusation is a non-starter.
This says nothing about the skill Schlumberger has in executing oilfield reconstruction projects. Halliburton is uniquely qualified in this area. Schlumberger has a wide range of businesses under their large umbrella, one of which is oilfield services. Weak argument, buddy. Towell - Halliburton's difficulties in the past years stem from asbestos litigation (trial lawyers), not operational difficulty....and Fatty Fat b*stard is correct, Halliburton is not operating under bankruptcy protection.
If your arguing that Halliburton is uniquely an Oilfield Services Company, since when is Minute Maid Park an Oil Well or pipeline.
Well I'm not sure I get the argument. If someone is stating that that the Halliburton contract is evidence this war was "for oil," and offers no hard evidence, then what other response is necessary? Halliburton is qualified, and that's why it was chosen. The anti- Halliburton argument is a non-starter in the absence of any other evidence. If your dad was murdered, and you were left with a million bucks, does that mean you murdered your Dad? Of course not. More proof is necessary.
