Posted on 04/16/2004 1:01:46 PM PDT by Shermy
From Vanity Fair:
"...After only one year in the job Wilson decided to retire and go into the private sector because "we wanted to have kids, and felt that it had become very difficult to live off two government salaries." He set up a consultancy, J. C. Wilson International Ventures, with an office in downtown Washington at the headquarters of the Rock Creek Corporation, an investment firm of which little is known. Wilson's right-wing critics have been quick to condemn the affiliation as "murky," though Wilson does not work for Rock Creek and merely rents space and facilities there.
"I have a number of clients, and basically we help them with their sort of investments in countries like Niger," explains Wilson. "Niger was of some interest because it has some gold deposits coming onstream. We had some clients who were interested in gold.... We were looking to set up a gold-mine company out of London."
1999
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1999/03/01/focus2.html
"There has been a lot of interest in this kind of approach," said Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador to the Gabonese Republic who, as an adviser with Rock Creek Investments, helps U.S. companies make inroads into Africa. "The businessmen I deal with are looking for one-stop shopping, somebody who can help them through [all aspects of] the maze that international deals comprise."
March 25, 2003
http://www.cfr.org/pub5763/judith_kipper_thomas_g_mcinerney_thomas_g_rhame_joseph_c_wilson_iv/crossing_the_rubicon_a_status_report_on_operation_iraqi_freedom.php
...To my far right, Ambassador Joe Wilson is a former Acting U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and was Deputy Chief of Mission to Baghdad from 1988 to 1991. Joe is currently Senior Advisor at the Rock Creek Corporation. ...
The Boston Herald
December 11, 2000
SLICK DEALS; The White House connection; Saudi 'agents' close Bush friends
A powerful Washington, D.C., law firm with unusually close ties to the White House has earned hefty fees representing controversial Saudi billionaires as well as a Texas-based Islamic charity fingered last week as a terrorist front.
The influential law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld has represented three wealthy Saudi businessmen - Khalid bin Mahfouz, Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi and Salah Idris - who have been scrutinized by U.S. authorities for possible involvement in financing Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network.
In addition, Akin, Gump currently represents the largest Islamic charity in the United States, Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development in Richmond, Texas....
Africa Energy Intelligence
May 7, 2003
Saudis Take a Look
A Saudi delegation headed by prince Al Waleed Bin Talal, the billionaire chief of Kingdom Holdings and nephew of king Fahd, is presently touring the Gulf of Guinea and has already visited Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. Kingdom Holdings is already active in Ghana, where it owns a stake in the Cal Merchant Bank and attempted in 1999 to buy into Ashanti Goldfields company. Al Waleed isn't the first Saudi to display in interest in the Gulf of Guinea's oil. As Africa Energy Intelligence previously reported, the Saudi-Ethiopian mogul, Mohamed al Amoudi, set up a new company named Arab African Petroleum Co. (Arapco) last year with the specific intention of acquiring acreage in Africa and developing it with foreign partners. In his capacity as boss of Arapco, Al Amoudi travelled to Equatorial Guinea early last year and was received by president Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Al Amoudi already controls the Societe Marocaine d'Industrie de Raffinage (SAMIR) and holds a stake in AIG Infrastructure Fund, an investment fund controlled by the U.S. insurance firm AIG and IFC, the private investment arm of the World Bank. IFC helps to finance a number of oil projects in Africa, notably those of Pan African Energy and Vaalco in Gabon.
Well, that's certainly interesting. Wilson's Rock Creek corp tied in with Al Amoudi?
Yep. Very interesting.
Thanks for the ping!
Thanks!
Another thread you might find interesting.
That French report is the only source I ever found that says who owns or controls Rock Creek Corp.
If you look around, you'll find lots of info about Al Amoudi, all sorts of investments in Africa - which is probably why Wilson was engaged.
BTW, that's my touched-up babelfish translation of an article originally in French.
Mint tea. Mint tea. Mint tea.
You might find this interesting.
Turns out, as story currently goes, that the Brit information actually did involve Niger, which I question at the beginning - though the Brits might have info about other African countries. Note that Tenet's weird apologia mentions that the Americans had information on two African countries other than Niger.
Wilson was on Letterman last night.
He played demure.
I can tell you one thing, there are WMD's, and he should know given who he's married too.
Letterman asked him about them, assuming there were none. Wilson replied that he thinks some chemicals will be found, as will "biological precursors" and some form of nuke program.
To wit, the spin is already in. I've noticed people like Kay try to fashion the debate, in anticipation, that the biologicals aren't "weapons" but "precursors", ie, not loaded up in a shell, a distinction I think would be disregarded by most people. Another theme is the amounts are not "large", ie, not "`large' stockpiles", so the "Bush lied" talking point still has an opening. Additionally, he continued the "containment" was the better "solution" angle.
Not much different than Kerry's Hardball performance anticipating discovery, but Wilson at least forewent a rant about neocons.
He also said, with a completely striaght face, that he was "not a political person, but a policy one."
As usual, Letterman did not ask him about his role in the Kerry campaign. Which isn't such a big deal in itself in my opinion, the big deal is how it is never mentioned.
Until then, the Saudis and Chinese seem to dominate.
Adding a couple of things to the mix:
Given the latest story, the "British Intel" might have related to Niger, all, primarily, or some. Still other countries might be suspect, and Tenet's apologia mention two other unidentified African countries looked into.
Although the British info was not based on the forged memos, it might have been that his own trip might be all or partly related to that. It might have been that the Italians gave a "report" about in in 2001 before the trip, and in late 2002 turned over the actual memo documents, which might explain the stories about the "report" and the "memorandum" of different dates.
BTW, about Letterman. Wilson was testing out a talking point that the invasion of Iraq resulted in the "smallest reward", ie, that containment or such would have received a "bigger" reward.
Bizarre spin, 50-50 to become a Kerry talking point and confuse everybody.
"He also said, with a completely striaght face, that he was "not a political person, but a policy one.""
I guess he figures if he plays a wordgame like that people like David Letterman will be too confused/embarrassed to ask what that means in concrete terms. Typical Kerry-speak.
See # 100, which I translated, with babelfish, from French.
This M. Hussein Al Amoudi is an Ethiopian-Saudi billionaire. Our Alamoudi is also Ethiopian-Saudi. Best I can tell thery're not "brothers" but might come from the same "clan." So many Saudi names, big families...
Our Abdurahman Alamoudi has alegedly a lot of connections with Islamists and such. Naturally, when he was captured last year with $300,000 supposedly from Libya, and said he met Gaddafi twice, some assumed Islamist terrorism...but Gaddafi would get involved with Islamists?
Recently, it was revealed, Abdurahman was allegedly part of a plot to knock off Saudi Prince Abdullah on behalf of Gaddafi because Gaddafi was insulted by Abdullah. Interesting,...but is this true, or part of a Saudi cover up to hide internally inspired assasination attempts and billionaire clan battles.
I don't think the whole story has been told - and since it involves Saudi, we probably won't be told it.
AUGUST 11, 2003 : (UK : HEATHROW AIRPORT : AL AMOUDI IS STOPPED; HAS SUSPICIOUS CASH) On Aug. 11, Amoudi was stopped in England at Heathrow Airport with 34 bundles of sequentially numbered $100 bills in his suitcase as he prepared to fly to Syria. He said he received the money from Libyan officials to try to win release of Libyan assets frozen after the 1988 Pan Am bombing. - "EXCLUSIVE-SMUGGLER LINKED TO BIN LADEN," by MURRAY WEISS, New York Post, 10/01/03
AUGUST 2003 or : (UK : HEATHROW AIRPORT : BRITISH FIND CASH IN AL AMOUDI'S LUGGAGE) British customs officials found $340,000 in sequentially numbered $100 bills last month [August] in Mr. al-Amoudi's luggage. Although not charged at the time with a crime, he told officials he received the cash from an unknown person at a London hotel after a visit to Libya's Islamic Call Society in Tripoli. - "American Muslim leader arrested ," by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, 9/30/03
AUGUST 16, 2003 : (LONDON, UK : ALAMOUDI IS DISCOVERED AS HE ATTEMPTS TO FLY TO SYRIA WITH LIBYAN CASH; ALAMOUDI ADMITS HE INTENDED TO LAUNDER LIBYAN MONEY THROUGH SAUDI BANKS AND INTO THE US) It began on Aug. 16, when British authorities at London's Heathrow Airport discovered Alamoudi with $340,000 in sequentially numbered $100 bills as he attempted to fly to Syria. British officials say Alamoudi admitted he had received the money from the Libyan government [see "British Special Branch Report: Alamoudi Received Cash From Libyan 'Jihad Fund.'"]. ...During his detention with British authorities, Alamoudi said specifically that he intended to launder the Libyan money back into the United States through Saudi banks, according to a summary provided by Special Agent Gentrup: "Alamoudi told officers that he intended eventually to deposit the money in banks located in Saudi Arabia, from where he would feed it back in smaller sums into accounts in the United States." According to reports of the questioning, Alamoudi said he believed it was against the law for anyone to bring more than $10,000 in cash to the United States at any single time, and used the Saudi cutout. In reality, U.S. law sets no limits on cash entering the country but does require the bearer to report amounts of $10,000 or more.
"Alamoudi was adamant that this was the only such transaction in which he was involved," according to the criminal complaint. However, under further questioning by the Special Branch of New Scotland Yard, Alamoudi "conceded he had been involved in other similar cash transactions involving amounts in the range of $10,000 to $20,000." - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
(* My note: the different articles above show a discrepency in the date al Amoudi was detected at Heathrow. )
AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI TRAVELS TO LEBANON) - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 2 - 8, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI TRAVELS TO SYRIA) - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 8 - 13, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI TRAVELS TO YEMEN) - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 15 - 16, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI TRAVELS TO SYRIA) - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 16-18, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI TRAVELS TO EGYPT) - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 19 - 25, 2003 : (ALAMOUDI VISITS LIBYA) The United States [later] alleges that Alamoudi lied on his U.S. Customs declaration form about where he had traveled during his last trip abroad. According to an affidavit in support of the federal criminal complaint, the documentary evidence shows that Alamoudi visited Libya from Sept. 19-25, using an extra U.S. passport and a Yemeni passport and "concealing the fact that he had been to Libya from United Kingdom officials." Prosecutors also say Alamoudi failed to report trips to Lebanon from Aug. 29-Sept. 2, Syria from Sept. 2-8, Yemen from Sept. 8-13, Syria from Sept. 15-16 and Egypt from Sept. 16-18. - "Alamoudi and Those Bags of Libyan Cash," by J. Michael Waller, Insight, 10-13-2003
SEPTEMBER 2003 late : (PENTAGON ORDERS REVIEW OF CHAPLAIN SELECTION PROCESS) ... the Pentagon ordered a review of how it recruits military chaplains, particularly Muslim clerics endorsed by U.S. Muslim groups with ties to radical Islam. The probe was begun after the arrest of Army Capt. James Yee, a chaplain now being held on espionage charges concerning his work with al Qaeda and Taliban detainees being held at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council endorsed Capt. Yee.
The Air Force also has arrested a second Guantanamo staffer, Senior Airman Ahmad al-Halabi, and charged him with 32 criminal offenses centering on espionage. At least one and perhaps two other persons who worked at Guantanamo are also under investigation.
The Muslim groups also are the focus of a pending inquiry by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security. Chairman Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, has focused on the effort by Islamist radicals to infiltrate and recruit terrorists within the United States, primarily on chaplains in the prison systems and in the U.S. military.
Mr. Kyl said an Oct. 14 hearing will focus on exactly who allowed the two groups, along with the Islamic Foundation of North America, to become the determining bodies for chaplains. "It is remarkable that people who have known connections to terrorism are the only people to approve these chaplains," he said. - "American Muslim leader arrested ," by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, 9/30/03
SEPTEMBER 29, 2003 : (AL AMOUDI ACCUSED OF FAILING TO NOTIFY THE US GOV OF HIS NUMEROUS TRIPS TO LIBYA, ACCEPTING MONEY FROM THE LIBYAN MISSION TO THE UN) The Muslim activist [Adbul Rahman al-Amoudi] , who lives in Falls Church, is accused in a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday [Sept 29] of failing to notify U.S. officials of numerous trips to Libya. Notification is required under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act since the United States considers Libya an international sponsor of terrorism. An ICE affidavit filed in the case said authorities had established numerous ties between Mr. al-Amoudi and Libyan entities. The affidavit said Mr. al-Amoudi made at least 10 trips to Libya using one Yemeni and two U.S. passports. Mr. al-Amoudi also was charged with illegally accepting $10,700 from the Libyan mission to the United Nations. The affidavit also noted that British customs officials found $340,000 in sequentially numbered $100 bills last month [August] in Mr. al-Amoudi's luggage. Although not charged at the time with a crime, he told officials he received the cash from an unknown person at a London hotel after a visit to Libya's Islamic Call Society in Tripoli. ... The charges against Mr. al-Amoudi are expected to be expanded, although authorities yesterday declined to elaborate. FBI Assistant Director Michael A. Mason, who heads the bureau's Washington field office, acknowledged yesterday that federal law-enforcement authorities have focused for some time on Mr. al-Amoudi's activities. He described his detention as "an important arrest." The American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council is one of two Pentagon-approved groups that endorses Muslim military chaplains. The other, the Islamic Society of North America, also provides religious training for the chaplains at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Studies in Leesburg, Va. - "American Muslim leader arrested ," by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, 9/30/03
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