Waxman: State Dept. Muzzling Evidence Of Iraqi Corruption To Avoid ‘Embarrassing’ Maliki
Waxman: State Dept. Muzzling Evidence Of Iraqi Corruption To Avoid ‘Embarrassing’ Maliki
Last month, House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In the letter, Waxman objected to the State Department’s “instruction to its officials that they cannot communicate with the Committee about corruption in the Maliki government.” unless the Committee treat that information as classified and “withhold it from the public.”
In a hearing before the Committee on corruption within the Iraqi government, Government Accountability Office Comptroller David Walker criticized this lack of transparency, saying he knew of multiple “highly questionable” instances of “retroactive” classification:
Quite frankly, I’ve seen at least two circumstances within the last two months, where both the State Department, this being one, and the Defense Department attempted to retroactively classify something that had been made available publicly and in some cases, were on the World Wide Web, which is obviously, I think, highly questionable.
Waxman added that the State Department has prevented its employees from even mentioning corruption in the Iraqi government:
We even asked one of the people at the State Department whether he agreed with the statement by Secretary Rice when she praised Prime Minister Maliki for his efforts to stop corruption. She even praised it. And we asked this fellow from the State Department, “Do you agree with that?” And he said, “I’m not allowed to discuss that in an open forum.”
Watch it:
The State Department’s censorship is extensive. Prior to the hearing, Waxman arranged interviews with Department officials about the corruption issue, but days later, “the State Department sent an e-mail warning the committee of ‘redlines‘ that should not be crossed in the unclassified sessions.”
“It’s pretty clear that the administration just wants to muzzle any comments that reflect negatively on the Maliki government,” concluded Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY).
UPDATE: The Gavel has more revelations from the hearing.
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GIVE ‘EM HELL, HENRY!!!!!
October 4th, 2007 at 5:44 pmI doubt Maliki would be embarrassed–He could just point to the Bush Administration and say he was following their glorious lead on how a Democracy is supposed to function. He seems like a quick study.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:45 pmThis is why we should have had Ahmed Chalabi running Iraq. Our State Department would have no problem embarrassing him.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:46 pmMuzzle Condi immediately! Get her on the stand, under oath and make her squirm. It’s time to demand this information or to storm the Bastille. See what you get for playing “nicey nicey” with the devil? See what you get for bending over on the Lieberman/Kyle amendment…..you get totally screwed.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:48 pmThe WH cares more about Maliki than it does about American children.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:48 pmI’m beginning to think that Waxman is the only member of the Dems who hasn’t been totally castrated these days.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:49 pmCastrated or could it be something more insidious perhaps….something dark and ugly like “blackmail”??
October 4th, 2007 at 5:49 pmSadly I had never heard of Henry Waxman but he seems to be the only one with gonads up there. Wish we had a 100 Henrys.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:51 pmWell, our State Dept. is pretty good at that — they muzzle evidence of wrongdoing with Blackwater to avoid embarrassing Bush…
Come to think of it, the entire administration muzzles evidence of wrongdoing everywhere to avoid embarrassing Bush…
October 4th, 2007 at 5:51 pmHenry is pretty good, but he needs to start carrying through with his legislative powers. Letter writing is getting on my nerves.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:55 pm“It’s pretty clear that the administration just wants to muzzle any comments that reflect negatively on the Maliki government,†concluded Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY).
It’s more likely to be embarrassing to the Bush Administration than to the Maliki government. My bet’s on the fact that the Bush Administration is up to it’s eyeballs in any corruption in the Maliki government. They are not likely to allow Maliki to do something without their getting their cut of the action.
Not to mention the fact that it reflects poorly on Bush because they are allowing it to happen (if not participating in it). Either way it reflects poorly on Bush & Company.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:55 pmIt is beyond me how such a moron (Bush) can elicit such blind devotion from the people who are around him.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:56 pm#12: “It is beyond me how such a moron (Bush) can elicit such blind devotion from the people who are around him.” – - Ya know that Ditech commercial with the tagline, “People Are Smart“? Yeah, not so much.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:00 pmSo true Bilbobaggins-it’s all about not exposing GW666’s corruption and criminal activities, and to keep from embarrassing him than anything else.
All together now, 1, 2, 3 – WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY
That felt good.
Buck Fush
October 4th, 2007 at 6:09 pm#12 – You can fix alot of things but you can’t fix stupid.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:11 pmIt is beyond me how such a moron (Bush) can elicit such blind devotion from the people who are around him. Comment by bilbobaggins
The ever-gullible and faithful followers
October 4th, 2007 at 6:11 pmThey are much like puppets on a string
Blind faith loses all the power of reason
And gains the ability to justify anything
Not to defend Condi in any way, but I would imagine she is about as clueless as George nowadays with regards to Iraq.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:12 pmIt’s a war zone, and anything the State Dept. does is most likely dictated by the military.
Condi flits around trying to get big things accomplished, with little knowledge of the gritty details.
She still holds the top diplomatic position, and it is her department, and she is accountable.
She should be in jail now for having dropped the ball on the 9/11 intelligence that she dissed.
Keeping files on Senators and Congressmen
After reading Anthony Summer’s book on J Edgar Hoover that reads like a guide book to the Bush government, I am starting to think that the Cheeny emprire of spying has produced files on every Senator and Congressman — ready to go if they don’t play ball.
Every Democrat out there backs down when it gets to enforcing the law, they pass every bogus thing, back off enforcing every time. They talk a big show and never pull the triger.
This isn’t just incompetance – this may well be black mail and self preservation… all that massive spying has been used to control people.
Anybody agree? Thoughts?
October 4th, 2007 at 6:13 pmI heard today from the judge, in his testimony that there was something like 18 billion lost to the corruption. Did anyone else catch if that was US money or Iraq money. I mean yea Bushies want everything kept quiet.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:14 pmThanks
Wm
250,000,000 was stolen about a month ago from a Iraq bank, that was 250,000,000 of American money. One very small discussion on CNN never to hear again.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:18 pmCome to think of it, the entire administration muzzles evidence of wrongdoing everywhere to avoid embarrassing Bush…
Comment by missmolly — October 4, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Yet, Bush is still such an embarrassment.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:20 pm#12: “It is beyond me how such a moron (Bush) can elicit such blind devotion from the people who are around him.†– - Ya know that Ditech commercial with the tagline, “People Are Smart“? Yeah, not so much.
Comment by Badmoodman — October 4, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Oh, God – my invariable response to that line is a loud, “NO, THEY’RE NOT!! THEY’RE STUPID!!”
Heheheh!!
October 4th, 2007 at 6:24 pmSir, are your pants on fire?
I’m sorry, I can’t discuss that in a public venue.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:24 pm17 – Oh, but Nevar, she’s got great SHOES!!!! ;o)
October 4th, 2007 at 6:25 pmNow about those 130,000 American weapons that disappeared, Cafferty just brought that up this afternoon. Gee wonder if they are being sold on the blackmarket so they can be used against our military. Nahhhh.
Rory if you are still around try listening to Cafferty you might learn something.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:26 pmI think they are calling the weapons “lost” because you can’t really submit paperwork saying you gave arms to Al Qaeda, or the Sunnis, or the insurgents (or whatever they are being called this week)–that is what is happening, people! We are arming BOTH sides of the civil war.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:32 pmFirst of all, what business is it of ours that Iraq has joined the ranks of corrupt government. I mean, maybe Iraq should investigate US corruption, since our government appears incapable of doing it.
Second, the state department already leaked the report to congress before they classified it as “secret”. How convenient.
Third, they intend to bring down the Maliki government. This is just one stage of a smear campaign to get support for this, and the good cop (Democratic Congress) bad cop (Bush State Department) game is played for the gullible American critters entertainment. If Condi is protecting it, the people will know it must be bad.
Playing us like a fiddle.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:11 pmso when do you think the Dems will finally say, no legislation passes, no funds appropriated , until over sight is restored??
O h wait I know the answer to that rhetorical question…..
NOPE!
October 4th, 2007 at 7:57 pm“…the administration just wants to muzzle any comments that reflect negatively on the Maliki government”…
October 4th, 2007 at 8:09 pmnot to mention how it would reflect negatively on bushco…
eh? …duh…
.
Embarrass the Maliki Government???!!! Henry, don’t you dare fall for that crap. It’s the CIA/Military Intelligence/Blackwater phonies that should be embarrassed.
Oh, lets not expose those sources and methods of having the State Department taking the blame for the CIA, et al.
Here is a blast from the past….anyone remember 1969 when Seven Green Beret’s were arrested and charged but not tried for the assassination of an alleged double agent because Nixon did not want to allow the CIA to testify at the court-martial? Well, truth be known, Henry Waxman, those charged but not tried were NOT Green Beret’s; they were Military Intelligence officers POSING as Green Beret’s and actually working for the CIA using assumed names provided by the US Embassy in Saigon for Black Terror operations in violation of Presidential (LBJ) directives issued during National Security Council meetings. http://johnmccarthy90066.tripod.com/id258.html
What makes you think the State Department is behind the antics of “Blackwater”? How many believe that CIA is using Blackwater as a cover for it’s own murderouis op’s like the demolition of the holiest shrine in Iraq and blaming on sectarian strife? Raise your hands!
October 5th, 2007 at 8:14 pm