WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2007
Top U.S. Official Eyed For Blocking Probes
Investigation Alleges State Dept. Inspector General Blocked Investigations Into Baghdad Embassy Lapses
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A portion of the new U.S. embassy under construction is seen from across the Tigris river in Baghdad, Saturday, May 19, 2007. (AP Photo)
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
Also under scrutiny is whether Blackwater USA, the private security firm banned this week from working in Iraq for the alleged killing of eight Iraqi civilians, was "illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq," according to a letter to IG Howard J. Krongard that was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.
The investigation involves allegations that "your strong affinity with State Department leadership and your partisan political ties have led you to halt investigations, censor reports, and refuse to cooperate with law enforcement agencies," Krongard was told.
Based on allegations made by a number of current and former senior investigators who worked for Krongard, the letter from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee also questioned whether he adequately investigated illegal labor trafficking allegations involving the Kuwaiti company that was building the Baghdad embassy.
Krongard's office said the inspector general was "on travel" Tuesday and unavailable to comment. A spokesman for the office did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Sean McCormack, the spokesman for the State Department, said he had not seen the letter from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the panel's chairman. The letter was faxed to the department Tuesday morning, and McCormack said he could not speak to the allegations in it.
In addition to outlining a host of allegations against Krongard, the letter raises new problems for Blackwater. Although the company is not named in the letter, a senior administration official confirmed that Blackwater is the firm mentioned as being suspected of smuggling weapons into Iraq illegally.
According to a letter, a federal prosecutor asked Krongard's investigators to assist in the probe of the security contractor, but Krongard sent an e-mail to a senior staff member directing the assistance to "stop IMMEDIATELY" and to wait until he spoke to the prosecutor.
After weeks of delay, Waxman said, Krongard asked someone on his media relations staff - not an investigator - to assist the federal prosecutors. "This unorthodox arrangement has reportedly impeded the investigation," Waxman said.
Krongard, in testimony before the committee in July, dismissed allegations that foreign workers were mistreated in building the new complex in Baghdad. But he acknowledged that some recruiters may have misled foreign workers about pay expectations and living conditions.
According to the letter, staff investigators said Krongard stalled an investigation into allegations that contractors building the Baghdad embassy did not adequately search for mines and other security hazards on the 104-acre compound, which included a number of tunnels.
The embassy, which will be the largest in the world, is expected to be finished this month, at a cost of nearly $600 million.
A central theme running through the letter is that Krongard prevented his investigators from cooperating with Justice Department probes and refused to send his staff to Iraq and Afghanistan to look into allegations of contract fraud and wasteful spending. Waxman also said that he's been told Krongard censored inspection reports and audits to remove information critical of the State Department.
The letter cited e-mails between staffers talking about their frustrations at not being allowed to assist the Justice Department in investigations.
The letter includes allegations that Krongard:
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html
Bush Scandals List:
updated 9/18/07, recent changes in red. please contact us with corrections and additions
9/11
USA PATRIOT
Iraq:
Afghanistan
Walter Reed
Firing of US attorneys
In a massive security breach, on August 30, 2007, six nuclear tipped cruise missiles were loaded by mistake
Plamegate
Osama bin Laden,
Civilian contractors;
The Military Commissions Act
Hurricanes Rita and Katrina
Bush authorized warrantless NSA wiretapping in October 2001
Secret prisons and extraordinary rendition to facilitate interrogation by torture
Homeland Security: white elephant (organization), black hole (money),
K Street Lobbyists
Tom Delay, creator of the K Street Project
Cheney''s Energy Policy
Tax cuts for the wealthiest, corporations and on capital gains
Terri Schiavo
Big budget deficits and vastly increased national debt
Medicare
Cooked intelligence
2000 Presidential election
2004 Presidential election
Attempts to torpedo the 911 Commission.
Alberto Gonzales
FDA: drug testing; food safety
Rampant cronyism
The "Petraeus" report. - Reply to this comment
- http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html
Bush Scandals List:
updated 9/18/07, recent changes in red. please contact us with corrections and additions
9/11
USA PATRIOT
Iraq:
Afghanistan
Walter Reed
Firing of US attorneys
In a massive security breach, on August 30, 2007, six nuclear tipped cruise missiles were loaded by mistake
Plamegate
Osama bin Laden,
Civilian contractors;
The Military Commissions Act
Hurricanes Rita and Katrina
Bush authorized warrantless NSA wiretapping in October 2001
Secret prisons and extraordinary rendition to facilitate interrogation by torture
Homeland Security: white elephant (organization), black hole (money),
K Street Lobbyists
Tom Delay, creator of the K Street Project
Cheney''s Energy Policy
Tax cuts for the wealthiest, corporations and on capital gains
Terri Schiavo
Big budget deficits and vastly increased national debt
Medicare
Cooked intelligence
2000 Presidential election
2004 Presidential election
Attempts to torpedo the 911 Commission.
Alberto Gonzales
FDA: drug testing; food safety
Rampant cronyism
The "Petraeus" report. - Reply to this comment
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F) EVERYTHING including the truth about 9/11 Check it Out! http://www.apfn.org/apfn/sitemap.htm
G) http://thetruth07.110mb.com (Skull & Bones) - Reply to this comment
- Lets get honest is anyone surprised the way the goverment is throwing around money over there that some will be covering tracks.
- Reply to this comment
- forthepeopl1: I checked out the very interesting links you posted. Links 1 and 3 are about the same person, so we''re actually talking about 5 who died. Link 6, Frueh, is from Florida - it doesn''t mention Minot. Also, the incident to which your post refers happened August 30. Link #4 (Barrs) died in early July and Link #5, Kissel, died July 17 -- before the incident happened. I''m not really a conspiracy theorist, but your information does make me think considering there were so many from the same base in a relatively short period of time.
- Reply to this comment
- AP) A congressional committee has launched an investigation into the State Department''s inspector general, alleging that he blocked fraud investigations, including potential security lapses at the newly built U.S. embassy in Baghdad
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No way! Who would EVER believe that there is corruption, lying, cronyism, and partisanship at the expense of the country, in the Bush administration. Just couldn''t happen. Bush loves Jesus too much. - Reply to this comment
- Blackwater mentioned as being suspected of
smuggling weapons into Iraq
Nothing - New in that ! ! ! - The Republican (Nazi) Party
Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America
Has supplied Weapons and War materials to every Country who has ever
been an Enemy of the United States. In order to Kill American Military
in every War - Since WWII
Sen. Prescott Bush and Friends Who shipped War Materials
and Weapons to : Nazi - Germany. To kill American Soldiers in Europe.
The same organization shipped War Materials and Weapons to
North Vietnam. To kill American Military in Vietnam
The same organization now Supplies War Materials and Weapons to :
Iran. To Kill American Military in Iraq
Former ; Defense Secretary Rumsfeld - Involved in Selling a Nuclear Plant to : North Korea. In order to produce : Weapons of Mass Destruction)
VP Cheney : Former Chairman of Halliburton : Halliburton was Charged with
shipping Six Pulse Neutron Generators to Libya. The company pled guilty
to the criminal charges.
Prior to The War : The initial Intelligence Reports given by - Bush -
The CIA and The FBI Were Purposely and Intentionally -
Fabricated and were Fraudulent ! !
Fabricated Reports - Intentionally Delivered to the American people
In order to- Falsely and Fraudulently - Advocate a War ! !
Profound act of : Master - Slave - (Nazi) Patriotism
Demonstrated By : Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America
The Republican (Nazi) Party
"Treason" - Once was a Criminal Act ! ! !
Lastdance - Reply to this comment
- The Real Reason We''re In Iraq:
An influential group of conservatives convinced President George W. Bush that it was in America''s best interests to conquer Iraq as a first step toward dominating the oil-producing nations in the Middle East. There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. Our leaders see Iraq as a place to make money. So Bush & Co. have set up their friends to cash in on the rebuilding of Iraq. - Reply to this comment
Try him then lock him up for a long time, but Congress needs to delay so Bush cant promise him a pardon to like he did Libby to protect Cheney. A pardon to cover up a crime is impeachable but there is not time.- Reply to this comment
- Where did this fool learn that it''s ok to not work with the DoJ? Oh right - his boss George W.
Bush''s arrogance and lack of repect for this country are harming this country - he has desproyed pretty much every agency he''s been able to.
Given that this guy stopped investigations into serious things such as poor constrtuction of billion dollar embassy in Iraq then DoJ better be checking foreign accounts, safety deposit boxes in his name, hiw wife''s name, his parents and his kids - he has got to be being paid off. - Reply to this comment
Author Thomas Friedman on Obama's Afghanistan plan and the war on terror.
