This Week in Babylon

Baghdad chief out; Curt Weldon's new job; World Bank scandal update.

Baghdad chief out

Last week, I wrote about the CIA's newly-picked Baghdad station chief. Now, I've learned, it seems he won't be going to Iraq after all. I don't have the full details, but two sources told me that after the story was posted on this site the nominee, who had been planning to retire before he was offered the job, backed out. “The scramble is on now to find a warm body to go,” said one of the sources. Given the high profile of the Baghdad assignment, I cannot comprehend why no one at the agency appears to want the job.

Curt Weldon lands on his hooves

For two decades, Congressman Curt Weldon delivered massive quantities of pork to defense contractors, especially those in his home state of Pennsylvania. Then, in November 2006—less than a month after the FBI raided the home of his daughter, a lobbyist who was retained primarily by companies her daddy had helped in Congress—Weldon suffered a humiliating defeat in his reelection bid. On the Hill, Weldon had served as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and vice chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Now, on Tuesday, Defense Solutions, LLC of Exton, Pennsylvania, announced that it had named Weldon as the company's Chief Strategic Officer. At his new gig, he'll help “implement the company's vision of becoming the leading provider of professional services and products to the international defense and homeland security markets.” As long as the job involves burning through troughs of federal cash and allows Weldon to hand out lucrative contracts to his family members, he'll feel right at home.

Democracy in bloom

I recently received a partial transcript of the February 4 session of the Iraqi parliament. It came to me from a source who had himself received it from an Iraqi, with a cover note that read, “Dear Sir, Below you will find the minutes of this very brief and not so good session to the Iraqi parliament. However, it reflects the current situation of Iraq.”

Reading this rough translation of the session, it looks like the session could not have lasted for more than a few minutes, most of which was mostly taken up with the bickering of those present. After the names of missing parliamentarians were read, one member proposed a moment of silence “to mourn the martyrs of Iraq.” This was rejected by the parliament's speaker, who said “that it is not in our tradition to stand for a moment of silence, but our tradition is to read the Fatiha of the Koran.”

The speaker then told the parliament that the “executive branch does not have a presence, and cannot provide even ambulances and medical treatment after the occurrence of terrorist's acts.”

“I think,” said the speaker, “the government has accurate information and intelligence which include the area, street name, and even house number of terrorist. Should we wait for them to kill us? The government must conduct preemptive and preventive operations to protect the people.” He was soon interrupted by a member who “raised a point of order and said that the Speaker is lecturing and that his statement took a long time.”

It went downhill from there. Reproduced verbatim:

Member Mohammed Naji Al-Sameraei said that Syria finances terrorism.

The Speaker interrupted him and said: Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. The President and the Minister of Interior went to Syria and discussed the situation. We condemn all foreign intervention in our affairs.

Member Nour El-Deen Al-Hiyali (Tawafouq) read a statement made by Tawafouq which condemned all violent actions in Iraq, and asked the security forces to comply with human rights when they implement Baghdad Security Pan.

The Speaker read a letter that was sent to the Council from some tribes in Najaf.

Member Abdul-Karim Al-Anizi . . . asked if the Speaker reads every letter that arrives at the CoR. If so, I will mobilize a lot of tribes to send you letters. We want the Speaker to be objective and neutral. If the Speaker wants to express his opinion, he should leave the bench....

Members started to leave the session.

THE SPEAKER ADJOURNED THE SESSION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

World Bank update

Information continues to arrive concerning the mysterious scandal at the World Bank that I mentioned last Friday. I've received several responses that fit with the story that I'd originally heard from sources with secondhand knowledge. So far, all of the accounts agree on the central figure involved in the mini-scandal (sorry to disappoint, but it's not Paul Wolfowitz), the locale (blame it on Brasilia), and that a sauna was involved. I still need confirmation of a few additional details, so email me if you can provide further clarification (ken@harpers.org). As stated previously, all correspondence will be kept in strictest confidence.

A few words in defense of our country

From Randy Newman, as recently posted on YouTube:

Now the leaders we have

(While they're the worst that we've had)

Are hardly the worst

This poor world has seen.

Let's turn history's pages, shall we?

Take the Caesars for example.

Why with the first few of them,

They were sleeping with their sister,

Stashing little boys in swimming pools,

And burning down the city.

One of them—one of them

Appointed his own horse consul of the empire.

That's like vice president or something.

(That's not a very good example right now, is it?)

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