Special Bush Envoy (Baker) Embroiled in Controversy/Iraq Debt

[doxieone]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1326037,00.html

Bush special envoy embroiled in controversy over Iraq debt

Consortium plans to cash in as Baker asks countries to end £200bn burden

Naomi Klein
Wednesday October 13, 2004
The Guardian

President Bush's special envoy, James Baker, who has been trying to persuade the world to forgive Iraq's crushing debts, is simultaneously working for a commercial concern that is trying to recover money from Iraq, according to confidential documents.
Mr Baker's Carlyle Group is in a consortium secretly proposing to try to collect $27bn (£15bn) on behalf of Kuwait, one of Iraq's biggest creditors, by using high-level political influence. It claims Mr Baker will not benefit personally, but the consortium could make millions in fees, retainers and commission as a result.


(snip)

[glitch]

1. same as it ever was

from the "proud to be corrupt" gang. Naomi Klein is must-read.

more info here:
http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20041101&s=klein

"Busy negotiating the rules of the presidential debates, Baker has been MIA on the debt issue. Since he returned from his trip to the Middle East in January, the President's envoy has issued only two public statements on Iraq's debt, and he has been completely silent on the topic for the past six months--despite having publicly committed to getting the debt issue sewn up by the end of the year.

While this is bad news for Iraqis and for US taxpayers, it could be good news for Carlyle. A swift resolution to Iraq's debt crisis works against its financial interest: The longer the negotiations drag on, the more time the Consortium has to convince the reluctant Kuwaiti government to sign on the dotted line. But if Iraq's debt is successfully wiped out, any proposed deal is off the table.

Baker's position as envoy has certainly been useful to his colleagues in the consortium. Whether Baker has helped solve Iraq's debt crisis is far less clear. "

[UpInArms]

2. so how in the hell can they say

Mr Baker will not benefit personally, but the consortium could make millions in fees, retainers and commission as a result

when he works for Carlyle

http://www.thecarlylegroup.com/eng/team/l5-team391.html

James A. Baker, III
Senior Counselor
Washington, DC

James A. Baker, III has been Senior Counselor of The Carlyle Group since 1993.

Mr. Baker has served at the senior levels of the U.S. government under three different Presidents. He served as the nation’s 61st Secretary of State from January 1989 through August 1992 in the Bush Administration. During his tenure at the State Department, Mr. Baker traveled to 90 foreign countries as the United States confronted the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of the post-Cold War era. Mr. Baker served from 1985 to 1988 as the 67th Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration.

Prior to his service as Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Baker was President Reagan’s White House Chief of Staff from 1981 to 1985. Mr. Baker’s record of public service began in 1975 as President Ford’s Under Secretary of Commerce. It concluded with his service once again as White House Chief of Staff for President Bush from August 1992 to January 1993.

Mr. Baker received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 and has been the recipient of many other awards for distinguished public service, including Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson Award, The American Institute for Public Service’s Jefferson Award, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Award, The Hans J. Morgenthau Award, The George F. Kennan Award, the Department of the Treasury’s Alexander Hamilton Award, the Department of State’s Distinguished Service Award, and numerous honorary academic degrees.

If Carlyle profits, so does Baker.

Conflict of interest? Never mind - that only applies to everyone but the BFEE.

[Voltaire99]

3. No surprise: Madeline Albright is in on the deal, too

As Naomi Klein's piece reveals, "The debts would be assigned to a foundation created and controlled by a consortium in which the key players are the Carlyle Group, the Albright Group (headed by another former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright) and several other well-connected firms."

Now perhaps at last we can fully appreciate Albright's infamous statement about the deaths of half a million Iraqi children from sanctions: "This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,232986,00.html

[tedzbear]

4. I wrote my senators about this bullshit.

Boxer and Feinstein. I wish the Democrats would slash Baker's throat using this. It could be a very beneficial scandal right now as we move closer to election day. In fact, it could really tip the scales.

[Moderator]

5. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=900668