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GOP Lobby Firm's Allawi Contract Worth $300K for 6 Months
Christina Davidson at IraqSlogger, who broke the story that influential GOP lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers are promoting Iraqi parliamentarian Ayad Allawi to be the new prime minister, has another scoop. On Monday, BGR president Robert Blackwill -- President Bush's former Iraq coordinator at the White House -- signed a contract with Allawi worth $300,000 over six months to provide "strategic counsel" for the would-be-premier "before the US Government, Congress, media and others."
Reports Davidson:
The filings stipulate that Allawi is not supervised by, owned by, directed by, controlled by, financed by, or subsidized by any foreign government, foreign political party, or other foreign principal.While BGR registers him as an individual, rather than as a political party, they do identify him as head of the Iraq National Accord, and indicate they will not only represent Allawi, but also "his moderate Iraqi colleagues."
Coming up: who are Allawi's "moderate Iraqi colleagues" -- and how can they afford such a boutique lobbying firm?
Josh
Zachary
Can you imagine? a US lobbying firm that supports the crippled criminal enterprise that runs our country, wants to influence who runs Iraq when they replace the guy they liked before they hated.
this is so ridiculous on so many levels.
all we know how to do is make sheep noises. wear a suit, say something idiotic, get paid because you seem smart.
goodbye america, you have eaten yourself
August 24, 2007 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have they filed with the DOJ yet as lobbying for a foreign agent under FARA?
August 24, 2007 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Interestingly, I just heard a report about this on WTOP radio in DC. I was pleasantly surprised that they mentioned that this lobbying firm has ties to the White House. They reported that the White House denied having anything to do with it. This station infuriates me at times for being too "fair and balanced." Still, I was glad that they pointed out the possible influence of the White House.
August 24, 2007 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's some of the $8.8 billion in stolen US reconstruction aid to Iraq coming back...
August 24, 2007 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I searched the FARA database (link below) and beginning in 10/03, Dr. Allawi was represented by Preston Gates, Brown Lloyd James and Theros & Theros. Those relationships ended in the spring of 2004.
Barbour Griffith & Rogers registered as an agent for several other foreign entities but not as an agent for Allawi.
BGR is or has represented Serbia, Eritrea, National Dialogue Party of Lebanon, India, Taiwan, Equatorial Guinea, Qatar and the Kurdish Democratic Party.
August 24, 2007 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
How can they afford it, you ask?
Do ya remember the $9 BILL that is "missing" in Iraq? $600K is pocket change to these guys.
August 24, 2007 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Question: How do you prevent a war from taking hundreds of thousands of lives?
Answer: You stop the profit taking
Until then, we will continue to have those who profit from wars, support wars, and the innocent will die....
These guys want our troops to die for THEIR client, not Maliki...
They need to be flown over to Iraq and dropped off a couple hundred feet above the airport....
August 24, 2007 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
For comparison - a 9 millimeter shell costs about $.16.
Curiously, security code = amount
August 24, 2007 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Someone wants to prolong this war by regime change. We'll have to give more time and more surge to the new leader, just like the escalation in Vietnam following Diem's removal in 1963.
August 24, 2007 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know that law that prevents foreign governments from interfering with domestic elections (no Moonies' money directly to Charlie Congressman's PAC)? They should extend that law to foreign lobbyists.
August 24, 2007 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know that law that prevents foreign governments from interfering with domestic elections (no Moonies' money directly to Charlie Congressman's PAC)? They should extend that law to foreign lobbyists.
August 24, 2007 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are there any oil companies providing funding or involved? Maliki is not coming through on the privatization of oil bill, so I'm sure there are administration people who would like him replaced so that the Iraqi oil is privatized before Bush leaves office.
August 24, 2007 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
The reason Maliki has lost favor with the White House is that he is unwilling to void oil leases with other countries (China) that existed prior to the invasion/occupation of Iraq. I would look to Exon Mobil and BP to be quietely funding this political coup attempt with full support from Cheney and the Carlyle Group.
August 25, 2007 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
This looks bad for Allawi, but lets assume there was an Iraqi leader that could pull the country back together and make this somewhat of a success. Should that person be given the reasorces need to come to power? Maliki may look good in the normal press, but please look deaper and research all the people he has appointed (they are mahdi army affiliated) look at what the MOI is doing to the country, right now in Baghdad the Sunnis are being ethnicaly displaced and killed. Just take a look at maps that show distribution of Sunnis and Shia in 2004/2005 and see what they look like now in 2007 (there is a very big diffrence) Even Sistani the most influential Shiite cleric has withdrawn support form Maliki... the leader ship must change in Iraq if the U.S. is to succeed...who else should take the place????
August 25, 2007 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Barbour was a player in the Katrina mess, too, IIRC.
August 26, 2007 8:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
The money probably came from one of those pallets of missing Iraq Reconstruction funding - the ones Paul Bremer "lost". Probably still has the shrink wrap attached to it...
August 27, 2007 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink