CONGRESS CAN STILL FOLLOW THE LIBBY OIL TRAIL

CONGRESS CAN STILL FOLLOW THE LIBBY OIL TRAIL

By Nick Mottern, Director, ConsumersforPeace.org

The first famous obstruction of justice in which Scooter Libby was involved came at the end of the Clinton presidency when Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, the notorious international criminal who has made billions from illegal oil trading.

One can argue that Clinton pardoned Rich expecting some financial benefit, but it is quite likely that the pardon also protected Rich associates, probably including oil people. The pardon stopped Federal investigation and prosecution of Rich and so very likely benefited powerful people inside and outside the U.S.

Scooter Libby was Marc Rich’s lawyer at the time, and he went to Congress to defend the pardon.

Now comes what is effectively the pardon of Libby. Certainly the “communtation” is an effort to keep Libby’s mouth shut about the Plame-Iraq War crimes within the Cheney office. But there is also a deep need on the part of Cheney to keep Libby’s mouth shut about Cheney’s involvement in the oil world.

Cheney, as head of Halliburton, played in the same oil patches as Rich, notably in Iraq, Russia and Nigeria, working out deals that in some cases have prompted attention by journalistic and/or governmental investigators. Not remarkably, there have been no indictments.

Congress has the authority and power to investigate the Cheney-Liibby-Rich oil dealings completely and separately from the Plame incident. This investigation would necessarily carry forward into Cheney’s involvement with oil executives worldwide, including the Saudis, from the before Bush/Cheney were elected until now.

This would mean a dramatic shift in the approach of the Democrats in Congress toward intensive investigation into oil corruption in the White House, marshalling investigative staffs expert in oil and finance with strong prosecutorial leadership. It would also mean a willingness on the part of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to follow the oil trail into their own party. Certainly Mr. Clinton needs to answer some questions.

This kind of investigation, which is well within the capability of Congressman Henry Waxman, is essential not only to deal with Bush/Cheney illegality but to help liberate the nation and the world from the backroom oil politics that has so much to do with U.S. military activity globally, not just in Iraq.