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Ear to the Ground

Waxman: State Dept. Blocked Blackwater Investigation

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Posted on Sep 26, 2007
Waxman
AP photo / Susan Walsh

Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, claims his panel’s attempts to look into Blackwater USA’s recent controversial actions in Iraq were derailed by the State Department.  The State Department, on the other hand, denies blocking the investigation and says Waxman’s charge is the result of a “misunderstanding.”


The New York Times:

“Blackwater has informed the committee that a State Department official directed Blackwater not to provide documents relevant to the committee’s investigation into the company’s activities in Iraq without the prior written approval of the State Department,” Mr. Waxman’s letter stated. The letter was made available to the news media on Tuesday.

In response, a State Department statement late Tuesday said: “There seems to be some misunderstanding with regard to this matter. All information requested by the committee has been or is in the process of being provided.”

The statement added: “Blackwater has been informed that the State Department has no objection to it providing information to the committee. We have offered to make available for testimony those officials in the best position to respond to the specific issues the committee has raised.”

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By Mudwollow, September 27, 2007 at 1:21 pm #

While better than doing nothing, it’s not clear that any of the past inquiries by Waxman have amounted to anything. It’s great that he’s doing it and it would be refreshing if he got more support but there seems to be an inertia that he simply cannot break out of. If Waxman is genuine he’s still largely ineffective. The fact that there’s no crescendo to any of this investigation so far kind of takes the poop of the whole thing and adds to the malaise and feeling of hopelessness.

I keep complaining that no one comes up with answers or plans but I have none of my own.

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By Druthers, September 27, 2007 at 5:03 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

There is a cell under the Capitol for those in Contempt of Congress.  It should be full; it is empty.

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By Outraged, September 27, 2007 at 1:49 am #

“Blackwater has informed the committee that a STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL DIRECTED Blackwater not to provide documents relevant to the committee’s”

“Blackwater HAS BEEN INFORMED that the STATE DEPARTMENT has no objection to it providing information to the committee.” (emphasis added)

Hmmm…......Hmmmm….......

Smile, you’re on candid camera..

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By cann4ing, September 26, 2007 at 11:28 pm #

Efforts by the State Department to block Waxman’s inquiry into Blackwater come as no surprise.  What is suprising is that a public letter from Waxman got them to apparently back off, with the chiseling claim that they hadn’t sought to block him in the first place.  It appears we will have to sit back and wait for the rest of this story to unfold.

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By DennisD, September 26, 2007 at 10:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

So far anyone or anything connected to the most corrupt administration in the history of the U.S. has provided little or no information to Congress or anyone else under subpoena or not. So where is there news in this news.
Why bother with these articles. We already know we live in a dictatorship masquerading as a republic.

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By pac plyer, September 26, 2007 at 9:35 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Waxman is about the only congressman with any integrity left at all.  I hope he realizes that nothing short of calling for impeachment will save the democratic party.  Most people I know are so discusted with his, Reid and Pololsi’s failure to cut off funding for the war that we avow to only vote for third partys from now on, no matter what the result.

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By PatrickHenry, September 26, 2007 at 9:23 pm #

Cut off their funding ASAP.

Believe me they will take notice.

I’ll bet the AIPAC sponsered lobbies and affiliates are filling the Democrats E-Mail baxes and mailing form letters with veiled threats, propaganda which inflates their numbers, and contribution offerings to their respective campaigns.

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By thomas billis, September 26, 2007 at 7:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

What we have here is a failure to communicate.Granted Bush’s communicative skills are limited but you would assume someone at the State Department speaks english.It seems these communication difficulties only happen when the Congress is trying to do its job of oversight.When they are looking for money for Iraq everything is clear as a bell.

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By QuyTran, September 26, 2007 at 3:59 pm #

No surprise at all. The blow job policy of Rice’s department is only used to serve for evils.

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