American Envoy Is Linked to Arms Deal Cover-Up

WASHINGTON — An American ambassador helped cover up the illegal Chinese origins of ammunition that a Pentagon contractor bought to supply Afghan security forces, according to testimony gathered by Congressional investigators.

A military attaché has told the investigators that the United States ambassador to Albania endorsed a plan by the Albanian defense minister to hide several boxes of Chinese ammunition from a visiting reporter. The ammunition was being repackaged to disguise its origins and shipped from Albania to Afghanistan by a Miami Beach arms-dealing company.

The ambassador, John L. Withers II, met with the defense minister, Fatmir Mediu, hours before a reporter for The New York Times was to visit the American contractor’s operations in Tirana, the Albanian capital, according to the testimony. The company, under an Army contract, bought the ammunition to supply Afghan security forces although American law prohibits trading in Chinese arms.

For what it is worth, Roll Call posted a story a dew days ago re Tom Ridge & his lobbying for Albania, that makes it even more curious. Partisan politics? Or more clues to how deep this goes?:

Roll Call: Ridge Files Very Late for Albania

Former Bush Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge busted by the Justice Department for failing to register for two years for lobbying for Albania, at $40k a month:

For almost two years former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge failed to register a nearly half-million-dollar lobbying contract that he had with the government of Albania. Ridge filed a registration statement on behalf of the country earlier this month after being contacted by the Department of Justice.

‘It was brought to my attention after the contract expired and my lawyer said under the circumstances I probably should have filed,’ said Ridge, who is a national co-chairman of Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign and has been mentioned as a potential vice presidential running mate. ‘I didn’t think it was [necessary] to register.’

The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires agents to register with the DOJ within 10 days of signing a contract with a foreign government and before performing any duties for the client. Additionally, ‘foreign agents’ must file biannual reports detailing any agreements, income received and expenditures on behalf of foreign countries or corporations owned by countries.

Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor, represented Albania from October 2006 through the end of August 2007 on issues ranging from homeland security to NATO membership.

On May 7, 2007, Ridge and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha met with Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to discuss ‘various reforms undertaken by the government of Albania to comply with NATO and EU requirements,’ according to the FARA supplemental statement. Ridge and Berisha met with Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) to discuss the same issues on May 8.

The time stamp on Ridge’s registration statement with the Justice Department is dated June 12, 2008. ... Ridge’s registration was spurred by a DOJ inquiry after press accounts surfaced noting Ridge’s connection to the country. ...

After a meeting with Justice and his counsel at Blank Rome, Ridge decided to file his FARA registration.

‘Once we were made aware of certain contacts by Gov. Ridge, we advised him to register, which he did,’ said Topper Ray, a spokesman for Blank Rome. ...

Ridge is in good company. One becomes aware of a lot of unregistered foreign lobbying in Washington, although not always as blatantly in violation as this. ....

So, curious if Ridge knows something about the strange DOD-US embassy-Albanian government-AEY-mothballed $300 million Chinese ammo weapons deal, now under investigation by the Feds and Congress?”

“Smells like just another Bush Did IT BS Story. I will check out the facts.”

Selling out to the Albanian Mohammedans and supporting Albanian terrorism has been a Republican (mostly) trait for years, long before Bush was president. Dole was famous for his shilling for Albania and McCain’s been on the KLA payroll for years, in fact his pretty little blond wife was just over there playing bag lady for him. Its true that Bush’s policies over there, especially in Kosovo, have meant burned out churches and dead Christians, and hundreds of millions in American taxpayer funded financial aid for the KLA drug, white slaving and human organ running operation, but frankly that’s all been a continuation of Clinton era policies.

I think what this is is simply another example of a sort of group insanity that infected mostly the neo-cons, but liberals too, the elites, that somehow or other there really are good trustworthy Mohammedans out there who given the chance and enough money will love us and embrace Western Enlightenment theories of government and their benighted co-religionists will flock to their banner once raised. It isn’t simply a matter of “Bush’s fault”. Its Western secular lunacy.

"I think what this is is simply another example of a sort of group insanity that infected mostly the neo-cons, but liberals too, the elites, that somehow or other there really are good trustworthy Mohammedans out there who given the chance and enough money will love us and embrace Western Enlightenment theories of government and their benighted co-religionists will flock to their banner once raised"

I am beginning to wonder if that is just the excuse, rather than the reason.

Maybe it's just about the drug and sex trafficking money that Albanians were willing to pour into campaign coffers and greased palms, and the rest is just their cover story. . Stories like this one, make me think that it is latter. They know that they are selling America out and they don't care, as long as it funds their lifestyle and their power.

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