Arabs lavish jewels on Secretary of State Rice ($300,000 worth)

[Tab]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush's foreign policies may be unpopular in the Middle East, but Arab leaders showered his top diplomat with jewelry worth far more than a quarter of a million dollars last year.

While Bush himself didn't fare nearly as well, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raked in at least $316,000 in gem-encrusted baubles from the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia alone, making her one of top recipients among U.S. officials of gifts from foreign heads of state and government and their aides in 2007.

In January, Jordan's King Abdullah II gave Rice an emerald and diamond necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings estimated to be worth $147,000, according to the State Department's annual inventory of such items released Monday just in time for Christmas.

The king and his wife, Queen Rania, also gave Rice a less expensive necklace and earrings along with a jewelry box valued at $4,630, the document shows.

Not to be outdone, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia presented Rice with a ruby and diamond necklace with matching earrings, bracelet and ring worth $165,000 in July. The inventory also includes a $170,000 flower petal motif necklace the Saudi monarch gave to Rice in 2005, which the department says was not previously disclosed.

From the same Arab leaders, Bush received just over $100,000 in gifts in 2007, the list shows.
...
Bush got a $150 bronze platypus paperweight from an Australian official. The prime minister of Singapore gave Bush $450 worth of fitness equipment, including a "uSurf Wave Action Exerciser" and an "iGallop Core and Abs Exerciser," according to the documents, which offer a window into the tastes of foreign leaders.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081222/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/r...

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Well, we know where Bush stands. Platypus, indeed.

[aquart]

1. I thought they weren't allowed to keep that crap?

[acmavm]

2. Condi will probably go to her grave all decked out in the stuff.

[Clovis Sangrail]

3. from tfa

Unfortunately for the Bushes, Rice and other recipients, they won't be able to enjoy the gifts as they have been turned over to the General Services Administration and government archives in accordance with federal law, which bars officials from accepting personal presents in almost all circumstances.

[cstanleytech]

11. I guess then its not much to raise a stink about but I do wonder

why didnt they reveal the one from 2005 right away and wait until nearly 2009 to report it?

[2Design]

28. so did he turn over sadaam gun that the troops got for him n/t

[superconnected]

40. Ah, thanks for pointing that out.

[razors edge]

18. They aren't allowed to keep that crap.

.3 mill in mammon is a gross gesture in comparison to what the foreign policy puppets will receive after the limitations on their grovel have run the course of time.

But it was after all really just a gesture of what could possibly awaits her eminency should she reject the normal and totality accepted route of wealth to be gained from skewing policy.

That is the real message.

[elleng]

4. DITTO, Clovis: "Unfortunately

for the Bushes, Rice and other recipients, they won't be able to enjoy the gifts as they have been turned over to the General Services Administration and government archives in accordance with federal law, which bars officials from accepting personal presents in almost all circumstances."

[BR_Parkway]

5. What's really scary to think about is what this (mis)Administration would

have given to foreign governments. As many other times that they've been terribly ignorant of others customs or otherwise inappropriate.

[balantz]

6. That's just disgusting!

Check out Condi here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea5Yrmnheh4&feature=chan...

Funny!

[Sultana]

20. Omg, thx for the video

very funny

[balantz]

21. If you liked that one, click on their youtube account. they've got more good ones n/t

[pleah]

30. That was rip-roaring funny!

[IndianaGreen]

7. Remember that the ruling elites live well while their people suffer oppression

A two sided oppression at that: economic and religious!

[Milspec]

33. Give it a rest

Obama is vacationing in a $4000.00 a day vacation retreat and you know what I think of that. Good for him. I try and stay at the top of my budget when I vacation. As for the bling, again so what happens all the time and the "bling" ends up with GSA.

[IndianaGreen]

38. Since I didn't mention Obama or US politics in my post, I wonder what your post is about?

Did you respond to the wrong poster?

[shadowknows69]

8. Um, she's still in office.

Can't we arrest our SOS for taking foreign gifts please? Will this shit never end??

[cstanleytech]

15. Not a crime if as was posted up above the items were turned over to the

government, the 2005 one though does make me wonder why they didnt reveal it back then if she had to turn it over.

[shadowknows69]

9. What, no gifts of appreciation of her deeds

from the people of Iraq and Afghanistan? You think they could afford a card at least with all that freedom Condi helped bring them.

[No Elephants]

10. How and why does this happen? A bunch of heads of Arab states, knowing our laws won't allow her

to keep them, coincidentally all decide to give Condi a few hundred grand's worth of baubles? Or do they call each other up and coordinate? What do they think is the point of giving someone jewels she will have to turn in to the GSA? How come jewelry from several years ago is onlly getting disclosed now? Doesn't that mean she broke the law?

Is any of this making sense to anyone? If so, please explain it to me. Thanks.

[liam_laddie]

12. Re: Aussie platypus...

The male platypus has poisonous spurs on its rear legs; perhaps the Secret Service should scan
the sculpture...

[Mojorabbit]

13. I remember in the 80s

Another floor in the hospital I was working at had a Saudi princess as a patient. Every nurse on that floor got a diamond bracelet as a gift when she was discharged.

[NV Whino]

14. No shoes?

Oh wait, the shoes are reserved for George.

[tomm2thumbs]

16. put it towards the bail out - a gem per person will feed a family for awhile

or they can use it to scratch their name into AIG's windows in New York LOL

[benld74]

17. I absolutely LOATHE these people

[louis-t]

19. I keep thinking of the movie "Twins"

The $5 million is recovered and DeVito says "Ohhhh, you mean the FOUR million dollars?"

[oldnslo]

22. She must be a true BJ artiste.....

[Sultana]

27. Bad mental image...

[madmom]

23. And they were "worried" about Hillary?

[madmom]

24. And they were "worried" about Hillary?

[KamaAina]

25. Does the phrase "pearls before swine" ring a bell?

[lib2DaBone]

26. UN FUCKING BELIEVABLE... Wake up America...

[pipoman]

29. What is un fucking believable?

You do realize that this has happened in virtually every administration...ever...don't you?

[pleah]

31. The end of their reign cannot get here soon enought for me. n/t

[pitohui]

32. are you fucking kidding me?

where is the fbi? put this witch in jail, now, today

in louisiana now it is a crime for a lady librarian to accept a plate of home-baked cookies but this woman who has profited above all others from war and driving up the price of oil gets fucking JEWELS from her conspirators and no one blinks?

have we no law enforcement in this nation at all?

at least in mexico, tho cops are being shot and even being decapitated by evildoers, by god they are at least fucking FIGHTING the ones who would buy their country

in our country how many saudis re-decorate the new york skyline (four i think) and our secretary of state receives fucking JEWELS?????

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. Did you bother reading either the article, or the thread?

[KoKo]

34. They LOVE the SHILL who gave them ACCESS! Condi has high Approval Ratings...

and she will outlive the Chimp in her Splendor and Glory! Most Americans think she "done good."

[WhiteTara]

36. let's hear it for Kinda Sleezie!

she earned all those jewels.

A little girl came to her mommy one day and said, "Mommy, Mommy! I found out how to make a baby!"
"Oh Really" her mommy replied (somewhat in horror)"How's that?"
"Well, first, you get down on your knees and take the man's..."began the child
"Oh no!"her mother interrupted"That's how you get jewelry!"

[The abyss]

37. Gee, I wonder what Hillary is on tap for?

??

[superconnected]

39. Gee and at my company we can't take gifts over $5. They don't even trust the big wigs to.

Even though she can't keep it, she shouldn't have accepted it.

[fbahrami]

41. The headline reminds me of Woody

"Arabs lavish jewels"
As Woody Allen would say "Did they happen to specify *which* Arabs?"