And While the Economy Hits the Skids, Lead NeoCon Discovers Oil in Kazakhstan!

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Richard Perle (most wise and prescient leader of the Iraq-invading neocons) has hit a gusher (again)! If you have a Wall Street Journal subscription you can read the gory details (Just kidding! This is the WSJ, friends, everything's on the up-and-up, so move along, nothing going on here.) online; if not you may read the article at Truthout.org here. Have you ever pondered how these commie-hating neocons always seem to have so many of these ex-bad-guy contacts (and how it always involves vast sums of money for the neocons)? Or is it just my imagination? (h/t to Smokey) I'll run a few paragraphs just to give you a taste of how Perle's prospects have recently improved:

Influential former Pentagon official Richard Perle has been exploring going into the oil business in Iraq and Kazakhstan, according to people with knowledge of the matter and documents outlining possible deals. Mr. Perle, one of a group of security experts who began pushing the case for toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein about a decade ago, has been discussing a possible deal with officials of northern Iraq's Kurdistan regional government, including its Washington envoy, according to these people and the documents. It would involve a tract called K18, near the Kurdish city of Erbil, according to documents describing the plan. A consortium founded by Turkish company AK Group International is seeking rights to drill there, the documents say. Potential backers include two Turkish companies as well as Kazakhstan, according to individuals involved. AK's chief executive is Aydan Kodaloglu, who, like Mr. Perle, has been involved with the American Turkish Council, an advocacy group in Washington. She didn't respond to requests for comment. Phyllis Kaminsky, who identified herself as the U.S. contact for Ms. Kodaloglu, said she herself was aware of the drilling plan but referred questions about it to Mr. Perle. "Richard would know the most," Ms. Kaminsky said. "He is involved, I know that." People with knowledge of the discussions said they involve Alexander Mirtchev, a Washington consultant and adviser to the government of Kazakhstan, and an associate of his, Kaloyan Dimitrov. Mr. Perle has attended events promoting the interests of Kazakhstan, an oil-rich nation whose ruler, Nursultan Nazarbayev, is involved in a long-running U.S. investigation of 1990s-era oil-company bribery. Mr. Perle has publicly lauded President Nazarbayev as "visionary and wise," according to a publication distributed by the Kazakh embassy in Washington.

Read the rest of this stomach-churner (if you can stand it) here. Suzan __________________________________