The State Department has instructed its officials that they cannot communicate with the Committee about corruption in the Maliki government unless the Committee agrees to treat all information, including “broad statements/assessments,” as national security secrets.
How much more opacity and lack of oversight do these douchebags need anyway?
Blackwater gets a no-bid sweetheart deal in Iraq. They provide, among other things, "private" security for politicians and appointees, like Bremer, who literally runs away from his post in Iraq virtually the day unaccounted millions go missing.
i mean, OH COME ON.
Posted by Ellie at September 25, 2007 03:33 PMOh hum, more of the same. Everything is a national security secret, don't ya know. You know why? Because they can get by with claiming it at anytime about anything. Who's going to stop them? No one.
Posted by Judith at September 25, 2007 03:34 PMMore grandstanding theatrics from Ms. Pelosi. Congress has known as long as I have, which is since the early days of the occupation, that without the mercenaries and private contractors that our presence was not sustainable. They've also known that the primary objectives of the occupation were the construction of a monstrosity of an Embassy and permanent bases. Hello, what did they think those supplemental spending bills were for? Not the troops. They've been just as derelict as the WH in not making this information clear to the public that probably assumes that all the extra money is going to the troops.
Posted by Marie at September 25, 2007 03:48 PMVia CookieJill over @ Skippy
http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2008/index.htm
the Blackwater/Bush alumni: Fred Fielding is the BW former lawyer, Ken Starr is now Blackwater council of record & Cofer Black is a senior executive.
More:
In a letter today to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Waxman pointed out that State has no authority to compel Blackwater to obstruct a congressional investigation -- unless President Bush is prepared to say that the terms of Blackwater's contracts or its operational doctrine is covered under executive privilege. A State Department congressional liaison will "attempt to reverse" the department's position, but Waxman seems unconvinced. (TPM Muckraker, 07/24/2007)
Posted by Ellie at September 25, 2007 04:31 PMKen Starr? Well, well, well, so that's what he is doing these days. They all seem to live to serve another day.
Posted by Judith at September 25, 2007 06:09 PMThis is outrageous..
I mean, why would they want to obsfucate a look into possible malfeasance? What have they got to lose? After all, the WMD has been destroyed and Saddam's regime removed from power....it's all good. I can't believe for a minute that the Bush Admin would, at this point, do anything to cloud the successful Iraq mission, so whatever national security concerns they have need to be taken seriously.
Yes! Yes! Make haste! This could be the one. This could be the one we have been looking for all this time. You are correct, where there is smoke.....?
Say, where did all the fire go?
Posted by jj at September 25, 2007 07:00 PMSay, where did all the fire go?
Why you bellicose fool, didn't you hear? A large Amway donation came to the rescue of dear little brother Erik!
Posted by Seven of Six at September 25, 2007 09:12 PMErik Prince was one of Poppy Bush's interns.
Prince is dangerous, addicted to lawlessness and violence but, he has protection from the top of this administration.
Speaker Botox could hardly get the minimum wage increase passed. She sure as hell isn't going to have any success investigating the Bush family-sanctioned Blackwater group.
Posted by Christopher at September 26, 2007 02:36 AMface the facts: the U.S. Treasury is being LOOTED for the benefit of Bush's buddies
and the Democrats stand around with their thumb us their ass
Posted by Gay Veteran at September 26, 2007 10:24 AM