Rice Accused of Hiding Iraq Corruption

[seafan]

Source: Prensa Latina

Washington, Sep 26 (Prensa Latina) US Representative Henry Waxman (D, CA) has accused US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of concealing information about corruption levels within the Iraqi government.

Waxman said Rice encouraged officers from the security firm Blackwater to cover up the murder of eleven Iraqi civilians to preserve the image of the diplomatic corps, according to Wednesday"s Washington Post.

The dispute between the Department of State and Congress began in August after The Nation published a report by the US Embassy in Baghdad on the impossibility of containing corruption in that country.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, of which Waxman is chair, has asked for documents and interviews with some US diplomats acquainted with the Iraqi reality but, according to legislators, the government is trying to thwart investigations.

Read more: http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={95F0AA83-6959-47AD-A291-B62DDB9F51C2})&language=EN

[pfitz59]

1. Worst Sec of State ever!

Worst President!
Worst SecDef!
Worst AttyGen!
Worst Sec of Labor!
etc etc etc!

[cutlassmama]

9. There is one thing I can say good about her

she doesn't need phonetic spelling charts for English. ;)

[TechBear_Seattle]

26. I believe that is called...

"Damning with faint praise." :applause:

[niceypoo]

18. I remember the republicans advertising them as a, 'dream team."

In the 2000 election.

[rateyes]

20. Dream Team is right....

they're a nightmare.

[Felinity]

22. Forget something? Rice is heads above the rest

of these traitors.

Miss $500 shoes was the National Security Advisor when the worst attack on American soil took place.

A Two-fer!

:applause: :patriot: :applause:

And by the way, if Rice goes, doesn't that leave Negroponte officially in charge? (As if he isn't effectively already).

Edit for meaning.

[seafan]

2. More from the WAPO

House Panel Says Rice Is Hindering Its Work

Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Page A15

.....

The dispute began late last month when the Nation magazine published an account of an internal memo by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The 82-page draft document, which was subsequently widely leaked, said the Iraqi government was "not capable of even rudimentary enforcement" of its own anticorruption laws and would not meet "any reasonable timeline" for improvement.

On Sept. 10, Waxman requested copies of all State Department reports on the subject and interviews with "knowledgeable" department officials. Saying it received no response, the committee then issued subpoenas on Sept. 20 for the documents and three officials.

Interviews with the officials were finally scheduled for yesterday, but on Monday night, Waxman's letter said, the State Department sent an e-mail warning the committee of "redlines" that should not be crossed in the unclassified sessions. They included: "broad statements/assessments which judge or characterize the quality of Iraqi governance or the ability/determination of the Iraqi government to deal with corruption, including allegations that investigations were thwarted/stifled for political reasons; statements/allegations concerning actions by specific individuals, such as the Prime Minister or other officials, or regarding investigations of such officials."

"The scope of this prohibition is breathtaking," Waxman wrote to Rice, describing yesterday's staff interview with Vincent Foulk of the State Department's Office of Accountability and Transparency as "virtually worthless." The committee has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow on Iraqi government corruption.

.....

[rodeodance]

4. "redlines"

[awoke_in_2003]

6. "the committee then issued subpoenas on Sept. 20 "

The only thing this congress can do, issue subpoenas which will be ignored.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Redlines??? They giving CONGRESS redlines?

UNbelievable.

[dickbearton]

3. What do you expect from another Bush Stooge...

The whole gang should be put behind bars, if not hanged for
treason.

[goclark]

5. Wake me when this Congress begins the Impeachment

I'll be asleep forever I am sure.
:crazy:

[kenfrequed]

17. Hmmph

Yeah I am still waiting. Why the heck did pelosi ever take it "off the table"?

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

21. I "think" it has something to do with

"Their" agenda.



As for Crimedoleeza, I agree with the poster who said they should be hanged for TREASON.

[kenfrequed]

29. No.

Yes I am worried about the current agenda.

But no. Whatever crimes Dr. Rice has committed I would rather she be removed from office in disgrace and serve out a reasonable prison sentence. I don't know who said this but I think it is idiotic. The three reasons off the top of my head are:

1. Convictions of treason (however justified) just plain bother me. It is too often just an indictment on purported loyalty and the evidence for it has been historically dubious at best.

2. I don't like the death penalty. Not under any circumstances.

3. Hanging? Seriously, hanging? Did you sleep through your various history courses? Do I even have to point how abhorent that image is?

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

30. Abhorrent? Were you talking to me?

picture this,

you walk into an empty house and turn on the TV to watch cartoons. You think it unusual mom and dad leave you home alone but decide to go into the basement and see if there is any more of that Mary Kitchen canned hash in the cupboard. Home Alone.....with Mom hanging near the furnace.

.....and I doubt I'll ever be as enlightened as you. I am for the Death Penalty in certain cases. While I will refrain from terrorizing all who read this, I can think of several scenarios that might make you change your mind.

[kenfrequed]

31. Oh sure

...and try to imagine having a son or daughter strapped to a chair struggling for the last moments of his or her life. Only to have them posthumously exhonerated with DNA evidence. What a lovely comfort that must be. Oh I am sorry the state executed your child but really, there is nothing that can be done. Such a pity.

Thank you for refraining from using terrorizing emotional arguments and imagery, after you used them.


The death penalty is as racist now as lyncing ever was when you look at the numbers of who gets it. And a lynching is the image you conjure when you bring up hanging Dr Rice, however heinous her crimes may be.

[rucky]

32. so honorable of her to keep her word like that

despite the evidence flying in her face

[goclark]

34. That I will never never ever understand

I thought maybe she would put something else on the table that could pass.

Still waiting.

[nightrider767]

7. Blackwater = Homeland Gestapo?

The concept of Blackwater is disturbing. A military entity, not under DOD control.

Ring a bell?

[tekisui]

15. The new SS--BW.

[truthisfreedom]

10. There are as many mercenaries in Iraq as there are US soldiers. Think about it.

This is the first war we've fought with this many contracted mercenaries. They operate outside the law... this is all part of bushco's plan.

[Theduckno2]

11. Isn't it ironic?

She was at the front of the pack telling anyone who would listen about threats to humanity that didn't exist, "mushroom cloud", but extra-judicial private armies running amok had best be kept under wraps.

[dmosh42]

12. Yeah, we knew that...So.....

The question becomes, what will the House do about it? Another subpoena? What a waste of time!

[zippy890]

13. kick

:dem:

[deacon]

14. She bucked a subpoena too with no consequences. Friend of Bush. n/t

[Evergreen Emerald]

16. She better be removed from office immediately--we need to make noise on this

Hiding murder after the fact? That is about as corrupt as you can get.

[KoKo]

19. Did i read this correctly? Bush claiming Executive Privilege again?

Ryan enclosed a Sept. 20 State Department letter to Blackwater reminding that "all documents and information generated in the course of performance" of its contract "are fully subject to the control of the State Department."

(Here Waxman challenges President)

Calling the department's position "wholly inappropriate," Waxman wrote that "unless the President is prepared to make an assertion of executive privilege over the Blackwater documents, the State Department has no authority to prevent their transmission to Congress."

(and, here, the State Department answers)

A subsequent department letter to Blackwater, dated yesterday and sent to the committee, clarified that only "classified" company documents are subject to prior review, after which the State Department "will . . . provide authorization, as appropriate, for disclosure to the Committee, consistent with Executive Branch responsibilities to safeguard national security information."


So...what does Waxman intend to do when Bush says once again that Executive Privilege means he doesn't have to reveal anything that might incriminate him or Rice? :shrug: Sounds like this goes nowhere...except another hearing with incomplete info...fading off into nothing but a few headlines.

[budibudinski]

23. What is the criminal penalty for covering-up murder?

Conspiring to cover-up murder?
Will the Bush criminals in the White House EVER be held for their criminal acts?

[Felinity]

24. According to the NeoCon bible

Rice now qualifies for Sainthood and/or promotion (President?) and/or a swiss bank account with stolen US tax $'s.

Any more questions? I'd be glad to help.

[rucky]

33. How do win a ranch in Paraguay?

[Felinity]

35. Sorry, that comes from genetics.

Your mother has to be the granddaughter of Aleister Crowley.

[humbled_opinion]

28. Not as long as our Democratic controlled Congress lets them get away with it...

Thank Nancy Impeachment is off the table Pelosi... Personally, I think they are all in cahoots and they theater act for the public... What a nightmare.

[Baby Snooks]

25. Wouldn't she have to know about it to hide it?

She doesn't seem to be the brightest light bulb, you know.

[onehandle]

27. Crook.

[tom_paine]

36. Welllll, noooo shit. A Bushie will lie, hide, and cover up...period.

I can't believe it. The Royal Bushies have succeeded on concentrating evil and general unethical badness that only that most glaze-eyed of scared dupes remain with them (still probably 30-50% of the 28% Bushies, I would guess).

I realize how creepy and kind of horrible a blanket statement this is, and it goes without saying that even among the Bushies, there still are probably good people who have just been fooled (Jack Kemp comes to mind, not many Bushie Leaders though...I am thinking of the weak-minded followers primarily). But similar blanket statements about the Nazis, whom the Bushies mentally resemble (click on my signlink for scientific confirmation of this truth), would be mostly true, so can the Bushies' be far behind?

I think not.