Quotes from their summary:
“Today’s report reveals new and extensive evidence that corroborates Committee whistle-blowers and exposes how corporate and foreign interests are using their unique access to advocate for the transfer of U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Maryland Democrat who chairs the committee.
The investigation focuses on company called IP3 International, which is run by a group of retired American generals, and their years-long effort to promote a plan to sell dozens of nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The company has been aided in its efforts by two well-known Trump advisers: Flynn and Barrack, a California investment executive who has deep ties in the Middle East.
Barrack promoted the effort as part of what he called a “Middle East Marshall Plan” despite concerns from some White House officials and lawmakers that Saudi Arabia’s true goal was to obtain technology for nuclear weapons, which could heighten tensions in the unstable region.
The efforts continued until recently. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry made several trips to Saudi Arabia apparently related to this “plan.”
I put “plan” in quotes because what I’ve seen of IP3 International and its predecessor companies suggests that their plan was something like
- Sell nuclear reactors to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries
- Sell security personnel to guard the reactors
- …
- Peace in the Middle East and PROFIT!
One of the earlier plans was to facilitate selling Russian reactors to Middle Eastern countries. That was quickly switched out, perhaps when someone pointed out that it was poor form under “America First” not to be selling American reactors. No more than one or two of the board members of these companies have any experience at all with commercial nuclear power and the restrictions on selling it.
I haven’t read the report yet, but from what I’m seeing, I think my take is a bit different. I think the whole thing is some sort of grift, although I can’t figure out exactly how it works. A colleague says he saw a very similar “plan” back in the George W. Bush administration.
I wrote my own analysis earlier this year, here, here, and here.
Yarrow
Related:
opiejeanne
This is depressing. It’s just another pile of nasty shit on top of a really big shit pizza, and we’re overwhelmed, or at least I am.
The. size of this horrible pizza is beyond comprehension.
Yarrow
NYT article yesterday:
Ryan
Didn’t the judge in Flynn’s case prod Flynn to cooperate more fully and inquire about whether he could be accused of treason? Selling above-the-board reactors doesn’t qualify for that.
Patricia Kayden
@opiejeanne: Exhausted but I still need House Democrats to reveal even more b.s. by beginning the impeachment process. He must be exposed.
joel hanes
I think the whole thing is some sort of grift
I’m guessing without evidence that the reactors to be built in Saudi Arabia were to be build by construction firms with ties to the Trump organization, firms that could be trusted to use New York real-estate kickback conventions to grease the palms of their benefactors. Remember how the Trumps set up their own supply/contract firms to overbill themselves for materials and services as a tax-evasion dodge that conveyed Fred’s wealth to the next generation.
Jeffro
@joel hanes:
Yup. And how did THAT get flushed down the memory hole so quickly? I mean, even for American attention spans, the story of the president*s participation in a multi-generational, multimillion dollar tax fraud scheme really ought to have been front page news, followed by his party’s complete disavowal of support and then the president*s resignati…LOLOLOL, oh, I’m sorry, I forgot IOKIYAR there for a second. My bad
kindness
I know money is the 1st, 2nd & 3rd main reasons for any Republican to support a policy but I don’t think the nuclear issue is all driven by profit.
I’m convinced that some of these Republicans want some other country (preferably not Israel) to start throwing nukes around so they can then prod the US to use theirs. They want proliferation, not non-proliferation.
Luthe
Y’all did see we’re outsourcing our “America First” energy policy to the UAE, right?
opiejeanne
@Patricia Kayden: I’m told that process started on Friday. Very quietly.
Anne Laurie
@Jeffro:
According to Jay Rosen — who is an expert on these things — the NYT chose to present their (absolutely worthy!) investigation as a huge one-time ‘bombshell’ because that’s the best way to get the attention of prize committees. If the people responsible for parcelling out front-page space were interested in keeping readers’ attention, they’d have distributed the report as multiple stories over days or weeks (like, for instance, their endless trickle of what-about-her-emails coverage in 2016).
Always to be remembered: What is “best” for Our Mainstream Media is not necessarily best for those of us in search of information!
JoeyJoeJoe
@opiejeanne: I agree with people who have said exhaustion is what they want. Speaking for myself, every thing they do just makes me more determined to make sure they get fucked; both losing in the elections and being held legally responsible too
Ken
Can an incoming Democratic administration in 2021 lean on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and so forth to turn over the receipts for these, ah, “business arrangements”? Or is that considered a diplomatic no-no?
Cheryl Rofer
I’ll read the report and perhaps comment more tomorrow, but I think the scheme was all talk. Perhaps its perpetrators even believed that their talk would come to something. Eventually, Tom Barrack realized that an actual reactor manufacturer would have to be involved, which was when he started looking to Westinghouse.
Boundless incompetence, coupled with boundless greed.
opiejeanne
@JoeyJoeJoe: Don’t misunderstand. I will work like mad for our nominee, like I did for Hillary. It’s just that there’s a point where you just acknowledge that they’re horrible, they’re liars, they’re monsters, and you look forward to working to unseat as many as possible. I’ve already been involved in doing that for a state senate seat, so now every one of the people who represent us at state and federal level are Democrats, and liberal ones at that. The election of our state senator broke the nasty legislative deadlock in WA state politics and the senate and house were able to pass a big backlog of bills, many of which were bi-partisan. I know the stakes and I know how it works.
For the 2020 election I may even work for some of the Democrats to unseat representatives in red districts, although that might stretch us too much. I should look into the postcard writing project. That’s something I can do easily.
Robert Sneddon
There are only two reactors being built anywhere in the world right now by American contractors. They’re both in the US at Vogtle, GA and of course they’re late and over-budget. If the Saudis really want reactors built so they can sell more oil and gas abroad then they need to order them from someone who’s provably capable of building them like the South Koreans, the Russians or possibly the Chinese.
Dog Mom
Hmmm, Saudis, weren’t there a number of them involved in a bad act – maybe it was back around 2001? A beautiful sunny September morning . . . might help to remind some folks.
Dog Mom
Oops, I see now that has been covered – excuse my lack of comprehension – No coffee in my system yet!
J R in WV
@Dog Mom:
Yes they were, and then we attacked Iraq to punish those who attacked us. Really! That’s how stupid Bush was, and how in love with the Saudis — I’ll never forget seeing the video when he held hands with Prince Bandar who visited him at his “ranch” in TX, walking up to the house, hand in hand. Slightly pervy and very upsetting.