TPM: BushCo caught bribing DOE officials for favorable Iraq conclusions???

[zaj]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/003613.php

(WorldNetDaily Columnist Paul) Sperry notes that (acting director of the DOE's intelligence unit Thomas S.) Ryder (a man described as "a human resources manager with no intelligence experience" who was "close to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham") directly overruled his technical experts who wanted to dissent from the NIE findings on an Iraqi nuclear program.

Then after the NIE was published and just before the war began, Abraham awarded Ryder a $13,000 bonus for "exceeding performance expectations."

This was in addition to an earlier $7,500 bonus he awarded Ryder prior to the NIE's publication.

According to the last section of Sperry's second article ...

Bonuses that big are rare, and Energy insiders say they cannot recall previous intelligence chiefs receiving as much bonus money as Rider, who is said to be close to Abraham.
...

Yet despite Rider's alleged outstanding performance, Abraham didn't keep him in the top position. In February, he was replaced by CIA official John Russak. By July, Rider had been relocated to another department – energy assurance.



So Spencer Abraham taps a friend for a position for which he seems to have no qualifications whatsoever. Then that friend overrules his technical experts to greenlight a finding that Iraq is building nuclear weapons. Then Abraham gives him a big bonus for outstanding performance -- performance so outstanding that he doesn't keep him on in the job.




(Note: parenthitical comments added by me to make the snip clearer)

[zaj]

1. Maybe my thread title wasn't dramatic enough, but...

... am I the only one who sees this as a HUGE deal?

[life_long_dem]

4. Yes, but it will only get swept under the already heaping pile

of damning info about Bushco*. Remember you are preaching to the informed here. Things like this have to get out in the mainstream media. Thanks. And keep it comming. GO KERRY/EDWARDS.......

[aquart]

2. Oh, it's all perfectly clear.

Criminal conspiracy by the wink and the nudge.

Now all I want to hear is that Spencer Abraham is Methodist. Or Baptist. Or Presbyterian. Anything but Jewish.

[zaj]

3. I don't know his religion, but he's the son of a Lebanese immigrant

Here's some links...

http://www.politicalusa.com/columnists/schlussel/schlussel_017.htm

http://www.atour.com/government/docs/20010212a.html

I don't think his religion or ethnicity are an issue, but his conflicts of interest are regardless of his race.

[KittyWampus]

5. At Any Rate, It's Lamentable This Is Sinking

perhaps too many outrages from Jr.'s cronies...

[zaj]

6. kick