While riding the exercise bike at the health club, the latest installment on American justice exported to Iraq hit the big screen. The news showed an update on the ex-Minister of Electricity in Iraq facing numerous corruption charges against him for $1.5 billion in misallocated reconstruction funds. They interviewed the jail breaker from Chicago, Illinois?
Huh, last I knew an APB had been put out for this guy after American security forces sprung him from prison, U.S. and coalition forces were putting a hard press to get the politician with corruption charges returned.
While his mismanagement pales to the over $8 billion unaccounted for under Paul Bremer’s brief tenure as head of Iraq’s Coalition Provisional Authority. Nevertheless, could it be medal worthy? Might the U.S. have turned multiple blind eyes to the prisoner’s flight such that he could end up in Washington for the same pinning as Paul “The Book Keeper” Bremer, George “The Cooker” Tenet, and Tommy “Shock & Awe: Mission Accomplished” Franks?
Note the jail breaker admitted being aided by Americans. He had to exit the secure Green Zone, leave a tightly guarded Baghdad airport, fly into Jordan (a U.S. ally), do business in Dubai while also conducting a press conference with U.S. diplomatic staff in attendance, fly into the United States, go through U.S. customs, before using his Chicago area phone, bank accounts, and mail service to line up an interview. (One would assume Bush would unleash the power of domestic spying on this man as this Sunni Muslim has charges against him in the free and democratic country of Iraq.)
During his month of freedom in Jordan and Dubai, the escapee said he “met with Iraqi leaders and U.S. officials before flying back to the States”. His return happened with American approval. What message does this send to Iraq? Chicago style justice…
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