Wednesday, July 02, 2003
The secretive world of the Carlyle Group
I have spoken to a lot of friends over time about the lack of interest in the US media about secretive private equity organisations like the Carlyle Group. The BBC reported in a "Panorama" episode broadcast just after Sept 11th about the Carlyle group which included, among others, Bush 41, Bush 43 and various members of the Bin Laden family, including Bin Laden pere. What was interesting at the time was the way the entire Bin Laden clan was spirited out of the United States on Sept 12th before the FBI had a chance to question them. I am not implying any link between Bush and Osama (nor do I have a problem with the Carlyle group or the way it operates), but the fact that the Bushies/Carlyle have been involved in a lot of business deals with the Bin Laden clan should be in the public domain. For some reason, despite foreign press coverage of this story, it was absolutely wiped out of the US media. I am yet to figure out why, since its a story that arouses a great deal of interest any time you recite it to anyone.
The Economist reviews Dan Briody's "The Iron Triangle: Inside the Secret World of the Carlyle Group" this week. The review raises some of the points I have made in the past, including the connection between the Bin Laden and Bush families.
On the day Osama bin Laden's men attacked America, Shafiq bin Laden, described as an estranged brother of the terrorist, was at an investment conference in Washington, DC, along with two people who are close to President George Bush: his father, the first President Bush, and James Baker, the former secretary of state who masterminded the legal campaign that secured Dubya's move to the White House. The conference was hosted by the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that manages billions of dollars, including, at the time, some bin Laden family wealth. It also employs Messrs Bush and Baker.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, when no one was being allowed in or out of the United States, many members of the bin Laden family in America were spirited home to Saudi Arabia. The revival of defence spending that followed greatly increased the value of the Carlyle Group's investments in defence companies.
The Economist reviews Dan Briody's "The Iron Triangle: Inside the Secret World of the Carlyle Group" this week. The review raises some of the points I have made in the past, including the connection between the Bin Laden and Bush families.
On the day Osama bin Laden's men attacked America, Shafiq bin Laden, described as an estranged brother of the terrorist, was at an investment conference in Washington, DC, along with two people who are close to President George Bush: his father, the first President Bush, and James Baker, the former secretary of state who masterminded the legal campaign that secured Dubya's move to the White House. The conference was hosted by the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that manages billions of dollars, including, at the time, some bin Laden family wealth. It also employs Messrs Bush and Baker.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, when no one was being allowed in or out of the United States, many members of the bin Laden family in America were spirited home to Saudi Arabia. The revival of defence spending that followed greatly increased the value of the Carlyle Group's investments in defence companies.
