Vice President Dick Cheney will not be extradited to Nigeria for trial for crimes occurring while Cheney was Chairman and CEO of Halliburton. Although bribery charges are associated with Cheney's work prior to serving as Bush's VP, the U.S. will not serve up an ex-Vice President to a foreign country for trial, even to one with an extradition agreement.
Halliburton's facilitating payments policy is at the root of Cheney's trouble. It stated:
The Company may be required to make facilitating or expediting payments to an official or employee of a government outside the United States, the purpose of which is to expedite or to secure the performance of routine governmental action by such government official or employee. Such facilitating payments may not be illegal under the FCPA and similar Laws of other countries. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to distinguish a legal facilitating payment from an illegal bribe, kickback or payoff. Accordingly, facilitating payments must be strictly controlled and every effort must be made to eliminate or minimize such payments. Facilitating payments, if required, will be made only in accordance with the advance guidance of the Law Department.
Note the difference in directed energy between Julian Assange and Dick Cheney over possible crimes. Oddly, both ordered the release of secret information. "Two crime" Cheney remains free, with his own personal army of Secret Service agents.
Julian sits in a London jail without bail, access to his defense fund or the ability to garner donations. The powerful protect their own, which includes eviscerating challengers. Assange badly needs help from his friends this holiday season. Clarence! Mary! Zuzu!
If ever deposed, Dick Cheney will plead ignorance, like peers Lord John Browne (BP-Texas City), Tony Hayward (BP-Deepwater Horizon) and Rick Scott (Columbia/HCA-fraudulent billing). Cheney will settle out of court, like The Carlyle Group and Riverstone Holdings on pension bribery.
The Greed & Graft brothers run in a tight circle. They have the most amazing comebacks. Rule #1: Oligarchs beat blokes.
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