From The Portual News (Portugal's Weekend Newspaper in English) US Arms Group Heads for Lisbon Directors of one of the world’s largest armament companies are planning on meeting in Lisbon in three weeks time. The American based Carlyle Group is heavily involved in supplying arms to the Coalition forces fighting in the Iraqi war. It also holds a majority of shares in the Seven Up company and Federal Data Corporation, supplier of air traffic control surveillance systems to the US Federal Aviation Authority. The 12 billion dollar company has recently signed contracts with United Defense Industries to equip the Turkish and Saudi Arabian armies with aviation Defense systems. Top of the meeting’s agenda is expected to be the company’s involvement in the rebuilding of Baghdad’s infrastructure after the cessation of current hostilities. Along with several other US companies, the Carlyle Group is expected to be awarded a billion dollar contract by the US Government to help in the redevelopment of airfields and urban areas destroyed by Coalition aerial bombardments. The Group is managed by a team of former US Government personnel including its president Frank Carlucci, former deputy director of the CIA before becoming Defense Secretary. His deputy is James Baker II, who was Secretary of State under George Bush senior. Several high profile former politicians are employed to represent the company overseas, among them John Major, former British Prime Minister, along with George Bush senior, one time CIA director before becoming US President. The financial assets of the Saudi Binladen Corporation (SBC) are also managed by the Carlyle Group. The SBC is headed up by members of Osama bin Laden’s family, who played a principle role in helping George W. Bush win petroleum concessions from Bahrain when he was head of the Texan oil company, Harken Energy Corporation - a deal that was to make the Bush family millions of dollars. Salem, Osama bin Laden’s brother, was represented on Harken’s board of directors by his American agent, James R. Bath. Christ on a crutch people, don't you get it? Its like Prof. Kimberly Williams Crenshaw submitted nearly two years ago: Bush, his family, his cronies, his associates have FAR more in common with other powerbroker elites around the world (regardless of nationality or of support to terrorism, or anything else other than CASH CASH CASH) than they WILL ever have with their fellow Americans. Without question the office of the President of the United States has become the ticket to forging and maintaining "top level" personal fortune-based relationships, while clearly abandoning the "top-down" relationship with every American, rich or poor, that a chief executive is supposed to have in a democracy. And you continue to think that this adminstration, this CABAL represents you, that it cares about you, that it loves you. It HATES you. This Usurper, this installed idiot led around by fascists, this so-called "President" just sent the kids of the people who build and maintain this nation over to a desert to fight and die so Daddy could pad the family fortune...all while toasting their genius with the Bin Laden family; its every conspiracy nut's worst dream come true, and because its so obviously disgraceful, because its so "right in your face," those shitty apologists, those global jet-setter wannabes among us here (who will never be allowed in the club...GET OVER IT!), refuse to see, or acknowledge, the truth of the matter... A fascist plutocracy runs our nation, period; they use our money to blow things up; they get our money (and the money of others in similar straits) to build things back up again; we're only allowed to watch...and die. ** head explodes **
Universal..........Greg Palast, I knew it was you! PALAST: Does the Bush family also have to worry about political blow-back? The younger Bush made his first million 20 years ago with an oil company partly funded by Salem Bin Laden's chief US representative. Young George also received fees as director of a subsidiary of Carlyle Corporation, a little known private company which has, in just a few years of its founding, become one of Americas biggest defence contractors. His father, Bush Senior, is also a paid advisor. And what became embarrassing was the revelation that the Bin Ladens held a stake in Carlyle, sold just after September 11. ELSNER: You have a key relationship between the Saudis and the former President of the US who happens to be the father of the current President of the US. And you have all sorts of questions about where does policy begin and where does good business and good profits for the company, Carlyle, end? I'm no conspiracy-monger, but what Palast turns up - admittedly for two-bit operations like the BBC and the Observer - frightens the living f********* out of me.
And your evidence that this is anything other than a group of people who made some good investments? What??? James Bath?? Holy shit, Saddam must be in on it too!! Never mind the fact that OBL's family disowned him and a good chunk of it lives in Boston. We obviously do. You obviously don't. http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html For Clinton it did, yes. Bush hates me?? Well I'll believe it, just because you say so. I guess I'll renounce my American citizenship...any ideas on where I should move? I'm thinking Rio. That sucks for you.
Today, the LA Times reports that 60% of Americans believe Saddam was personally involved with 9/11. This percentage has gone up in proportion to exposure to cable news. We are getting MORE ignorant. So how the hell do you expect these same folks to appreciate something as "subtle" as brazen conflicts of interests? This Nation has become incompetent to defend its own democracy.
Re: Re: Interlocking Elite Continues to Play Us 4 Suckers: Carlyle Group Heads for Lisbon Perhaps Saddam was involved in some capacity. While the burden of proof should be on us in using this as a war rationale, it's entirely possible that Saddam had some involvement. You simply can't say either way. This is a different question from the "were Iraqis on the planes?"
From The Portual News (Portugal's Weekend Newspaper in English) US Arms Group Heads for Lisbon The connection between the Bush and bin Laden families can also be traced to the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) in the 1990s. Members of the Anglo Pakistani bank’s board of directors included Richard Helms and William Casey, business partners of George Bush senior and former CIA agents. During their time at BCCI both Helms and Casey worked alongside fellow director, Adnan Khasshoggi, who also represented the bin Laden family’s interests in the US. The Portugal News has been told by a reliable source that the Carlyle Group meeting in Lisbon will discuss the relationship between the Saudi Binladen Corporation (SBC) and Osama bin Laden. Many US officials claim that the SBC continues to finance his political activities, and has done so for many years. If true, this would place George Bush senior and his colleagues at the Carlyle Group in an embarrassing position. As managers of SBC’s financial investments they might well be accused of indirectly aiding and abetting the United States’ number one enemy. © 2003 the-news.net Heaven forbid the Bush family be placed in an "embarrassing position" for indirectly funding 9/11. One would expect a reasonable person, especially the father of the President of the United States, to excuse himself upon the slightest hint at the mere potential of such impropriety. The nec-cons must be laughing their asses of right now, brain-storming scenarios in which they can pull a 30% approval rating for invading Canada because its bacon is too thick.
Re: Re: Re: Interlocking Elite Continues to Play Us 4 Suckers: Carlyle Group Heads for Lisbon I agree with your assessment. However, instead of answering, "I don't know", the respondents answered affirmatively to "is Saddam at least partially responsible" for 9/11. Whether this a function of rationalization or ignorance, I don't know. But, to me, its one of the most frieghtening aspects of this war.
Okay, so I guess this is the next tactic of the lunatic left...tie Bush to Bin Laden. The stupidity continues. And then they wonder why they are treated with the same open arms as a mold-covered canoli.
What an outrage! Personally, I feel we should buy our aircraft carriers, cruise missles and satellite imaging systems from third world mom and pop home-based businesses. That way, these large companies with professional engineers, production facilities and technical expertise don't end up making our airplanes and armored vehicles. You know, the way we did it when Bill Clinton was President. Yes sir, no weaponry bought from General Electric or Rockwell or Boeing then I tell ya. And the very thought of using companies that hire American workewrs and funnelling American taxpayer dollars into American companies that employ Americans and use American subcontractors and fund AMerican pension plans and pay American taxes!!! Why the very idea makes my blood boil.
Re: Re: Interlocking Elite Continues to Play Us 4 Suckers: Carlyle Group Heads for Lisbon Exactly why this was posted; in hopes of raising the awareness that, sadly, the BEST hope of the American soldiers giving their all in this military killing exercise is to simply get back home to the very little, relatively speaking,that they already had. To me, its as simple as the following questions: How many members of the the nuclear (or even extended) families of the executive and legislative decision-makers that placed us into this war have a chance of seeing combat and dying for this "cause"? How many of that same group have a chance to beneift financially from that same armed conflict? How many of those that are over there dying and killing right now will benefit in the same way that the decision-makers might? How many will, if alive, simply be allowed to come back to the same life they left, with the additional psychological baggage of participating in the murder of people in a land far from home, and the memory of fellow soldiers dying at those same peoples' ands...? The answers to those questions, of course, tell you most of what you need to know. In addition, this plutocratic regime has only three types of adherents, three types of supporters. One are the actual members of that group; the someones who are wealthy, and see these types of policy actions as "protecting and enhancing our own." Plutocrats see democracy as taking away their power, and even if that "returning" of power to educated citizens is the right, "American" thing to do, in the opinion of the plutocrat right and American have nothing to do with it; it's about WHO RULES, period. Two is the plutocrat "wanna-be," that middle-management individual who thinks that they can BECOME a plutocrat, and thus works harder than the plutocrats themselves to maintain and enhance the system in the hopes that their hard work will be rewarded by entry into the club; in many ways, this category is today's version of the House Negro... Three are the FEARFUL. Those who are willing to slash out at anyone and anything to ward off the daily fear of another 9/11. If you are not a plutocrat, not a wanna-be, and live fearlessly and courageously, seeking justice through modes of investigation and prosecution that first and foremost exemplify the "better angels" of American justice systemically - domestically and globally - than you have to be against this whole thing, IMHO.
The article is a very interesting read. For no other reason than seeing what happens to ex politicos. Sure it could just be that role of a smart corporation to hire ex-politico's for their smarts. Then again, as we saw with the DoD why hire ex-politicos when you can hire current ones, allegedly.
I am so relieved that "Universal" posts here. I was under the impression that all this "class warfare, plutocrat, running-dog lackey of the Imperialists" stuff went out years ago when Communism proved to be the biggest failure and fraud in history. Workers of the world unite!!! It's a lonely fight.
yeah, really. next thing you know some commie pinko bastard will try to convince us that the president lives in splendor while a mile away some of his people live in squalor, on the verge of starvation. oh wait, that's saddam. never mind.
More on the Carlyle Group: You don't have to go to Baghdad. You were right; about a mile away from the Usurper's residence, there are abjectly poor people. Find out more.
So, the Carlyle group was responsible for 9/11? I'm so relieved we can close that book. I'm pretty sure that was his point. The Carlyle Group is the ultimate far-left bogeyman. This is funny stuff. 'Vast right-wing conspiracy' indeed.
I am just so absolutely SHOCKED at all of this!!!! Poor people?????? In WASHINGTON DC?????? What an outrage. Bill Clinton would never have allowed such a thing. Amazing how the current administration has managed, in just two short years, to impoverish all those people who had lived in the lap of luxury prior to the Bush/Carlyle Group hegemonistic oppressors taking office. Why if it hadn't been for the "Usurper" (I just love hysterical blather, don't you?) why Al Gore would have been President. Surely he could have continued the comfortable lifestyles everyone in DC enjoyed prior to the Capitalist criminal cabal's installation of the current junta. Yes, a real shame. "...but if you go carryin' pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow"