Waxman: Top Iraq Reconstruction Official Flown To Baghdad To Avoid Oversight Hearing
Waxman: Top Iraq Reconstruction Official Flown To Baghdad To Avoid Oversight Hearing
For the first time since the war began, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) is holding aggressive oversight hearings into the billions in waste, fraud, and abuse of U.S. funds in Iraq.
On Jan. 10, when President Bush first made his plans for escalation public, he also announced plans to “appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.” The next day, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named career diplomat Timothy Carney to the position.
During this morning’s hearings, Waxman revealed that the State Department has blocked Carney from appearing at the hearing, despite the fact that Carney personally told Waxman he “was willing to come.” Moreover, the Bush administration has apparently rushed him to Baghdad despite claiming that the reason he could not appear at the hearing was because he “did not yet know what he was going to do in Iraq.”
WAXMAN: So I invited Ambassador Carney to testify today. When my staff talked to Ambassador Carney directly, he was cooperative and said he was willing to come. This the State Department refused.
Their first excuse was that he had not yet filled out his paperwork. Even though Secretary Rice publicly announced his critical new position, he apparently could not talk to Congress because he had not been officially hired.
Next, the State Department said Ambassador Carney could not come because he did not yet know what he was going to do in Iraq. This seemed odd, especially since the secretary had already announced that he was her new point person on Iraq reconstruction.
Then, just last week, we were informed that the department suddenly decided that Ambassador Carney was needed in Baghdad right away. So even though he was not officially hired and, according to the State Department, had no idea what he was going to do in Iraq, he was put on a plane to Baghdad this past Friday.
Waxman added that the State Department has “now told us that they may make him available to Congress in six months.”
UPDATE: Lane Hudson has a wrap-up of the hearing with several more videos.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
It’s great to have Waxman in a position of power again. The last time he was calling the shots, Tobacco execs were sitting there sweating and answering questions about purposely hooking the population on an extremely addictive drug.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:20 pmOk so some pigs sweat for a bit, and then what….
February 6th, 2007 at 1:21 pmNow watch: Carney will be “accidentally” abandoned outside the Green Zone.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:22 pmyay! someone who is willing to call bs for what it is when they see it. Not that the bull this administration is going to hurl at those trying to oversee his mess is gonna help, but its better than rubber stamped bull i guess :)
February 6th, 2007 at 1:23 pmWell then… we can wait until he gets back. Interrogate Rove, Cheney, Rice, Gonzales and all the others, in the meantime. Carney will be back, in no time at all.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:23 pmCan’t they subpoena Carney?
February 6th, 2007 at 1:26 pmAfter all, Congress does have “subpoena power”…..
February 6th, 2007 at 1:26 pmMore amoral conduct and flagrant corruption and usurpation of power by this maniac. When will the public say “enough” and call rousingly for this fool’s impeachment. He’s flaunting his disdain for the laws of this country in our faces and we sit there and take it. Amazing!
February 6th, 2007 at 1:27 pmHe’s gonna get whacked in Baghdad.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:29 pmwow, what a surprise…
Jan. 10, ….economic assistance being spent in Iraq.†The next day, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named career diplomat Timothy Carney to the position.
Why don’t they call up the last guy that was in charge of Iraq Reconstruction? Has he resigned and taken himself and the stolen reconstruction $$$ to the Bahamas already?!
February 6th, 2007 at 1:29 pmIssue a subpoena for his testimony…
…then a contempt citation if he doesn’t show…
…If the Iraqi government refuses to extradict him…
…cut off their funding…
February 6th, 2007 at 1:29 pmWaxman added that the State Department has “now told us that they may make him available to Congress in six months.â€
And congress should withhold funds from the State department until they cough him up. It’s time to play hardball.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:34 pmContempt of Congress?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_Congress
In the federal law of the United States, contempt of Congress is the crime of obstructing the work of United States Congress, with a punishment of up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines.
The United States Congress generally brings this action for refusing to testify before a Congressional committee, or failing to provide a committee with requested documents. There have also been contempt cases based on bribing a United States Senator or United States Representative.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:34 pmForTruth: “Ok so some pigs sweat for a bit, and then what….”
Then, they get indicted for crimes or for lying to congress. Waxman was ready to proceed with indictments when Repubs took over in 94 and scuttled everything.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:34 pmSo communication with Baghdad is impossible, and there won’t be another plane out of there for 6 months?
Maybe the committee should explain to Dr. Rice that it needs to speak with Carney before it gives him any more money to lose.
If that doesn’t help the State Dept figure out how to get him back to Washington as fast as it got him out, maybe there are other, 21st-century-style options. Could he plant himself in front of a camera in Baghdad to answer the committee’s questions?
If that’s as impossible as everything else seems to be, how about getting Dr. Rice to explain what’s going on. She should be testifying much more than she has so far.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:35 pmDid they have to put a hood and shackles and an orange jumpsuit on this guy for the trip?
February 6th, 2007 at 1:36 pmOr are we saving that for later on?
Money for Nothing
February 6th, 2007 at 1:39 pmhttp://amconmag.com/2005/2005_10_24/cover.html
An extraordinarily renditioned diplomat!
February 6th, 2007 at 1:42 pmWhat brand of nappies did he wear for the flight?
I seem to recall that Bremer used to call in via videophone for the 2004 hearings all the time. Is it that bad in Iraq? Have the terra-ists taken over the satellites?
February 6th, 2007 at 1:43 pmbig papa @11.
That would take cajones and so far this congress has shown very little inclination to really stand up to the criminal enterprise.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:44 pmguess that is a good way to tell someone what their choices are
tell the truth, go to ‘dad and dissappear
tell our story and you might live
treason, another count
February 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pmContempt of Congrees!
or
Contempt for Congress!
February 6th, 2007 at 1:51 pmComment by klyde #20
You’re right klyde,
…and that’s the people’s fault…
…during Nam…
…the people burned sh*t down…
…after they get tired of marching to no avail…
…maybe we’ll see the people get some “cajones”…
…but as far as this congress…
…Collegiality is going to kill several hundred thousand more people…
…and bankrupt THE WORKING POOR/MIDDLE CLASS of this nation…
…while the “COLLEAGUES” and their CRONIES walk away with hundreds of billions in war profits…
…problem is NOT ENOUGH taxpayers believe they’re being scammed yet…
February 6th, 2007 at 1:54 pm“democracy is coming to the u.s.a.”
February 6th, 2007 at 1:55 pmU Can Run MoFos – BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE – forever.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:56 pmThat being said, perhaps the hearings can be held in session indefinitely until the jackanape returns.
Or he can just stay in Baghdad, for the damn duration.
Talk about running scared…
Even Faux News nitwits ought to be able to see through all this.
The Impeachment is going to be SO much fun!!!!!!
February 6th, 2007 at 2:07 pm1. Congress can subpoena him and compel him to appear and testify. They should issue a subpoena for him immediately.
2. Congress could also choose to send the investigating committee to Baghdad to interview him on the ground. That would tell this White House that there’s nowhere for them to hide. Baghdad is not on the moon, remember?
3. Congress should remind this petulant president and his corrupt cronies that THE PEOPLE hold control over the purse. Hold up each and every spending bill that pertains to the Executive Branch until the subpoena is honored.
4. Censure the Executive Branch for obstructing the Constitutional duties of Congress. Specifically cite Condi for contempt of Congress.
February 6th, 2007 at 2:09 pmI agree with Barfly and Congress should withhold funds from State Department until Carney is coughed up! Let them choke due to lack of funding ’till then. Obstruction the U.S. Congress has it’s ramifications and they need to be invoked immediately if this guy is being hidden. Besides, where is his illustrious predecessor right now??????? Inquiring minds and empty pocketbooks want to know?????
Where is this enigmatic predecessor of Carney’s anyway??? Squirreled away so he can’t squeal like a pig when he is interrogated….or maybe he’ll be more inclined to “sing like a songbird” much to Dubya’s chagrin. Either way…..the chips are being put into motion to fall on this administration one way or the other…..either via investigation, their subsequent “obstruction of justice” and/or perjuring themselves because they can’t recall what lie they told or to whom…..or invoking impeachment proceedings.
THE PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH….IT’S TIME FOR THE CRIMINALS WITHIN TO GO!
February 6th, 2007 at 2:14 pmSOI – good point #4. I am personally in contempt of Condi…
February 6th, 2007 at 2:14 pmCongress needs to go after Carney like the blazes and immediately let the chimpster know that his “gig is up” in defrauding the public. Witholding the money trail (which they can do) is the only way to get the attention of these greedy crooks so withhold they must – and immediately!
February 6th, 2007 at 2:15 pmmaybe they tied carney to john sununu. i heard he’s still running away from people.
February 6th, 2007 at 2:17 pmPerhaps we should all begin applying pressure to our Congressmen to not knuckle under in this intentional hiding of Carney to make him unavailable to Congress for their proceedings. Thank god for the internet or none of this would ever be known! Certainly the sycophantic media whores would never bring anything but Bush propaganda to the people.
February 6th, 2007 at 2:19 pmBush’s continuous game of “hide ‘n seek” and “smoke ‘n mirrors” ain’t going to work this time!
February 6th, 2007 at 2:24 pmWhy not just get him on video via satellite up-link? How hard can it be to get him to testify from Iraq… we do it with reporters all the time. Or is there some law about them having to testify in person that I’m not aware of???
February 6th, 2007 at 2:35 pmAnd I suppose that the koolaid drinkers think this is on the up and up.
February 6th, 2007 at 2:40 pmThe pressure we apply to our “Congressmen” pales in comparison to thier inherent duty to the crown (insert corporations).
February 6th, 2007 at 2:58 pmJust watched the hearing on Cspan in which one ministry alone had over 7,200 security on the payroll but audit showed only 682 and Bremmer in his infinite incompetence continued paying the “ghost employees”!!!!!!!!!!!! 92% FRAUD and they saluted it.
Heck of a Job Bremmer and Chimpy, give that hero another medal.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:01 pmIf everything’s been going so swimmingly, and so many folks are doing a heck of a job, then what’s to hide?
February 6th, 2007 at 3:05 pmThe Republican minority has made it clear they will filibuster anything that might embarrass Bush.
It looks like even with overwhelming evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, even with total contempt of Congress, the Republicans will not vote to convict Bush should he be impeached.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:10 pmsorry, still venting my frustration over the filibusters thus far.
This shell game with Carney is the height of Executive Branch arrogance.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:21 pmDemocrats START ARRESTING PEOPLE YOU HAVE THE POWER!!!
Failure to show is not an option! Sec Rice, Get him here by Friday or we will ask that you be arrested!!!
February 6th, 2007 at 3:29 pmI wonder where Mr Bush, Ms Rice and Mr Cheney will hide, when they are wanted for questioning. In Baghdad as well? Sounds about perfect to me.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:30 pmThese white house guys are criminals through and through. I predict a militarized state of emergency before Bush’s term is up.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:54 pm“The Republican minority has made it clear they will filibuster anything that might embarrass Bush. ”
Except, of course, the invasion of Iraq.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:54 pm#43 – Spudge_Boy,
February 6th, 2007 at 4:00 pmIn one word – coverup.
C’mon Team Troll! Why aren’t you brave armchair warmongers here to defend the administration on this one?
February 6th, 2007 at 4:00 pmTime to subpoena Condi
February 6th, 2007 at 4:06 pmThe trolls must be laughing and very pleased with themselves. It seems no one can prevent Republicans from sending more kids into the meat grinder. They will tell you if you support the troops, you must also support the meat grinder they are in.
February 6th, 2007 at 4:19 pmHenry Wax – If Carney hasn’t started the job – what is he supposed to tell you – his “vision”? The purpose of Henry Wax is not to gather info about Iraq – his singular mission in life is to hold hearings. Too bad he’s “deaf”.
February 6th, 2007 at 4:44 pmHenry Wax – If Carney hasn’t started the job – what is he supposed to tell you – his “visionâ€? The purpose of Henry Wax is not to gather info about Iraq – his singular mission in life is to hold hearings. Too bad he’s “deafâ€. Comment by valiant venus — February 6, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
Irony is the dumb calling others deaf!!!
February 6th, 2007 at 4:50 pm#50 valiant venus
Henry Wax – If Carney hasn’t started the job – what is he supposed to tell you – his “visionâ€? The purpose of Henry Wax is not to gather info about Iraq – his singular mission in life is to hold hearings. Too bad he’s “deafâ€.
Hey, just for kicks, why don’t you try clicking on the words “Timothy Carney” that are underlined and in red in the article above? C’mon, it’ll be fun.
Well, v.v., if you had done that and read the article it linked to, you could have saved yourself from looking stupid again. Okay, that’s not true. You’d still look stupid but for a different reason. But, you’d have found that it says the following about Carney:
More recently, before his retirement in 1999, Carney was the ambassador to Sudan and to Haiti. In 2003, he worked in Iraq with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, and he has lectured Army and National Guard units preparing for deployment.
I’ll just bet that his time in Iraq at the Ministry of Industry and Minerals might have something to do with the testimony he was expected to give.
By the way, the committee chair is Henry Waxman, not Henry Wax. Too bad your reading comprehension sucks.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:15 pmFirst we have the dumb a$$ed post from mighty aphrodite:
Then we have original thread that mighty aphrodite didn’t bother reading.
I could sware that January 11, 2007 comes before February 6, 2007.
Can somebody help me with the troll math/logic here?
February 6th, 2007 at 5:15 pmUse a video conference link, dummy.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:23 pm#52 – Only a bona fide idiot would think a mission to Iraq in 2003 might relect what should be done NOW. But we do appreciate you trying to participate. Thanks for playing – Two CASES of Rice a Roni will be delivered in 4-6 weeks.
February 6th, 2007 at 6:14 pmGood smackdown, chimpeach. V.V. thinks he has a shot at moron-of-the-day at TP, seeing that michael, rachel, and daryll aren’t here.
February 6th, 2007 at 6:18 pm#52 – Only a bona fide idiot would think a mission to Iraq in 2003 might relect what should be done NOW. Comment by valiant venus — February 6, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Actually a BONA FIDE IDIOT would think anything can still be done in Iraq.
But we do appreciate you trying to participate. Thanks for playing – Two CASES of Rice a Roni will be delivered in 4-6 weeks. Comment by valiant venus — February 6, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Your directions to the free clinic have been mailed to you, please try to get your syphilis and drug addiction treated before it destroys your few remaining blood cells.
February 6th, 2007 at 6:25 pmWay to go, Waxman! Keep it up. This is something the Bushies haven’t had to deal with in more than 6 years — be relentless with them.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:25 pm#13, chimpeach
February 6th, 2007 at 10:27 pmValid as your argument is, wouldn’t it be trumped by the worn-out Bush canard of this is a “war on terror” and he’s the decider?
Do you guys know it was the husband of Kate O’Beirne who headed the department that determined who it was that would go to Iraq and work for Bremer’s CPA?
February 6th, 2007 at 10:31 pmHe’s the one who sent 22 year olds to reopen the stock exchange.
He sent a 24 year old to manage the Iraqi budget.
What did these two and others like them have in common? They all had no experience in accounting, or marketing, or anything relevant to the new task. They all were campaign aides for Republicans. They worked at Heritage Foundation. They needed a summer job.
Very interesting article from Sunday, Jan. 14th, 2007 on Washingpost.com. I don’t know when Rep. Waxman asked Carney to testify at today’s hearing, but these sentiments could explain why Rice (and the White House) were playing games about Carney and then (just last week) decided to send him off to Iraq.
“Before Carney left Iraq in June 2003, he tried one last time to persuade Bremer to rethink his refusal to repair more than a handful of state-owned factories. Iraq’s government-run businesses employed more than 100,000 people before the U.S. invasion. To Carney, it was a no-brainer: Fixing the factories would allow thousands of Iraqis to get back to work, not only allowing them to provide for their families, but also keeping them occupied. He knew from his time in other post-conflict societies that the idle and unemployed are the best recruits for insurgencies.
But Bremer and his chief economic adviser, Peter McPherson, didn’t want to pour money into inefficient state-run firms. They believed private investors would buy Iraq’s government factories and set up new businesses to employ the populace. So they refused to give Carney money to reopen the plants.
The day before he left, Carney sent a note to McPherson titled “Fatal Flaws in Budget Policy towards State-Owned Enterprises.” He argued that the CPA was violating the Geneva Conventions by undermining “assets of the Iraqi people.” He also accused McPherson of drawing up policy “without adequate Iraqi participation.”
“Instead of transparency, with major concerned Iraqi Ministries and academics engaged,” he wrote, “the policy seems to be the thinking of a small group in the Coalition Provisional Authority.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/13/AR2007011301372_pf.html
February 6th, 2007 at 10:47 pmDo you guys know it was the husband of Kate O’Beirne who headed the department that determined who it was that would go to Iraq and work for Bremer’s CPA?
Comment by Marie — February 6, 2007 @ 10:31 pm
Do you know his name?
February 6th, 2007 at 10:49 pm#55 valiant venus
Only a bona fide idiot would think a mission to Iraq in 2003 might relect what should be done NOW. But we do appreciate you trying to participate.
Thanks for pointing out once again your inability to comprehend the article and the purpose for the hearings. Waxman is reviewing the administration’s blunders in the Iraq reconstruction. You see, Congress was supposed to provide oversight, but the Republicans who were running everything at the time didn’t think it was necessary. And all this time, since 2003, Waxman has been gathering data and trying to get the Republicans interested in doing their job, but no dice. Now that the Dems are in charge and Waxman is heading the committee, we’re going to review what was done, what was done wrong, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep the administration from doing it again.
So, yes, a mission to Iraq in 2003 is relevant. I’m sure his 32 years as a career foreign service officer say something about his expertise and the value of his testimony in assessing the handling of the reconstruction from whatever perspective Rep. Waxman is looking for.
With regard to your tactics, v.v., you switched from asking “If Carney hasn’t started the job – what is he supposed to tell you – his ‘vision’?” to saying that what he did in the past is irrelevant. So, first you wrongly assumed he didn’t have any experience and then you say the past doesn’t matter. I really think you should just put the shovel down.
February 6th, 2007 at 11:45 pm#61 impeachcheneythenbush
“Before Carney left Iraq in June 2003, he tried one last time to persuade Bremer to rethink his refusal to repair more than a handful of state-owned factories. Iraq’s government-run businesses employed more than 100,000 people before the U.S. invasion. To Carney, it was a no-brainer: Fixing the factories would allow thousands of Iraqis to get back to work, not only allowing them to provide for their families, but also keeping them occupied. He knew from his time in other post-conflict societies that the idle and unemployed are the best recruits for insurgencies.
Wow. To read that, you’d think that maybe Carney knew something about reconstruction and that maybe he had tried to do the right thing there and was ignored. I wonder if that’s why Waxman wanted him to testify. Maybe, just maybe, Carney was going to testify about what he told Bremer and it would make it apparent that Bremer really screwed things up. But, without Carney here, Bremer can just say that things were really a mess when he stepped in and he did the best he could under the circumstances.
Does that sound like too much of a stretch for you, v.v.?
February 6th, 2007 at 11:53 pmDang It All!
If Bill Clinton had just stolen all this money beforehand…
…we wouldn’t be havin’ all these problems…
February 7th, 2007 at 10:09 am#62 impeachcheneythenbush
James O’Beirne serves as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for White House Liaison, was reported in September by the Washington Post to have appointed key players in the Iraqi reconstruction effort to positions in the Coalition Provisional Authority based largely upon their Republican bona fides and loyalty to the Bush administration. He has become one of the most widely criticized appointees at the Defense Department
In the Post story, O’Beirne was described as, “a political appointee who screens prospective political appointees for Defense Department posts.” His most important criteria for applicants, though, “was loyalty to the Bush administration.”
“O’Beirne’s staff,” the article continued, “posed blunt questions to some candidates about domestic politics: Did you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? Do you support the way the president is fighting the war on terror? Two people who sought jobs with the U.S. occupation authority said they were even asked their views on Roe v. Wade.”
Among those he appointed were Simone Ledeen—the daughter of conservative pundit Michael Ledeen—who, though she “lacked experience managing the finances of a large organization,” was hired to take control of the Iraqi budget, and Jay Hallen, a White House job applicant, who with no finance experience was hired to head the reopening of the Iraqi stock exchange.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:58 amThanks Marie. Actually, I did a little research and discovered who he was on my own. My bad, cuz I’d read about him and his “hiring” policies in “Imperial Life in the Emerald City.” I just didn’t connect him with Katie.
February 7th, 2007 at 1:23 pmDO YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINK THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING. GORE COULDA SAVED US ALL ALOT OF TROUBLE IF HE’D HAD A SPINE IN 2000. THEY’RE JUST GONNA TALK AND SLAP A FEW HANDS.
February 7th, 2007 at 8:11 pmTHE US GOVERNMENT IS BROKEN. IT IS NOT OF THE PEOPLE. IT IS OF CORPORATIONS. WE PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION. DON’T PAY YOUR TAXES FIRST OF ALL. THERE’S GOT TO BE A LARGE MOVEMENT TOWARD RE-CONSTRUCTION OF THE USA. REVOLT
[...] dubious in all of its aspects.” Carney was recently flown to Baghdad by the administration to avoid testifying before a congressional [...]
March 1st, 2007 at 10:51 am