Lawmakers skewer Rice on Iraqi corruption

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice faced an inquisition by lawmakers Thursday over claims that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was shielding top ministers from corruption probes.

Democratic lawmaker Henry Waxman, who has demanded answers from Rice on various aspects of the US operation in Iraq for months, got his chance at a hearing of a key House of Representatives committee.

He raised claims that Maliki had issued a decree requiring his approval before any minister or official in the presidential office was brought before a court on corruption charges.

Rice refused to respond directly but said US officials took all allegations of corruption in Iraq seriously.

"To assault the prime minister in Iraq, with to date heretofore unsubstantiated allegations or uncorroborated allegations in a setting that would simply fuel those allegations ... would be deeply wrong," Rice said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071025/pl_afp/usiraqpoliticsricecorruption_071025151625

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House panel critical of Iraq contractors


WASHINGTON - Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of a House watchdog committee, said Thursday that recent State Department missteps, including lax oversight of Blackwater USA and other contractors, may have hurt U.S. efforts in Iraq.


"We need to know whether the mistakes of the State Department have jeopardized any chance for political success in Iraq," Waxman, D-Calif., told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the onset of a hearing.

Rice made a brief opening statement in her second day of testimony on Capitol Hill.

"The success of what civilians bring to the fight is absolutely crucial," Rice said. "And I want to acknowledge the hard work of the men and women of the State Department, our foreign service, our civil service, our foreign service nationals and our contractors who are playing an essential role in carrying out our policies in Iraq."

"Everything we say today should reflect that," she later added, noting the "complex and difficult" operating environment in Iraq.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071025/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_16

[maddezmom]

1. from TPM: Head of State Dep't Anti-Corruption Office in Baghdad Is A Paralegal

Head of State Dep't Anti-Corruption Office in Baghdad Is A Paralegal
By Spencer Ackerman - October 25, 2007, 11:35AM
How well are the State Department's anti-corruption efforts in Iraq managed? Don't ask Condoleezza Rice.

Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) laid it all out. Not only are there duplicative U.S. offices in Baghdad to oversee anti-corruption efforts -- the Anti-corruption Working Group and the Office of Accountability and Transparency, to name two -- but coordination is so bad that the OAT for months boycotted the meetings of the AWG. Rice said she was "not aware" of that.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004556.php

[rodeodance]

2. Lawmakers skewer Rice on Iraqi corruption

Source: afp




Lawmakers skewer Rice on Iraqi corruption

by Stephen Collinson 2 hours, 38 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice fought off an inquisition by lawmakers Thursday over claims that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was shielding top ministers from corruption probes.


Democratic lawmaker Henry Waxman, who has demanded answers from Rice on various aspects of the US operation in Iraq for months, got his chance at a hearing of a key House of Representatives committee.

He raised claims that Maliki had issued a decree requiring his approval before any minister or official in the presidential office was brought before a court on corruption charges.

Rice refused to respond directly but said US officials took all allegations of corruption in Iraq seriously and pledged to review the case.

"To assault the prime minister in Iraq, with to date heretofore unsubstantiated allegations or uncorroborated allegations in a setting that would simply fuel those allegations ... would be deeply wrong," Rice said.

.........

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071025/pl_afp/usiraqpoliticsricecorruption_071025161426;_ylt=ArwAcKABzxKc8UyoaCvSYfKs0NUE

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071025/pl_afp/usiraqpoliticsricecorruption_071025161426;_ylt=ArwAcKABzxKc8UyoaCvSYfKs0NUE

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condi did nothing but stonewall and the Repugs at the Hearing mocked the hearding.

one repug told a story of how a second grader said Condi should run for President!!

[Lasher]

3. House panel critical of Iraq contractors

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House oversight committee, said Thursday that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has issued an order requiring his approval of any corruption investigations of himself or senior ministry officials.

Waxman, D-Calif., said the order essentially grants immunity to al-Maliki and his ministry at a time when fraud and abuse is rampant and hurting reconstruction efforts.

"These are not unfounded allegations," Waxman said. "This is Nouri al-Maliki's edict that no one will be referred to court unless he approves it."

In testimony before the panel, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was not aware of the specific order, but that the U.S. would oppose any policy shielding senior officials from criminal prosecution or investigation.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcWJu9bbzrJZ7uNHjvMn0BuTGqHQ

[Lasher]

4. .

[maddezmom]

5. Dems accuse Rice of blunders in Iraq By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

Dems accuse Rice of blunders in Iraq By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
30 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - House Democrats on Thursday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of grossly mismanaging diplomatic efforts in Iraq and concealing information from Congress. The charges put a visibly frustrated Rice on the defensive.

At a hearing by a congressional watchdog committee, Democratic lawmakers said the State Department under Rice had been too lax with armed security contractors, ignored corruption at the highest levels of the Iraqi government and was sloppy in overseeing construction of the costly new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

"I think there was a huge gap between what she said and reality," said Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Waxman, D-Calif., and other Democrats said they would not call on Rice to resign, but noted that their frustration is with the Bush administration's policies rather than Rice alone.

"If you just change the deck chairs, it's not going to change the policy," said Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., a committee member.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071025/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq;_ylt=AkSEN1zuQMNgnfSwLS2S3uys0NUE

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. Do you suppose when bush sleeps Rep. Waxman is the bogeyman in his dreams?

From the article:

Waxman earlier warned Rice's personal reputation was on the line.

"The quality and effectiveness of her actions in Iraq and the State Department's management are a matter of urgent national concern," said Waxman.

"We need to know whether the department is capable of real oversight over Blackwater and other government contractors.

"Most of all we need to know whether the mistakes of the State Department have jeopardized any chance for political success in Iraq."

[Demeter]

7. So Why Didn't The Sargent at Arms Lock Condi Up During Her "Visit"?

The dame is in contempt of Congress, dudes. Inherent contempt, no less.