Bush special envoy embroiled in controversy over Iraq debt

[Jon8503]

Consortium plans to cash in as Baker asks countries to end £200bn burden
Naomi Klein
Wednesday October 13, 2004
The Guardian

President Bush's special envoy, James Baker, who has been trying to persuade the world to forgive Iraq's crushing debts, is simultaneously working for a commercial concern that is trying to recover money from Iraq, according to confidential documents.
Mr Baker's Carlyle Group is in a consortium secretly proposing to try to collect $27bn (£15bn) on behalf of Kuwait, one of Iraq's biggest creditors, by using high-level political influence. It claims Mr Baker will not benefit personally, but the consortium could make millions in fees, retainers and commission as a result.

Other countries, including Britain, have been urged by Mr Baker to relieve the new Iraq regime of its $200bn debt burden. Iraq owes Britain approximately $1bn.

One international lawyer described the consortium's scheme as "influence peddling of the crassest kind".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1326037,00.html

[Hubert Flottz]

1. These crooks have a finger in every pie!

4 more years of Bush and America will be as poor as any other third world country!(banana republic)