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Yesterday, Halliburton was called before Sen. Dorgan’s committee to testify in it’s dealings with Iran. Sherry Williams, vice president and corporate secretary gave testimony for Halliburton. At her table, also invited by the committee was the N Y comptroller and one of our investigators who tracks terrorist money trails wherever they may lead around the world.
With so much news happening, this hearing will get no press. That would be a shame. For the give and take not only gave insight into the motives and operations of Halliburton, but they also through implication, gave ominous insight into the Machiavellian machinations of the Vice President.
Recently Halliburton announced its headquarters were to move to Dubai. But in the hearing today, it slipped out that the Dubai office was originally opened so that Halliburton could engage the country of Iran in business. At that time there were US sanctions against dealing with Iran. But Halliburton did not break the law; instead they called the company Halliburton Parts and Services, established a Delaware type charter in Dubai, and as a foreign subsidiary, it was legally allowed to make multi million deals with the very country that was engaged in supplying Iraq’s insurgents, or so we were told…….
Under questioning, Ms Williams admitted that the profits from Iran were the majority of the profits earned by the Dubai subsidiary, which incidentally was a subsidiary of the Cayman island branch of Halliburton. The profits were transferred to the Texas office effectively, if not legally, thereby allowing Halliburton to profit from selling to Iran, without “selling to Iran.” Currently Halliburton is under investigation by US Attorney’s office in Texas for dealings like these. Incidentally, to clarify this trail of deceit, 100 per cent of the profits of the Grand Cayman branch of Halliburton, came from Iran. Those of us trained to read between the lines know that this means that these shell companies were, despite appearances otherwise, set up to do business with Iran. It was not a case of… “we are so big, we can’t help what our subsidiaries are doing……”
What does this have to do with Cheney? He retired years ago. Yes, on paper but mentioned in this hearing, I believe by Senator Lautenberg, Cheney’s stock options do not expire until 2009, well after his term in office has expired.
This means that he benefits whenever Halliburton benefits. Example: let us give Halliburton a no bid contract………” ka ching, ka ching.” Let’s increase profits by taking government money and then, not providing the troops the service for which we were paid……”ka ching: ka-ching. Let’s keep the war going in Iraq so we can continue to secretly drill in southwest Iraq and sell the oil through Saudi pipelines……”ka ching, ka ching.” Let’s do business with Iran, despite the fact that it is supplying the very IED’s that killed a couple of Delawareans……”ka-ching, ka-ching.” Let’s send two carrier groups, instead of one into the Persian Gulf, to shake up the price of oil….”ka-ching, ka-ching………”
When asked what they were thinking as they did business with Iran, their response? If we didn’t move in, the French would do it….
Just curious, does anyone else see the irony of the very cabal (the vice president’s office) who demonized the French people with “Freedom Fries” and Franco-bashing 24 hours a day on Fox News, is now, through a subsidiary under fire, using the French to justify their own nefarious actions?
History will no doubt forever glorify Halliburton. That is what usually happens to outlaws who have balls. Many profiteers have gotten rich off suppling their country’s armies. But Halliburton breaks new ground, by being the first corporation to profit by supplying BOTH sides of a conflict that their country is engaged in, allowing them to be used by each other, against each other. And it was all done out of the Vice President’s office…………..
Hmmm. Could he turn out to be the “other rumored” Sith Lord?
The War. America needs to give up on the idea that Iraq will be our 51st State supplying us with cheap oil.
We need to focus on exiting and not making it a haven for our enemies. North Vietnam, after the war was over, was no longer a threat. Silly men who supported the original idea of invading Iraq will try to paint their aggressiveness as protecting America. Today it is clear that. all they are protecting, is their own reputations. Afraid of being shown up they are. Realistic policy needs to replace the current ideologists who tinker on theory and ignore any reality that doesn’t conform to their vision of making themselves rich.
For instance invite China and India in to help us police Iraq.. Some will no doubt complain that we are giving them access to “our” oil. Well, its been three years and as the insurgency grows, it looks like we’re not getting any oil anyway. Each of those countries can put over a million soldiers in that region. Neither country will look like a conqueror, which unfortunately is how we look to Iraqis and most of the free world..
The war will take an immediate turn for the better if we issue a proclamation the US has no intention, and will not buy, use, or sell Iraqi oil. This is the primary fear of our antagonists, who see us as a conquering colonial power in pursuit of natural resources, which we know is not our intention, but from the outside, it sure looks like it. Then let others have access to the oil. Those currently supporting the insurgents blowing up the pipelines, will have little reason to continue.
As soon as oil starts flowing, Iraq will put pressure on Saudi and the Persian Gulf’s oil kingdoms. With each new player, it becomes harder to keep the price artificially high. Barrel price may dip a little lower as soon as Iraqi starts flowing.
This is bad for oil companies. They no longer make 36 billion a quarter. But it releases billions of dollars back into the arena of “goods and services” that currently have been siphoned towards the profits of energy companies.
The current methods we employ to suppress the Iraqi citizenry, are the tactics of a conqueror. Our motif should be to assist them to rebuild their own country. This is what is being said in Washington, but no progress is being made on the ground in Iraq.. In fact there is a valid argument that the current administration does not want any progress in Iraqi. It’s members are getting rich just fine on the way things are now
When ever each of us hates someone, our anger builds each time we see them. Therefore it makes sense to pull back to bases hidden in the dessert, away from the Iraqi’s day to day living. We survived in the Saudi desert, we can do it in Iraq. If the local government needs military assistance to keep for being overrun, the have only to call up the best in the world and in minutes, the balance of the battle is changed. This type of warfare is what we are trained for. Being blown up by IED’s is not. We currently are wasting human lives. Our solders are precious, and unequivocally the best in the world. Let’s not waste them where they are not needed. Someday we may truly need them and they are not there……………
Inviting others in, disavowing any profit from oil proceeds and repositioning our troops to that of a protectorate, not a conqueror, needs to be realized as soon as possible.
Thanks to Mike Mahaffie for this brilliant shot
We have seen it before, often in old movies or 60’s television, there is one rope keeping the protagonist from certain death, and as the threads pop loose, one by one, the suspense builds.
The real life suspense began with the last election….Rumsfeld moved on. He was replaced with a kinder gentler Texan who possessed the personal skills to navigate around the ancient columns still supporting the antique conservative doctrine of this administration. Then came Scooter’s verdict. That has been followed by increased investigations publicly paraded before America illuminating pitfalls, bringing up things only whispered about before. Above all, the war is going badly. Even worse, support for it on the home front, is down to the 5% mark………And now, the books and interviews begin…………….
Many a leader has found himself in this position. What usually happens is that through some event, they come to realize that the previous paths they have all taken are flawed, and they change direction. This happened to our last president who stole the center and balanced himself between the right and left of both chambers.
There is still time. We can win in Iraq. But to do so we need to do the imaginative….pull our troops back to 911 bases (help is on the way) in the desert, to be used only as needed to support indigenous Iraqi troops. We need to ramp up our mission to help Iraqi’s build their country. Employee every able body Iraqi to rebuild. Give every citizen an Alaskan style depletion allowance, so they each have a stake in their country’s future. Give them basics: water, sewer, electricity. We could move in weeks to facilitate these changes. Soothe relations with our allies, by swearing that U S companies will have no part in developing Iraqi oil. We will buy it of course, but by swearing not to take part of the feast we inherited, we avoid the pretense that we are occupying Iraq for their oil. We then ratchet up the amount of humanitarian works we have been doing since our invasion, all of which have been eclipsed by our in-your-face tactics with the indigenous population.
It is frustrating for Americans to realize how easily we could turn the corner in an instant. If we did then George Bush’s legacy would be forever discussed, along with those of the ancients William Wallace and Robert Bruce.
One must wonder why this administration has not steered itself away from the cliff.. Is Mr. President really the reincarnation of James Dean? Or is there something or someone within his administration that he fears more than going over the edge…….
For you see,………….it is not our abilities that ultimately prove who we are……………… It is our choices.
No one seems to be reporting the news from yesterdays PSC hearing in Legislative Hall in Dover. How could the most important decision affecting Delawareans for the next twenty five years, be subject to a news blackout?
Searching Delawareonline, WDEL, and WHYY, yielded no mention to Delaware’s public that the meeting took place. The only news source I could find in our state that even mentioned the happenings in Legislative Hall last night, was the Delaware State News. It led with this line.
“Most of the comments Tuesday at Legislative Hall in Dover supported Blue Water Wind’s offshore Atlantic wind farm generation proposal or NRG’s proposal to expand the Indian River power plant in Millsboro to include coal gasification generators.”
There was little of no support for Connectiv’s or Delmarva Power’s proposals. Connectiv’s bid won the most points from Delmarva Power and the state’s independent consultant’s report. Read ( The public does not support our little inside plan).
NRG supporters, mostly NRG employees or retirees, read (coerced), touted the reliability a coal-generated power plant provides. “Wind is a pretty hip, sexy energy option,” Delaware resident and NRG employee Doug Netting. “‘Wind, however, is intermittent “ he said.
Jim Sadowski, NRG’s environmental manager (oxymoron) for the Indian River power plant, said it would take gale-force winds to create three megawatts of electricity. (not true: strong breeze to near gale)
Instead of choosing one of the three proposals, Delmarva Power favored ” conservation strategies, continuation of a new east-west transmission line and increasing its portfolio to more renewable energy sources from the existing power grid.” Read (if forced to, we will buy some other state’s wind power and tack on percentage and sell it to Delawareans.)
If there was any consensus, it was that something new had to be done about electricity in Delaware. “Inaction is not the answer,” said Wilmington resident Harry Gravell, who represented Delaware builders.
Apparently “the public” beat up Delmarva pretty bad last night as evidenced by the response from their spokesman. When he was questioned about whether Delmarva would be willing to change it’s position in face of overwhelming public support for Blue Water’s proposal, Delmarva Power spokesperson, Tim Brown, kept repeating the statement that “the utility stands by its recommendation,” Most of us who have been around, know this to be the common last ditch defense, always given by a spokesperson defending an indefensible position, against irrefutable evidence and facts. It smacks of admitting one knowing he is in the wrong, but who fears to lose his job should he budge one iota from his company’s position. We saw this trend all the time with Motiva, or almost any other corporate spokesperson.
Delaware’s small size is sometimes advantageous. We know our opponents personally and often conduct business in a less caustic manner than do some of our neighbors. However, our small size can be a detriment, when progress for it’s citizens comes in secondary to the profits of its movers and shakers. Sometimes personal friendships existing in the vacuum of scrutiny, bear more weight than the ultimate public good.
So why was there no news about the meeting last night, except by one newspaper. Was it truly a coincidence that led almost every of the state’s news sources, to fail to report the first of the most important meetings of this century, that will affect the future expenses of all Delawareans?
Expect a lot of coverage over Thursday’s meeting in Wilmington. Word has already gone out to Connectiv and Delmarva employees that they are required to be there to support their company (or lose all chance of future promotions) Within a packed auditorium, the appearance of support will appear more equal than it actually is, and the news coverage will be swayed accordingly. Those who speak in Blue Water Wind’s favor, can be expected to be shouted down. Those lining up to speak, will be weighted in favor of the status quo.
Sometimes coincidences occur. But other times so many coincidences happen coincidently that one wonders whether or not it is a coincidence at all. Sometimes when there is NO NEWS about a topic, it has far more significance than what news IS actually reported.
Last night the public spoke very strongly in favor of Wind Power. It spoke very strongly against Delmarva Power. It appears that great effort was made for you not to know about it.
10. FSP did not mention Romney for 3 days. Something is wrong.
9. Preliminary reports show wind power to be the second choice to gas fired plant. Risky choice.
8. If generals resign, we will not go into Iran. War is over. Military stocks fall.
7. Wayne Smith retires. Now it will be much more difficult for corporations to screw average citizens.
6. All of the Libby jury showed up wearing red.
5. Al Gore won an Oscar making “Global Warming” an official policy of the United States of America.
4. Someone actually totaled up Bush’s deficit and figured out how much we were in the hole.
3. Obama’s strong showing puts doubts that insiders Hillary or McCain will win.
2. Mysterious Men in Black showed up at Kilroy’s, driving a MIni Cooper and then forgot to “neuralize” him when they left.
1. They lied to us about 9/11. They lied to us about WMD’s. They lied to us about Valerie Plame. Who would ever expect that as we approached an election that they would lie about the fourth quarter’s economic data?