Posted on 12/23/2008 9:25:36 AM PST by mojito
US President George W. Bush's foreign policies may be unpopular in the Middle East, but Arab leaders showered his top diplomat with jewelry worth far more than a quarter of a million dollars last year.
While Bush himself didn't fare nearly as well, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raked in at least $316,000 in gem-encrusted baubles from the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia alone, making her one of top recipients among US officials of gifts from foreign heads of state and government and their aides in 2007.
In January, Jordan's King Abdullah II gave Rice an emerald and diamond necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings estimated to be worth $147,000....
The king and his wife, Queen Rania, also gave Rice a less expensive necklace and earrings along with a jewelry box valued at $4,630, the document shows.
Not to be outdone, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia presented Rice with a ruby and diamond necklace with matching earrings, bracelet and ring worth $165,000 in July. The inventory also includes a $170,000 flower petal motif necklace the Saudi monarch gave to Rice in 2005, which the department says was not previously disclosed.
From the same Arab leaders, Bush received just over $100,000 in gifts in 2007, the list shows.
Other gifts include an $85,000 sapphire and diamond jewelry set and $10,000 piece of artwork depicting a desert scene of bedouins, camels and a tent made of gold given to first lady Laura Bush by Saudi King Abdullah.
Unfortunately for the Bushes, Rice and other recipients, they won't be able to enjoy the gifts as they have been turned over to the General Services Administration and government archives in accordance with federal law, which bars officials from accepting personal presents in almost all circumstances.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
It’s enough to make you sick.
Just wait until the payoffs start rolling in for Hillary! when she’s SOS.
Of course, that’ll all be kept hush-hush. *Rolleyes*
Jewel-encrusted pants suits for Her Thighness? ;)
Why would it bother you if it’s the American taxpayer who is going to gain from this? (the recepients can’t keep the gifts per law).
what happens with the gifts?
Condi will be working for the Saudis in some way shape or form in the near future. You can bet on that.....That’s when the Saudis pay her in real bling for past services rendered
There used to be a word for someone who took treasure from foreign leaders in exchange for “past or future considerations” that may or may not be to the benefit of their home country. I can’t come up with it at the moment, though.
So what happens to all that stuff I wonder.
Like they aren't crusty enough?
That was my question. Do they get returned, or do they disappear into a bureaucratic black hole?
IIRC the recipients can’t keep the gifts. I don’t know if they go to a museum, or to charity, or sold and the money given to the US government.
“While Bush himself didn’t fare nearly as well...”
Didn’t he get a nice pair of shoes?
LOL, nice!
” I can’t come up with it at the moment, though.”
Democrat?;)
Cool name, nice car.
I have always said Rice acts like an agent of the Saudis. Now we see the proof. they can’t pay her outright, so they pay her in jewels.
LOL!
That’s prety much how it has been in that part of the country for a long time. Not really suprising, just business as usual for a large part of the world, it’s done in some form or another everywhere.
Any photos? I’d love to see those trinkets!
The “Recognition of the Palestinian State Award”
The Obamamessiah will probably get a live full sized riding elephant with jeweled harness and saddle and his own mahout.
Bad form and breech of standard operating proceedure. Such bribery of State Department officials is supposed to happen quietly after the retire.
Imagine the impact that would have had on the auto industry in the US.
Elitism is alive and well in the US.
Have you managed to catch a Saudi film aired during local channels paid programming slots on weekends, highlighting the modern aspects of the Kingdom? Nicely done, good production values, professional, intelligent narration, nice pictures too.
Saw it last weekend, may be in rotation.
Did clash with the football game so I didn’t catch the whole thing.
Whore?
The Saudis know, as do others, that US Politicians from both right and left can, and have been bought.
See lots of comments about Ms. Rice being “bought” or a “whore” for accepting these gifts. Sheesh, don’t you freepers even read the posted excerpt? From that:
“Unfortunately for the Bushes, Rice and other recipients, they won’t be able to enjoy the gifts as they have been turned over to the General Services Administration and government archives in accordance with federal law, which bars officials from accepting personal presents in almost all circumstances.”
In other words, SHE DOESN’T GET TO KEEP THEM.
Sheesh.
She has to turn all gifts over to the government. Maybe we can see them at the Smithsonian someday.
Never saw that film but Saudi propaganda for infidels is high class. Ever see the old ARAMCO magazine? What a glossy, *Kingdom pimping* production that was. And still is last I looked
Are you sure? I remember Jackie Kennedy keeping several gifts that were given to her when she was First Lady.
Can we split up the jewels into something that would reduce the gluttonous taxes that MOST of us pay?
Get real, or get in line!
You'll be bothered someday, TCC. Believe me.
Energy independence now.
It makes her totally untrustworthy!
My last comment was with sarcasm ON, of course.
WHAT DOES BECOME of this BLING? Someone must benefit from it.
You don’t need to read the article in order to react to it.
Yes, I’m sure. Don’t know when the current process was put into place, but it might have been after Jackie 0’s time.
Wahhabist cult Saudi oil profits buys whomever allows it.
LOL GOOD one.
How is it that elect4d officials are allowed to accept these gifts in the first place? I’m fairly certain there a federal regulation against it for civil service workers. In state and local levels of government, one can’t accept a gift worth more than $!0 or $20 dollars.
History has proven again and again that the people at the top are not immune to bribery and are all too happy to be on the take.
The Saudis apparently own U.S. leaders on both sides of the aisle and are the main funders of Islamic terrorism around the world.
Too bad Condi will not be able to wear all her baubles when she stands before the Almighty God to give an accounting for her life.
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