June 9, 2008, - 2:57 pm
Right Hand . . . Left Hand?: U.S. Gives $80 Mill to Saudi Wanted by U.S.
By Debbie Schlussel
Sometimes I wonder how America is still around. While we love our country, our government does everything in its power to screw it up.
Take the case of the Bush Administration and its buddy, fugitive Saudi Gaith Pharaon:
The US military has awarded an $80 million contract to a prominent Saudi financier who has been indicted by the US Justice Department. The contract to supply jet fuel to American bases in Afghanistan was awarded to the Attock Refinery Ltd, a Pakistani-based refinery owned by Gaith Pharaon. Pharaon is wanted in connection with his alleged role at the failed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), and the CenTrust savings and loan scandal, which cost US tax payers $1.7 billion.
The Saudi businessman was also named in a 2002 French parliamentary report as having links to informal money transfer networks called hawala, known to be used by traders and terrorists, including Al Qaeda.
Interestingly, Pharaon was also an investor in President George W. Bush’s first business venture, Arbusto Energy.
A spokesman for the FBI said Pharaon was not wanted in connection with the French report [DS: Of course, not. Why would we care about his Al-Qaeda involvement when we need to give him Ameica’s billions?], but confirmed he was still sought by the US Justice Department.
“Ghaith Pharaon is an FBI fugitive indicted in both the BCCI and CENTRUST case,” said Richard Kolko, a spokesman for the FBI. “If anyone has information on his location, they are requested to contact the FBI or the US Embassy.”
Um, you might have tried showing up at the contract signing or at the check-cashing. Hello . . . ?
The US military purchases jet fuel from Attock through the contractor Supreme Fuels, according to a US government website. The $80 million contract for 2008 was posted this week on a US government website. Attock supplied the US military more than $40 million in jet fuel in 2007, according to another spreadsheet posted on the site.
An official at Attock, who did not wish to be named, confirmed the refinery was supplying thousands of tons of jet fuel to the US base at Bagram Air Base every month.
Paying those that screw us over . . . it’s the American way. Let me guess–this was a “no bid” contract?
I’ve said it so many times before (with the assistance of Adam Ant):
America . . . Desperate But Not Serious.
I attacked Bush on a Hindu website, only minutes after he puked his “islam is peace” vomit at DC’s Islamic Center, on Sept 16, 2001. I have always supported a scorched earth policy against Wahabist and Ikhwanst elements, and their total annihilation as an absolute precondition to nation building. Bush insisted on making peace by armistice with southern Afghan tribal lords, and attacking a secular Arab state. Prior to same, I said that if the US allowed Iraq to islamicize, then a Hizbollah-Corridor would form from Teheran to Tel Aviv. After 4000 unnecessary deaths and intergenerational effects of catastrophic personal injuries, that is about to happen. In the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Bush has reduced his country to beggar status. On the weekend, Maliki said he wouldn’t allow the US to use his country to attack Iran, and he said that US troops would be confined to their barracks until HE asked for their assistance. And in Afghanistan, Bush has allowed Karzai’s Pashto cronies to rake off a billion a year in Euro-heroin, notwithstanding the fact that pre-Bush, opium was exported by the country, for heroin processing. Meanwhile, the price of oil is going crazy as the US President prepares for a post administration position in the oil industry. Some people have no shame.
supercargo on June 9, 2008 at 6:04 pm