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By Larry Margasak
ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 10, 2004WASHINGTON â The U.S. ambassador to Kuwait intervened last year to ensure that Halliburton, the oil services company once led by Vice President Dick Cheney, retained a Kuwaiti business as a subcontractor to deliver fuel to Iraq, documents released Wednesday show.
State Department documents appear to contradict the Bush administration's assertion that all decisions involving Halliburton's contracts were handled only by career contracting officers for the government.
The ambassador's effort was aimed at ensuring that the company favored by the Kuwaiti government remained part of the contract.
With Iraq experiencing a gasoline shortage after the U.S.-led invasion last year, U.S. officials gave Halliburton the job of obtaining fuel in Kuwait and delivering it to Iraq. The work became part of Halliburton's existing $2.5 billion no-bid work to restore Iraq's oil industry.
On May 4, 2003, Halliburton asked three Kuwaiti companies to bid. The next day, Halliburton, through its KBR subsidiary, placed its first order with Altanmia.
By that December, an Army Corps of Engineers contracting officer was pushing Halliburton to put the fuel delivery contract out for competitive bids.
That same month, U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones wrote that Halliburton officials had to "get off their butts and conclude deals" that would keep Altanmia as a subcontractor.
"Tell them we want a deal done with Altanmia within 24 hours and don't take any excuses," Jones wrote. The documents, turned over to a congressman by the State Department, do not disclose to whom Jones' message was directed.
Another memo, this one to Jones, said: "As KBR has been told repeatedly, Altanmia is the GOK's (Government of Kuwait's) sole source provider. The GOK has established Altanmia as a sop to the USG (United States Government) in order to allow sales from Altanmia to KBR."
A Halliburton spokeswoman, Wendy Hall, said that KBR "delivered fuel to Iraq at the best value, the best price, and the best terms and in ways completely consistent with government procurement policies. The original mission detailed by the Army Corps of Engineers was to find a fuel source in the region. The first fuel source found was in Kuwait."
State Department officials had no immediate comment on the memos. Jones is a career State Department employee.
The embassy intervention to retain Altanmia brought a strong protest from the career Army contracting official who was overseeing the work to deliver fuel to Iraq.
"My ethics will not allow me to direct KBR to go sole source to a contractor when I know there are other potential sources that can provide the fuel to the people in Iraq," Army Corps of Engineers contracting officer Mary Robertson wrote an official of KBR.
Robertson said the lack of competition would result in higher fuel prices being paid by U.S. taxpayers.
Robertson's Dec. 6, 2003, prediction of higher prices proved to be accurate. Five days later, a draft report by the Pentagon's audit agency disclosed that Halliburton and the Kuwaiti subcontractor had overcharged taxpayers $61 million for gasoline imports to Iraq in the initial months of the contract.
The Pentagon early this year replaced Halliburton and the Kuwaiti company. The work went to a Defense Department agency that supplies U.S. forces around the world.
Robertson's letter and a number of State Department documents were released by Rep. Henry Waxman of California, top Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee.
Halliburton's contracting was a major issue in the presidential campaign. Democrats charged that the administration showed favoritism toward Cheney's former company.
The Associated Press reported last month that the FBI had begun investigating whether the Pentagon improperly awarded no-bid contracts to Halliburton. The FBI was seeking an interview with Army contracting officer Bunnatine Greenhouse, who raised the same questions of fairness.
Waxman asked Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the committee chairman, to hold hearings on "the new evidence that senior administration officials applied political pressure to stifle competition and steer the lucrative fuel subcontract" to Altanmia.
Davis' spokesman, David Marin, said, "This committee's oversight of Iraqi contracting issues has been exhaustive, and it is ongoing. The minority's focus is entirely partisan. We're continuing to look at the recent State Department documents, and based on that review the chairman will decide what if any next steps are required."
The documents also show that the department got reports in June and August 2003 that Halliburton officials demanded kickbacks.
A department summary of an Aug. 4, 2003, noted, "Some of these charges are almost too flamboyant not to have at least a grain â however tiny â of truth to them."
Hall, the Halliburton spokeswoman, said, "It is important to the company that clients, suppliers and host countries know Halliburton's code of business conduct is expected to be followed in every country in which the company operates."
________________________________________... Bremer told the Washington Post that he is adding people to the occupation staff, to help handle nearly $20 billion in new reconstruction funds. The two Bremer new staffers are:
* Richard H. Jones, currently ambassador to Kuwait, an "economic officer specializing in the petroleum field," according to his State Department bio. He was formerly Ambassador in [oil-rich] Kazakhstan and was twice sent to the Saudi Arabian Embassy as Consul to work on oil questions.
* Lt. Gen. Joseph K. Kellogg (ret.), an utopian IT "expert," currently senior VP for homeland security for Oracle Corp. From 2000, he was director for command, control, communications, and computer systems for the Joint Staff, who believes the Joint Forces Command should be in charge of all IT and command and control in the Pentagon.
[Source: Background material, Washington Post, Nov. 7, 2003
____________________________________________18 January 2004www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substanceânot soap-boxingâplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'âwith its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsâis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.Amb Richard H. Jones
Kuwaiti investment in Iraq
http://www.cpa-iraq.org/transcripts/jones_kuwait.html
It is my pleasure to be here among the friends I have made as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait. I am honored to represent my country, my president to our friends and allies in Kuwait.
But today I speak to you in another capacity, as Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority. While my dual responsibilities sometimes compete for my time, they are as tightly linked as the peoples and futures of you and your newly free neighbors to the north.
Emerging from years of oppression, Iraqis are proving that they are intelligent, hardworking and resourceful. Through their energies and perseverance they are progressing in the face of assassination, terror and insurgency.
Much of that progress is obscured by the powerful images of carnage that too often fill your television screens. Do not take my word for this. Visit Iraq and you will see bustling markets selling everything from satellite dishes to cell phones and bicycles to refrigerators.
Iraqâs new currency is not only in routine use, it is gaining in value as astute businessmen (and yes speculators) see a robust economy as an inevitable part of Iraqâs future. Real estate prices increase daily; a wireless network is up and running and internet cafes operate at capacity. A 25-million member consumer market with more than a quarter centuryâs pent-up demand stands open.
Coalition and Iraqi efforts have set the stage for an economic rebirth. As a catalyst, the U.S. supplemental budget of $18.7B for Iraq will pave the way with projects that will boost the Iraqi economy and create 50,000 well-paid jobs within 2-3 months and, according to U.S. Treasury estimates, more than 1.7 million jobs over the life of the program. These new jobs will all but eliminate unemployment in Iraqâs 6-million member labor market.
Furthermore, the initial injection of the first five-billion dollar investment will have a multiplier effect of 7-8 billion dollars within 12-18 months. Non-oil GDP will increase by 50-to-100 percent during that same time period. Business leaders are starting to realize that long-term prospects are only slightly dimmed by the current violence.
The growing economy and the growing movement toward representative government will reinforce each other. A diversified economy with multiple investors will demand a representative and diverse government that will take measures to protect the Iraqi people as well as investors in Iraq.
I do not underestimate the importance of security for security is a prerequisite for investment.
We are getting there.
Notwithstanding the headline grabbing incidents like Sundayâs outrageous bombing, overall attacks are down by roughly fifty percent since late November. The capture of Saddam Hussein appears to have accelerated a trend that began around that time. At the same time the economy gains traction.
As we move forward, the rate at which Iraq transforms itself from a culture of fear to a culture of trust will accelerate. The rule of law will become the norm and all, Iraqi and foreigner alike, will gradually perceive a climate of growing economic security. It is clear that the forthcoming Transitional Administrative Law will ensure property rights for everyoneâincluding foreign investors.
As Iraqâs physical infrastructure is being rebuilt, so is its legal infrastructure. New laws appropriate for a modern market economy are being put into place. Commercial laws combined with a resurrected judicial system will be critical. Equally important will be a streamlined system for raising revenues, whose major elements will be a general five percent tariff for two years combined with a fifteen percent income tax cap. Foreign investment of up to one hundred percent has been approved and four foreign banks, including the National Bank of Kuwait, have just been granted licenses to operate in Iraq. All of this makes for the most liberal investment regime in the entire region.
Stable and integrated institutions will be created, including a new Baghdad Stock Exchange as well as a domestic bond market. The restructuring of state-owned banks, the introduction of foreign banks and micro-lending programs will contribute further to our efforts to mobilize savings for the benefit of the real economy. Public trust in the banks will ultimately benefit everyone as banks re-invest their profits and put wealth at the service of development. Government price controls will end in sector after sector, each in accordance with its own realities and be replaced by market-clearing prices that will provide fair value for consumers and serve as reliable signals of economic opportunities for investors.
You have every reason to want to be part of this new marketplace.
Iraq is open for business. I have now seen both the Kuwaiti and the Iraqi business climates and I can tell you that Iraq is ready for you. Before long it will enjoy an efficient, fully capitalized active capital market and effective financial regulation provided by an independent Central Bank and a modern Ministry of Finance with professional staffs. Certainly there are real risks, but there will also be great rewards. Businessmen are already visiting and those who wait too long will be sorry. In April the Baghdad Expo will be held, and all potential investors are encouraged to attend. Come to free Iraq to see the changes and your opinion of the possibilities will alter dramatically.
Possible response to questions on company registration:
We continue to improve the corporate registration process for all investors, both foreign and domestic. New regulations for the creation of new Iraqi legal entities (by both foreigners and Iraqis) are in the refinement stages, but cannot be implemented until revisions to Company Law 21 are signed into law. We are also working on new regulations for the establishment of branch offices of foreign corporations in Iraq, which are also in the final stages. They have been developed by the Ministry of Trade in consultation with the CPA and have been approved by the Minister of Trade, Mr. Allawi. Following coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Planning (which are in progress), Minister Allawi will issue them as a ministerial instruction. The CPA will continue to work with the MOT on implementation of the regulations, including installation of new systems and databases to handle registration.
PMO Comment:
The 2004 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations act language is as follows:
For necessary expenses to carry out the purposes of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, for security, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Iraq, $18,649,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2006, to be allocated as follows: $3,243,000,000 for security and law enforcement; $1,318,000,000 for justice, public safety infrastructure, and civil society, of which $100,000,000 shall be made available for democracy building activities, and of which $10,000,000 shall be made available to the United States Institute for Peace for activities supporting peace enforcement, peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding; $5,560,000,000 for the electric sector; $1,890,000,000 for oil infrastructure; $4,332,000,000 for water resources and sanitation; $500,000,000 for transportation and telecommunications; $370,000,000 for roads, bridges, and construction; $793,000,000 for health care; $153,000,000 for private sector development; and $280,000,000 for education, refugees, human rights, and governance: Provided, That the President may reallocate up to 10 percent of any of the preceding allocations, except that the total for the allocation receiving such funds may not be increased by more than 20 percent: Provided further, That the President may increase one such allocation only by up to an additional 20 percent in the event of unforeseen or emergency circumstances:
Posted 21 Jan 04
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June 18, 2004
Dick Cheney and the $5 Million Manby Doug IrelandThe Securities and Exchange Commission has finally opened a formal investigation into allegations that Halliburton (in partnership with French petro-engineering company Technip) funneled $180 million into a slush fund to pay bribes in the construction of a $6 billion Nigerian gas refinery -- a scandal that French authorities have been probing for a year (for background, see Doug Ireland, "Will the French Indict Cheney?" December 29, 2003).
The energy conglomerate formerly headed by Dick Cheney disclosed the SEC probe (as it was required to do by law for any legal action potentially affecting the company's stock) on June 11. The timing of the disclosure was no accident--it was a Friday, the last day of the interminable Reagan funeral ceremonies, and Wall Street was thus closed. The national press corps focused on little else but the burial, so the SEC investigation got scant attention in the weekend papers (even the New York Times ran only a brief AP dispatch on its website).
Although the US media have shown little interest in the story, the investigation of the Halliburton Nigeria scandal by France's most celebrated investigating magistrate, Judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke, has continued making headlines in Paris -- where the latest revelations bring the scandal right to the front door of Halliburton's Houston headquarters.
The Journal du Dimanche (JDD, a large Sunday paper) revealed on June 13 that Judge Van Ruymbeke's investigation has uncovered how Albert "Jack" Stanley, the president of huge Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) at the time of the alleged bribery, received so-called "commissions" of 3 percent of the deal from the slush fund. The total amount Stanley received is some $5 million, according to reports in the International Herald Tribune and elsewhere. The Nigerian oil minister at the time, Dan Entete, got $2.5 million, reported the JDD. The slush fund was set up with Halliburton money by a London lawyer, Jeffrey Tesler--who worked for Halliburton at the same time he was financial adviser to the notoriously corrupt late Nigerian dictator Gen. Sani Abacha--as a shell-company front called TriStar, which Tesler established in the British tax haven of Gibraltar. Stanley, the 5 Million Dollar Man, is a close friend and associate of Dick Cheney.
In mid-May, after Judge Van Ruymbeke threatened to issue an international warrant to bring Tesler to France to testify, Tesler "voluntarily" came to Paris for two days of testimony under oath. Confronted by Van Ruymbeke with documents obtained through international search warrants targeting banks in Switzerland, Monaco, Madeira and elsewhere, Tesler admitted having made the highly unusual payments from the slush fund to then-KBR president Stanley, which Stanley had sent to a numbered bank account in Zurich baptized "Amal" (according to the French weekly Le Canard EnchaÃnÃ). Another huge payment of $350,000 was made to a top KBR executive, William Chaudran, which Chaudran had routed to an anonymous bank account in the island fiscal paradise of Jersey, Tesler testified. (Stanley, who is retired from KBR but maintains an office and secretary in Halliburton-KBR's Houston headquarters, did not return calls requesting comment, and neither did Halliburton-KBR's flack, Wendy Hall.)
The obvious question is: If the payments to the KBR execs were legitimate, why route them through secret foreign bank accounts? And where did the rest of the $180 million go? To the dictator Abacha, whose money adviser Tesler was, and other Abacha cronies?
Statements given by Halliburton to Le Figaro and other French papers covering the scandal claim the conglomerate had no knowledge of the payments to the KBR execs--and appeared to be setting up Stanley as the fall guy. Then, late on June 18 (another Friday), Halliburton abruptly announced it was severing all ties with Stanley, who was still a consultant to the company, accusing him of "receiving improper personal benefits." While this is a valiant attempt to keep the scandal from touching Cheney, it begs the question: Where did the rest of the $180 million go, and how could Cheney ignore the setting up of the slush fund with so much of the conglomerate's money--and its use?
The final contract for construction of the Nigeria refinery, one of the world's largest, was signed in 1999, on Cheney's watch (Cheney was CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000). Bribes of the sort under investigation by the SEC and the French are illegal under statutes of the ... US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In disclosing the SEC investigation, Halliburton said it did not believe it had violated the FCPA, while adding, "There can be no assurance that government authorities would not conclude otherwise."
Indeed.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at:
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