Exposed: The Carlyle Group (documentary)
"The best way to explain the Carlyle Group is to use a euphemism that Dwight Eisenhower employed back in the 1960s, when he was leaving office. He warned the country of something called the military/industrial complex and that is probably the best way to describe what the Carlyle Group does." - THE IRON TRIANGLE: Inside the Secret World of The Carlyle Group, Dan Briody
[Le Monde-TruthOut, Eric Leser, 05/10/04: Carlyle manages eighteen billion dollars today, invested in defense and high tech (notably biotech), space, security-linked information technology, nanotechnologies, and telecommunications. Carlyle, especially, benefits from missile-defense spending, as well as the move towards a private, for-profit military] Carlyle is a unique [private & secret corporate] model, assembled at the planetary level on the capitalism of relationships or "capitalism of access"....
Carlyle emerged from the shadows in spite of itself on September 11, 2001. That day, the group had organized a meeting at Washington's Ritz Carlton Hotel with five hundred of its largest investors. Frank Carlucci and James Baker III played masters of ceremony. George Bush senior made a lightning appearance at the beginning of the day. The presentation was quickly interrupted, but one detail escaped no one. One of the guests wore the name bin Laden on his badge. It was Shafiq bin Laden, one of Osama's many brothers.
Phoenix Rising • Tucked away in the recent Iraqi appropriation was $3 billlion for a new "private" paramilitary unit
[American Prospect, By Robert Dreyfuss, 12/18/03 - Is the Carlyle Group (the defense mafia) controlling EVERYTHING?] ...Experts say [the 'private' army] could lead to a wave of extrajudicial killings, not only of armed rebels but of nationalists, other opponents of the U.S. occupation and thousands of civilian Baathists-up to 120,000 of the estimated 2.5 million former Baath Party members in Iraq...
An ex-presidents' club of right-wingers - including Poppa Bush - runs the world's largest private firm. Carlyle profits from Star Wars Missiles, military consulting, and selling weapons to all sides! NOTICE ANYTHING IMPROPER HERE?
News Articles:
Who's Really in Charge at the White House?
Schwarzenegger connected with Carlyle Group, as well [Network54.com, 10/13/03] More oil drilling and forest clear-cutting expected in California Another name from the Arnold Schwarzenegger transition team that should draw some attention — but probably won’t — is Bob Grady, who heads the Carlyle Group’s venture capital fund. The Carlyle Group is essentially the slush fund for our corporate defense and energy establishment masters...Seems that during the recall this guy, Grady, was actually ... get this ... Arnold’s adviser on the environment. Well, I guess being an adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency can give you that kind of credibility. So who turned Grady, and other corporate types, onto the EPA? None other than George W. Bush.
Carlyle's tentacles embrace Asia [Asia Times, By Tim Shorrock , 08/14/03] The problem is Carlyle's coziness with the US Defense Department and CIA and US foreign policy, and the arm-twisting and insider-deals that results Carlyle and other buyout companies are attracted to Asia because, in the aftermath of the [war-induced] financial crisis, the structure of Asian capitalism is changing from family-controlled conglomerates... into smaller companies run by professional managers. Governments, meanwhile, have abandoned social policies that once guaranteed a portion of the workforce lifetime jobs and made layoffs very difficult.... [See Part 1: US-Taiwan: The guiding hand of Frank Carlucci]
Liberals vs. Conservatives? It's the Corruption, Stupid [Buzzflash, Maureen Farrell, 05/20/03] This gal's figured it out! "Also troubling are government officials' war profiteering ties (see Bush ally set to profit from the war on terror), Halliburton's $7 billion no-bid contracts (see "The Pentagon and Halliburton") and Carlyle connections (see "Hubris Unbound"). As Dan Briody, author of THE IRON TRIANGLE: Inside the Secret World of The Carlyle Group, recently put it: "The best way to explain the Carlyle Group is to use a euphemism that Dwight Eisenhower employed back in the 1960s, when he was leaving office. He warned the country of something called the military/industrial complex and that is probably the best way to describe what the Carlyle Group does.""
US arms group, including Carlyle Group, heads for Lisbon [The Portugal News, 04/07/03] It's just the family business, so please don't talk about it "Directors of one of the world’s largest armament companies are planning on meeting in Lisbon in three weeks time. The American based Carlyle Group is heavily involved in supplying arms to the Coalition forces fighting in the Iraqi war....
Carlyle's tentacles embrace Asia [Asia Times, By Tim Shorrock , 08/14/03] The problem is Carlyle's coziness with the US Defense Department and CIA and US foreign policy, and the arm-twisting and insider-deals that results Carlyle and other buyout companies are attracted to Asia because, in the aftermath of the [war-induced] financial crisis, the structure of Asian capitalism is changing from family-controlled conglomerates... into smaller companies run by professional managers. Governments, meanwhile, have abandoned social policies that once guaranteed a portion of the workforce lifetime jobs and made layoffs very difficult.... [See Part 1: US-Taiwan: The guiding hand of Frank Carlucci]
Liberals vs. Conservatives? It's the Corruption, Stupid [Buzzflash, Maureen Farrell, 05/20/03] This gal's figured it out! "Also troubling are government officials' war profiteering ties (see Bush ally set to profit from the war on terror), Halliburton's $7 billion no-bid contracts (see "The Pentagon and Halliburton") and Carlyle connections (see "Hubris Unbound"). As Dan Briody, author of THE IRON TRIANGLE: Inside the Secret World of The Carlyle Group, recently put it: "The best way to explain the Carlyle Group is to use a euphemism that Dwight Eisenhower employed back in the 1960s, when he was leaving office. He warned the country of something called the military/industrial complex and that is probably the best way to describe what the Carlyle Group does.""
US arms group, including Carlyle Group, heads for Lisbon [The Portugal News, 04/07/03] It's just the family business, so please don't talk about it "Directors of one of the world’s largest armament companies are planning on meeting in Lisbon in three weeks time. The American based Carlyle Group is heavily involved in supplying arms to the Coalition forces fighting in the Iraqi war....
Top of the meeting’s agenda is expected to be the company’s involvement in the rebuilding of Baghdad’s infrastructure after the cessation of current hostilities."
War Is Sell - Washington's Power Elite Are the Beneficiaries of War [American Free Press, by Christopher Bollyn, 02/10/03] What if a totally WAR IS SELL-immoral bunch was ruining the world for personal profits? "War has always been a profitable money machine for shrewd investors with foresight, but the extremely close connections of the Carlyle Group, a Washington-based private equity investment firm and major war profiteer, to the Bush and bin Laden families-and the current occupant of the White House-raise unavoidable questions of waging war for profit."
Alarmed MPs seek Qinetiq inquiry [UK Guardian, Jamie Doward, 01/21/03] MPs are a little slow to react! "The sale of Qinetiq - formerly the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency - to the Carlyle Group, whose directors include former Prime Minister John Major, has alarmed a number of back bench MPs who want the matter debated in Parliament." [Emphasis added.]
Spies hide as Bank faces BCCI charges [UK Observer, 01/21/03] The nest of corruption is so thick,SPIES HIDE AS BANK FACES BCCI CHARGESyou should be able to cut it with a knife! "The Bank's most senior officials, past and present, are expected to go into the witness box, and the High Court will also consider evidence from John Major, the former Prime Minister [now at Carlyle Group with Bush Sr.], as well as former Chancellors Norman Lamont, Nigel Lawson and Denis Healey." [Related: George W. Bush's Dubious Friends]
An overlooked story makes more sense now: The Carlyle Group and Welsh Carson Close Qwest Dex East Deal [thecarlylegroup.com , 01/02/03] Formerly thought to be benign, this transaction provides Carlyle with personal and business data profitable for re-selling to Poindexter's Total Information Awareness System "The Carlyle Group and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe today closed the first part - Dex East - of their purchase of Qwest Communications' yellow page directories business."
Carlyle Group Buying CSX Lines for $300M [AP/NYT, 12/18/02] COINCIDENCE? THE SON (who worked for Carlyle before they funded his race for governor) APPOINTS CSX CEO AS TREASURY SECRETARY, AND PAPPY'S FIRM BUYS CSX'S SHIPPING SUBSIDIARY "CSX Corp. said Tuesday it will sell its domestic container shipping unit to The Carlyle Group for approximately $300 million in cash and securities....CSX Lines has 17 U.S. flag vessels and 22,000 containers. The nation's largest ocean transport company provides ocean transportation and logistics services to and from the... United States [and its territories]."
Ex-IBM CEO Gerstner replaces former Reagan Defense Secretary Carlucci at Carlyle Group [Businessweek, 11/21/02] Gerstner seems a very expensive replacement. Is there that much to hide? "Carlyle Group has an image right out of a John Grisham novel -- a secretive firm of bigwigs that buys up lucrative defense businesses, wins hush-hush military contracts, and manipulates governments around the world to wring private profit out of public policy." [Related coverage in the NYT]
The ex-presidents' club [Guardian, Oliver Burkeman and Julian Borger, 11/08/02] THE EX-PRESIDENT'S CLUBng up an impressive list of former politicians - including the first President Bush and his secretary of state, James Baker; John Major; one-time World Bank treasurer Afsaneh Masheyekhi and several south-east Asian powerbrokers - and using their contacts and influence to promote the group. Among the companies Carlyle owns are those which make equipment, vehicles and munitions for the US military, and its celebrity employees have long served an ingenious dual purpose, helping encourage investments from the very wealthy while also smoothing the path for Carlyle's defense firms."
Tony Blair's Government to Sell Part of British Defense Research Industry to the Carlyle Group [Guardian, Philip Pank and 'agencies', 09/06/02] BRITAIN HAS BEEN BRIBED TO SUPPORT BUSH'S WAR AGAINST IRAQ! Did Blair get a job after PM? Has Britain been assured of future profits making parts for the U.S. Missile Defense System?
Making a Killing: The Dark and Ongoing Story of BioPort and the Anthrax Vaccine [Unknown News, by Cheryl Seal, 08/14/02] Was this story misplaced? Doesn't it belong with the Anthrax stories? Well, yes, it's connected. You surprised? "[Read] the story of BioPort, a modest-sized maker of vaccines in Lansing, Michigan that is owned in large part by the Carlyle Group. As we all know, the Carlyle Group is a haven for ex-government powermongers like George H. W. Bush, James Baker III, and Frank Carlucci, who use their Bush family ties to channel billions of dollars into their own coffers in the name of "government contracts." What it really amounts to is a slick money laundering operation: the Group's contacts in the Pentagon (right now their best friend is Donald Rumsfeld) steal money from the tax paper and funnel it into Carlyle's various operations and call it a "contract." We demand a Special Prosecutor for Carlyle!"
Will Americans 'Buy' Carlyle's Crusader Mobile Howitzers? [WP, By Vernon Loeb, 05/03/02] This is a cover to avoid another obvious ethical impropriety: it makes it look like it is Congress who wants this WWII-type system "based on its merits" "Supporters and opponents of the Army's new Crusader mobile artillery system drew battle lines yesterday, with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signaling his intent to cancel the program within 30 days and Congress acting swiftly to block the move....United Defense Industries [the manufacturer] is controlled by Carlyle Group Inc., an investment firm led by Frank C. Carlucci, a defense secretary under President Ronald Reagan [and CLOSE friend and college roommate to the current Defense Secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld]."
Arms Buildup Enriches Firm Staffed by Big Guns [LAT, By MARK FINEMAN, 04/25/02] Located near the Heritage Foundation between the Whitehouse and Congress, they are positioned to influence decisions - and the timing of them - for maximum profits "...when President Bush declared war on terrorism in September, few were better poised than Carlyle to know how and when to make money."
U.S. Army to "Contract Out" Training of Afghan Army [LAT, By ESTHER SCHRADER, 04/14/02] Watch for a contract going to Vinnell Corp. which is partly owned by Carlyle (Vinnell already trains the Saudi Army and Air Force) "In Afghanistan, the plan is for up to 150 U. S. Special Forces troops to begin training Afghan recruits, then to turn the effort over to private U. S. contractors."
THE CARLYLE GROUP: An ex-presidents' club runs the world's largest private firm that profits selling weapons to all sides! [Guardian] ANYONE NOTICE ANYTHING IMPROPER HERE? Carlyle profits from "War on Terrrorism" and Missile Defense Systems and Oil "...since the start of the "war on terrorism", the firm - unofficially valued at 3.5 billion (British pounds)- has taken on an added significance. Carlyle has become the thread which indirectly links American military policy in Afghanistan to the personal financial fortunes of its celebrity employees, not least the current president's father. And, until earlier this month, Carlyle provided another curious link to the Afghan crisis: among the firm's multi-million-dollar investors were members of the family of Osama bin Laden."
Carlyle Group cashing in again on IPO [CBSMarketWatch, By Steve Gelsi, 03/21/02] "Let's see, get Don to fast track the non-competitive defense contract approval by month-end, then tell George to announce the size of the contract on the 20th, just before the IPO…" "...While it's illegal for former government officials to lobby directly for private firms, there's nothing on the books right now [emphasis added] to keep ex-officials from helping to raise money for investment ventures sponsored by companies like the Carlyle Group." [See companion story also.]
Crony Capitalism Goes Global [The Nation, by Tim Shorrock, 03/15/02] Right wing politicians using influence to influence, and then they profit from weapons sales and war "...By hiring enough former officials to fill a permanent shadow cabinet, Carlyle has brought political influence to a new level and created a twenty-first-century version of capitalism that blurs any line between politics and business. In a sense, Carlyle may be the ultimate in privatization: the use of a private company to nurture public policy--and then reap its benefits in the form of profit. Although the fund claims to operate like any other investment bank, it's undeniable that its stable of statesmen-entrepreneurs have the ability to tap into networks in government and commerce, both at home and abroad, for advance intelligence about companies about to be sold and spun off, or government budgets and policies about to be implemented, and then transform that knowledge into investment strategies that dovetail nicely with US military foreign and domestic policy. "
The Big Guys Work For the Carlyle Group [Fortune, By Melanie Warner, 03/08/02] Working 'to the right' of the edge of what's proper and legal "Are you the sort of person who believes in conspiracies--the Trilateral Commission secretly runs the world, that sort of thing? Well, then, here's a company for you."
[Story: LAT, by ROBERT SCHEER, 02/20/02: Making Money, the Bush Way There are so many Bush scandals, it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. But as LA Times columnist Robert Scheer points out, one of the biggest is W's military budget, which includes $11 billion for "the 80,000-ton Crusader howitzer cannon designed to defeat the tanks of the Soviet army in a conventional war in Central Europe. As a candidate, even George W. Bush made fun of the antiquated weapon as he campaigned on the principle of a leaner, more efficient military built for modern wars. But perhaps nobody had told him that the Crusader is being built by a defense contractor called United Defense, owned by the Carlyle Group," run by Poppy Bush and his closest buddies Frank Carlucci and James Baker. Where is the outrage? We demand a Special Prosecutor to investigate corruption within the entire Bush family!]
[Story: CounterPunch, Francis Schor, 02/05/02: The Strange Career of Frank Carlucci "Similar to the Enron situation, the Bush family and others have enriched their careers and political fortunes with their ties to the Carlyle Group. However, this is a scandal that still hasn't gained the attention and measures necessary to prevent its scandalous continuance."]
[Story: SF Chronicle, David Lazarus, 02/04/02: CalPERS, Carlyle profit from Afghan war "Critics of the Carlyle Group have grown increasingly vocal in recent weeks, particularly over the perception that a private organization with unmistakable links to the White House is benefiting from America's military action in Afghanistan."]
[History: PBS, 01/22/02: Bin Laden Family History "...Like his father in 1968, Salem [Salem bin Laden was Osama's half-brother] died in a 1988 air crash...in Texas. He was flying a BAC 1-11 which had been bought in July 1977 by Prince Mohammed Ben Fahd. The plane's flight plans had long been at the center of a number of investigations. According to one of the plane's American pilots, it had been used in October 1980 during secret Paris meetings between US and Iranian emissaries. Nothing was ever proven, but Salem bin Laden's accidental death revived some speculation that he might have been "eliminated" as an embarrassing witness [that the former President Bush (then Republican candidate for Vice President) had gone to Paris to negotiate terms (missile sales, later to become known as Iran-Contra) and timing for the Iran Hostage release.]. In fact, an inquiry was held to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. The conclusions were never divulged."]
[Story: Independent, By Jason NissÈ 01/30/02: Carlyle Group, Employer of Bush Sr., Profits from Massive Weapons Program Signed by Jr. which the Pentagon had advised be Cancelled "Last September, the Army signed a $665 million contract to develop the Crusader Advanced Field Artillery System, a $12 billion weapons programme being built by United Defense Industries (UDI). Mr Bush signed a defence appropriation bill which included $487 million for the programme. This has helped Carlyle Group, the well-connected Washington-based investment group, which controls UDI, to float the defence contractor on the New York stock exchange. Last month Carlyle sold $225 million of shares in UDI in the flotation, retaining a 54 per cent stake worth $560 million."]
[Story: Truthout, William Rivers Pitt 01/20/02: Let There Be Light, Pt-3 "...Could the CIA have been dissuaded from fully investigating the roots of terrorism in Saudi Arabia because such investigations would have conflicted with the interests of entities like the Carlyle Group?"]
{ Part-1, Part-2 }
[Story: RedHerring, Justin Hibbard 01/15/02: Get to know In-Q-Tel: A Carlyle Group type of enterprise for the CIA and Intelligence community]
[Story: LAT, Mark Fineman 01/10/02: Arms Buildup Enriches Firm Staffed by Big Guns – Ex-president and other elites are behind weapon-boosting Carlyle Group.]
[Story: RedHerring, Dan Briody 01/10/02: Carlyle's Way – Making a mint inside "the iron triangle" of defense, government and industry]
[Story: Boston Herald 12/13/02: Pt.2: Bush advisers cashed in on Saudi gravy train]
[Story: Boston Herald 12/11/01: Pt.1: U.S. ties to Saudi elite may be hurting war on terrorism]
[Story: 12/3/01: Meet the Carlyle Group: Getting the BIG Picture]
[Story: Baltimore Chronicle 10/x/01: Republican-controlled Carlyle Group poses serious Ethical Questions for Bush Presidents, but 'News' Media ignore it “...Suppose, for example, that profits from military contracting were to go in the pockets of a former U.S. President whose son (and a presumed future heir) is now President? Suppose further that such profits escalate in times of conflict. Wouldn't this be of concern to the public? Wouldn't you expect the media to be all over such an important ethical (not to mention moral, and maybe legal) angle?”]
[Story: 9/30/01: Inside the Carlyle Group]
[Story: 9/30/01: Too many coincidences connecting Bush and bin Laden clans…]
[Story: 8/2/01: DOD Table of Missile Contractors - Carlyle Group ranked #12]
[Story: 8/x/01: Carlyle acquires Missile R&D and Manufacturing from Northrop Grumman Corp.]
[Story: The Times 5/26/01: Situation vacant? Only former world leaders need apply]
[Story: 5/x/01: The Carlyle Group: ex-government officials cash in]
[Story: WP 3/5/01: Elder Bush in Big G.O.P. Cast Toiling for Top Equity Firm] Besides Weapons Companies, Right-wing CARLYLE GROUP's Portfolio has recently expanded into TV, Radio and web-based publishing [11/x] You can manipulate history more effectively if you own the publishers “...Though books take a back seat to missile launchers among Carlyle’s portfolio of 11 defense contractors, there is evidence that the firm’s publishing-related stakes may be on the offensive. Last June, Carlyle invested in the Figaro Group, which owns one of France’s leading daily newspapers...”]
[Story: Sacramento Bus.Journal 11/30/01: Carlyle Group hopes to cash in on TV consolidation]
[Story: NYT 5/3: Former F.C.C. Chief Joins Investment Firm]
[Story: TomPaine 10/13/01: MISSING THE OIL STORY “...only the Left is connecting the dots of what the Russians have called "The Great Game" -- how oil underneath the 'stans' fits into the new world order...”]
Carlyle Group: The Shadow Government for Republican Business [03/05/01] A new $12 billion private equity firm based in Washington “Carlyle is as deeply wired into the current administration as they can possibly be," said Charles Lewis, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit public interest group based in Washington. "George Bush is getting money from private interests that have business before the government, while his son is president. And, in a really peculiar way, George W. Bush could, some day, benefit financially from his own administration's decisions, through his father's investments. The average American doesn't know that and, to me, that's a jaw-dropper.”
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