Think Progress

Allawi paying lobbyists with funds from ‘an Iraqi person.’

By Faiz Shakir on Aug 26th, 2007 at 11:55 am

Allawi paying lobbyists with funds from ‘an Iraqi person.’»

In recent days, there has been some speculation in the blogosphere about where Iyad Allawi received the funds to pay for the lobbying services of Barbour Griffith & Rogers. This morning on CNN, Allawi said, “The support we got is from an Iraqi person. I cannot unfortunately divulge his name. ” He added that he did not know the exact figure of how much money he has received from this anonymous source. Spencer Ackerman suggests the source is Hazem Shaalan, a former Iraqi defense minister who walked away from the position in 2005 with perhaps as much as $1 billion.

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27 Responses to “Allawi paying lobbyists with funds from ‘an Iraqi person.’”

WaltTheMan Says:

$1 billion? That is chicken feed - it would only buy one fiftieth of a Freidman.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

Hazem Shaalan, “the greatest theft in history” - embezzling $1bn intended for weapons purchase. al-Shaalan had received an exemption from the cabinet for having his ministry’s expenditures overseen by the cabinet’s audit committee.

CURRENTLY
In May 2007 al-Shaalan was convicted in absentia of embezzlement and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment
August 26th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Dave C Says:

GWB would pardon him.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

The Independent says both al-Shaalan and Cattan left Iraq in 2005 for Jordan.

and no doubt hidding in the US or LONDON
August 26th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

Super thief Hazem Shaalan worked in the Allawi Goverment
August 26th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
ronjazz Says:

Another disgusting page in the annals of Bush treason. he will have to be hanged about 15 times after the Hague trials.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Brassmask Says:

“Spencer Ackerman suggests”

In other words, he’s got nothing.

Next.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Jo-Ann Says:

Our hard earned taxpayer money at work, Bush style. Allawi should demand that this money be returned to the American taxpayer.
The discussion may be mute, because if elections were held there today, Muqtadr al Sadr would win hands down. He’s strong and popular. America would be told to leave, minority Iraqis would fight , cooperate or flee, and the Shia would run the country. Civil wars have a way of ending with the strongest sidegoverning. This hodgepodge of fractional leadership won’t work. The country is too infantile in the ways of nation building.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Zooey Says:

Allawi sounds like George W’s kind of politician.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

In other words, heâ€™s got nothing.

I doubt he has nothing he took the Billion out the country in CASH, then fled , has not been seen since 2005

He probably in London hiding in Allawi’s Wimbledon home or under the floorboards with the cash
August 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
english teacher Says:

that $300k figure sounds familiar. isn’t that what the pentagon was paying chalabi by the month for his phony baloney?
August 26th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

every Goverment and even gangstaer will be afer him by now

Told you Allawi is hated in Iraq - - but that makes him a good contender for a dictator of Iraq
August 26th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
RUCerious Says:

Hey!!!
That’s our money!
August 26th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
WaltTheMan Says:

Comment by RUCerious â€” August 26, 2007 @ 12:22 pm

That was our money.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
GSD Says:

Chalabi! Chalabi! Chalabi!

-GSD
August 26th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
?W Says:

I, as many, have been reading the stories of waste, fraud, abuse, theft, graft, and corruption in Iraq since we removed Saddam.
And, at the same time, I’ve also read the stories of the armor and equipment that our troops don’t have to be properly protected and to perform their duty more effectively. The latest being the 2000 (of the 3000 ordered) MRAPS our troops WON’T be getting any time soon.

It seems that there’s plenty of cash to go around and grease the palms of anyone from tribal warlords growing opium in Afghanistan to privateers at Haliburton, KBR, Blackwater, and Custer Batttles- but not enough to equip our troops.

Hey Nancy Pelosi- where are the ‘Truman Commission’ hearings you promised?
How is it after 4+ years, after $500+BILLION, after 3700+ American casulties that there is anything, ANYTHING AT ALL that our troops don’t have, or are in need of???????!!!!!!!!!
Why, after everyone else, does it seem our troops are the last to be funded?
August 26th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Tobey Tall Says:

Hey!!!
Thatâ€™s our money!

Could say its part payment for the 22 billion Iraq had at the UN before the war that America stole after promising to spend on Iraq

I calculate you still owe them 21 billion
August 26th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
UpFromTheSkies Says:

If it’s true that Shaalan stole over $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer money, I guess he can afford a few measly hundred thousands to pay lobbyists. And the lobbying firm is probably delighted for a change to receive U.S. taxpayer money directly, rather than lobbying for it.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Spudge_Boy Says:

“The latest being the 2000 (of the 3000 ordered) MRAPS our troops WONâ€™T be getting any time soon.”

Of course these are the vehicles that the Black Water Mercenaries are already using.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
batbird Says:

All this hullabaloo about replacing al-Maliki because he is incompetant is nothing more than fodder for the news cycle - a smoke screen.

Allawi can no more hold the coalition government together than I can.

The administration will leak anything and everything they can think of to draw attention away from their failures, i.e. nation building.
Next week it will be something else.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Keith Says:

And there was the $8.8 billion in cash on pallets flown from the US that vanished without a single receipt.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
upside00 Says:

And there was the $8.8 billion in cash on pallets flown from the US that vanished without a single receipt.

Comment by Keith â€” August 26, 2007 @ 2:32 pm

That was under Paul Bremer’s watch, another fine Darth-appointed NeoCon who pulled a fantastic “Doin a fine job Brownie” on the initial occupation effort.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Coffins draped with flags Says:

Did Hazeem walk away with a billion dollars of US taxpayers money? Is this who benefited from the missing skids of US taxpayers money?
August 26th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Dermot Says:

Of course Hazeem walked away with US tax dollars - as did all the other syphons in Iraq - Halliburton, Blackwater etc

Allawi is using our money to buy our politicians to work against us.

AIPAC also uses our money, given to it by our politicians, then AIPAC gives our money back to those same politicians. It’s called money laundering on the grandest scale.

Wake up America and recognize what it means to be royally screwed.
August 26th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Marie Says:

This is the guy supported by Haley Barbour’s lobbying company, which is deeply connected to the White House, that is probably going to take Maliki’s place.
Hmmm.
Been reading Imperial Life in the Emerald City — WOW! The inepitude and ignorance of the CPA is astonishing.
Lots of familiar names.
That 9 Billion was lost in the early months of the occupation is only a part of the corruption.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qcbg72tK_ks Says:

Hil-dawg Clintoon is a criminal:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qcbg72tK_ks
August 26th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Null and aVoid... Says:

>But itâ€™s not true.

You’re saying this article is false? He didnt get a standing ovation from the troops?

Ps… I think I figured out a good way to cause mr. P some serious serious unhappiness in his online life.. I need some help though, can some regular who posts here and is in off-site communication with other TP’ers please give me a link to a blog or website or something where I can private message them and tell them of my plans?
August 26th, 2007 at 10:59 pm