TPM Muckraker: 22yo gets $300 million Defense Contract

[Coexist]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_304.php

Today's Must Read
By Paul Kiel - March 27, 2008, 10:30AM

Courtesy of The New York Times, I'm proud to present to you a brand new member of the Bush Administration War Profiteer Hall of Shame: 22 year-old Efraim Diveroli, who's company AEY has been awarded approximately $300 million in contracts by the Pentagon.

How does a 22 year-old get a multi-million dollar defense contract? you ask. “AEY’s proposal represented the best value to the government," the Army tells the Times. (Never mind that AEY was headed by a guy who'd been busted by the police for carrying a fake ID.)

AEY's fattest contract came in January of last year, when a Pentagon contract made AEY, "which operates out of an unmarked office in Miami Beach,... the main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan’s army and police forces." AEY's VP is 25 and a licensed masseur. AEY also had a $5.7 million contract for rifles for Iraqi forces, among others.

As the Times found out, AEY fulfilled that contract by dealing with a variety of shady arms dealers (one Czech, one Swiss) to get their hands on ammo stockpiles in the old Eastern bloc. And as far as ensuring the quality of the munitions? Here's how it went in Albania:

Albania offered to sell tens of millions of cartridges manufactured as long ago as 1950. For tests, a 25-year-old AEY representative was given 1,000 cartridges to fire, according to Ylli Pinari, the director of the arms export agency at the time of the sale.
No ballistic performance was recorded, he said. The rounds were fired by hand.

Not surprisingly, the Afghan army has been unhappy with the product. AEY shipped the decades-old ammo in cardboard boxes -- apparently to save money on shipping charges. And the Times reports that the boxes arrived in Afghanistan spilling out of the boxes, "revealing ammunition manufactured in China in 1966." It's illegal to deal in Chinese arms.

You have to read the rest to believe it.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Jesus Christ on a crutch. nt

[Mabus]

4. I don't use a crutch

My first reaction was "Jesus Christ! Jee-zuz H. Christ!" But I think we're on the same page and level of outrage here.

[myrna minx]

2. Speechless.

:wow:

[Supersedeas]

9. has a certain mafia connection smell to it -- no?

[myrna minx]

14. I still am speechless. And enraged. n/t

[AzDar]

3. Kick...

:wow:

[Mabus]

5. and a recommend

This kind of stuff just :hurts:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. Kick because everyone needs to read this. nt

[Coexist]

7. .

[Supersedeas]

8. A story even Lou one-issue Dobbs can understand

[Sewsojm]

10. And the hits just keep on coming!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Kick and don't forget that Waxman is holding hearings on this

so be sure to look at this thread.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3068714

[NM Independent]

12. My son is starting to pick this up because I say it soooo much, but...

... :wtf:


Seriously? Lower and lower they go.

[magellan]

13. Our tax dollars at work

There seems to be a competition going on between government agencies to see who can bestow the most of our money on crooks and cronies before BushCo leaves office.

[MinM]

15. "operates out of an unmarked office in Miami Beach" ....

Can you say front company? :kick:

[MinM]

16. Front Company

It will be interesting to see how far congress is willing to dig into this. :kick:

Front Company :shrug: take two

TPMMuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Today's Must Read

22yo gets $300 million Defense Contract

Crooks and Liars » Pentagon gives inexperienced 22 year-old $300 million contract
The Raw Story | Exclusive: 22-year-old Pentagon arms dealer also marketed to civilians
The Raw Story | House to investigate defense contract to firm that shipped Chinese-made ammo to Afghanistan