HUNTING FOR THE FACTS
Topic: Dept. of State, Once in a Lifetime03. July 2008 |
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The New York Times’ James A. Glanz and Richard A. Oppel look at a Congressional committee report released yesterday that concludes the Bush administration knew about a deal between the Hunt Oil Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government. This contradicts a statement by President Bush when the deal was made — in September 2007 — saying that the White House knew nothing of the contract.
In fact, it looks like Ray Hunt, head of the company, wrote letters to a President’s advisory board and consulted State Dept. officials. In addition to the Kurdistan contract, Congress is now investigating the real role played by the Bush administration in the Iraqi oil ministry’s rewarding of no-bid contracts to Exxon Mobile and other Western oil giants.
There are many less than flattering conclusions to draw about the Bush administration and their investment in Iraq’s huge oil reserves. The Times piece does a good job of reporting out the facts, including truly mixed signals from the State Dept. about whether Hunt Oil should have proceeded with the deal. Stay tuned.-MB
understandinggov.org
It’s hard to judge by just a few e-mails, but the ones highlighted by Glanz and Oppel show a definite willingness on the part of State Dept. staff in Iraq to help Hunt (re the other significant development/construction projects they could be involved in). It also sounds like these officials were either trying to curry favor with Hunt…(future job potential?) or make nice with Hunt because the company was influential with the boss back in Washington…in any case it looks like nothing you want to see coming from a government employee.
comment at 03. July 2008