Big GOP donor chased profit in Hussein's Iraq

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.freep.com/news/metro/deal16_20040716.htm

July 16, 2004

<snip>

At a well-positioned table among the museum crowd was a talkative Iraqi-American businessman from West Bloomfield. That night, he wrote a $25,000 check to the Republican National Committee, the maximum allowed. In all, he raised $100,000 by recruiting friends and relatives to attend. The Republicans rewarded his effort with a position on an exclusive party leadership committee.

But as Asaad Kalasho moved in the inner circle of Republican politics, he had a business secret seemingly incompatible with his political activities. During the run-up to war with Iraq, Kalasho had cultivated a lucrative business venture with President Bush's No. 1 enemy: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

<snip>

The satellite venture offers a rare, insider view of the notoriously closed Hussein government as it pursued business opportunities at a time when Iraq was supposedly locked in an economic straitjacket. The deal is also something of a clandestine global road map, showing how a deal with Iraq was designed to flow from Baghdad, to a bank in Jordan, to a global corporation in Europe, to its U.S.-based subsidiary, to an individual in metro Detroit.

<snip>

But on a day near Christmas 2000, Iraqi Americans remember stumbling across the eerie and shocking sight of their former ruler. Hussein was coming through loud and clear on frequency 11874H. The channel was free to anyone who had the right satellite antenna equipment.

A few angry metroDetroit Iraqis said they repeatedly asked the FBI to investigate Kalasho, who they had heard was behind the broadcast.



Sounds like business as usual for another FOB - friend of Bu$h.

[Mr_Charlie]

1. Here's a complete list of Kalasho's campaign donations

Asaad Kalasho political donations

it's a long list...

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Turns out he owns his TV Network

United TV Network, has his own radio show and is a multimillionaire. Kalasho says he has given a quarter of a million dollars to Republican causes, including President Bush's campaign.

Kalasho seems to be an interesting, and very influential guy.

[Best_man23]

2. Par for the course

These repugs have no scruples.

[Bozita]

4. That's the headline article, front page, above the fold

Here's a pdf of the front page:

http://www.freep.com/cgi-bin/pdf/showfrontpdf.pl


Ain't investigative reporting great?