Waxman: White House Knew Of Hunt/Kurdistan Oil Contract
Today the House oversight committee released a reportasserting that the White House knew about an oil deal between the Kurdistan regional government and Texas-based Hunt Oil, though President George W. Bush had claimed he knew nothing about the contract before it was announced. According to the report, Ray Hunt, President of the company, talked to Bush administration advisers months before the deal was made. Also, officials at the Commerce and State departments encouraged the deal and even congratulated Hunt after obtaining the contract.
The deal embarrassed the Bush administration and outraged the Iraqi government when it was announced in September. Bush criticized both parties for making a deal that bypassed the Iraqi national government, especially impolitic as a national oil law was still not established.
In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, committee chair Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) asked whether the Bush administration also played a bigger role than they claim in recent Iraq oil contracts given to Exxon Mobile, Shell, BP and Chevron. The New York Times reported Monday that the State Dept. assisted the Iraq oil ministry in rewarding these contracts.
The nature of this assistance and how much it's dictated Iraqi oil deals is unknown. Surely, though, Rice will immediately respond to Waxman's questions and the matter will quickly be settled.
Comments:
Posted 07/02/2008 06:22pm with
They belong to no nation, but to that big international oil family. (Who said that?)
Please, please follow the money and show what the totals are in campaign contributions from executives, PACs and other conduits of these oil companies to Bush, Republicans, etc. “Follow the Money.”
Posted 07/02/2008 08:06pm with
We should be surprised at this? Does America think the Bush family made their money by making toothpicks? The entire family is irrevocably linked to OIL, just like Cheney is linked to HALLIBURTON. After January 20, just many appearances and advisory positions, will be given to both of them – probably in the form of stock options. We knew what would happen 8 years ago! And why weren’t people assiduously monitoring them for all those years?
Posted 07/02/2008 09:18pm with
Since when does the White House have any knowledge of goings on @ State?
Posted 07/03/2008 03:10am with
Self-dealing.
1,000,000 Iraqis killed and counting.
This country should hold a moment of silence for War Crimes this Friday.
Oh, and no fireworks for you.
Not until Iraq is fixed.
Posted 07/03/2008 03:43am with
1,000,000 Iraqis have not died. The number is around 80,000 or so. 95% have been killed by other Iraris, Saudias’, and Iran’s. Do your homework posters.
By the way the 4th of July is about a revoluation over 240 plus years ago. It’s not about Iraq. Do any Americans study history? Why do so many try to tie dates and celebrations in with things that don’t have anything to do with each other.
Hate Bush and Bush policy’s. Leave American holidays alone. GO OUT AND ENJOY THE 4TH. Over 2 million Americans have died for this country fighting and spilling their blood. Freedom is not free!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 07/03/2008 02:25pm with
According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, more than 600,000 Iraqis died as the result of violence at the hands of Combined troops or other Iraqi factions as of 2006. Bush has probably been responsible for at least 1,000,000 dead if we include not only the estimates of violent death but those killed in the course of living in a place with no sewer, electricity, fresh water, or medical supplies or dentistry. Add the number of refugees forced to live abroad after fleeing to Damascus and other “refuge” cities and we see that our nation under Bush is a mass-murdering psycho nation. Black armbands on the fourth in honor of our moribund rights and debased history.
Can we honestly celebrate our own independence and history of liberal, law and rights based government when we have become the monster we rejected in 1776?
Posted 07/05/2008 02:41pm with
And where, one might ask, was the mainstream media when all the lying, sleaze deals and other hanky-panky were happening? Well, probably working on the latest pregnancy, nose job or other vital piece of information the American people need in order to make it through the day.
Our “liberal” media, completely controlled by multinational corporations, have given a free ride to the most crooked, corrupt and generally despicable administration in our history. And they still are.
Posted 07/06/2008 02:08pm with
We have to BE the media. With the internet, we can get names and addresses and flood pols with mail. A piece of paper carries a lot more weight with these people than a simple email.
ALSO—VERY IMPORTANT: take to the streets. Keep reminding the public that you can still protest the crimes of this fascist regime without getting arrested—for now. I “freeway blog” in person an hour every week with a small group of people—we have kept this up every thursday morning during rush hour for over five years. The tens of thousands of motorists who have seen us standing over the expressway have seen our foot in the door, and will be encouraged to speak out, vote, and take a stand themselves. Yes, we have gotten the finger maybe a dozen times in the six years we’ve been there, but we’ve gotten thousands of horn honks, peace signs, and sirens (from police, ambulances, and fire trucks) in support of our protest. We also do “freeway blogging”—hanging signs in the early morning for rush hour consumption. Some of these signs are torn down within a day, but many have stayed up for weeks.
Good luck, and work for real change—not just change you can “believe in”... Vote for Barack, but hold his feet to the fire!!
Posted 08/12/2008 01:12pm with
Is John McCain in the pocket of oil companies?
Is John McCain in the pocket of insurance companies?
Is john McCain in the pocket of pharmaceutical companies?
Is John McCain in the pocket of other nations?
Here is a list of lobbyists and employees of major companies working in major positions in the McCain campaign. It will answer any questions you might have about the people who are advising and influencing him.
http://mccainsource.com/corruption?id=0006
Posted 08/14/2008 08:39pm with
Are any of these Bush people going to stand trial for their crimes, this include Military contractors?