The Saudi-based Binladen Group (yes, Osama's family) has just won the contracts to implement two airport projects in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt and the Sharjah International Airport in Yemen... all financed by the World Bank to the tune of $335 million.
The Saudi Arab News reports with a straight face that "Binladen Group has vast experience in airport infrastructure projects." Which is true, if incomplete. The group has carried out nine other projects including the Kuala Lumpur Airport, Port Sudan Airport, Prince Salman Airport in Al-Dawadmi, an expansion of Cairo airport and renovation of some airports in Syria.
Where's Paul Wolfowitz when you need him? (Hat Tip: WSJ Best of the Web)
Need him to do what?
Good question praktike. Nothing in the article indicates the World Bank has over stepped their bounds let alone whom the world bank lent the money to.
Joe, what do you have against the Binladen company and what has this to do with the World bank. They seem to be lending the money to a reputable contractor. If this is not the case than enlighten us. But have more to tell than the average corruption case because it is construction.
First I have a question. Is there also a Sharjah in Yemen? The Sharjah I know of is one of the seven emirates (and its capital city, which is located near Dubai) that form the United Arab Emirates. Lovely place, it is dry but if you go to Khorfakhan Fujairah is about 15 minutes away and Fujairah is completely open as far as liquor beer and wine go! Home of international cricket's "The Sharjah Cup".
Second comment is The Bin Laden family has disowned Osama (afaik, I have seen plenty of quotes from half-brothers who are not proud of Osama). I am not too concerned about this.
a
My point exactly. I'm not sure who the money was loaned to. Egypt or Binladen? The former sounds more likely since a contractor who provides services is looking for payment. A contractor may look for a start up loan but then this would not be revealed to the purchaser in most cases.
Marcus
You are correct. I have seen several interviews on TV as well and have read many articles on the Binladen family disowning / showing displeasure to Ossama.
I was wondering at this post too. I'm sure Joe did not intend a Michael Moore-ish slap through oblique connections. The Bin Laden family also does business with the USG. If they were deemed any sort of "problem", I suspect those contracts would be scrapped.
That was actually the one part of Moore's movie where I thought he had a point. Suffice to say that I do NOT believe the Bin Laden family have clean hands, and if they have USG or World Bank contracts then yes it does disturb me.
Giving them an airport contract... ye gods.
Joe
Your concerns, I think are misplaced. Egypt awarded the contract to the Bin Laden organization. The World Bank is financing the project. Now I'll ask again who did the World Bank loan the money to? Egypt or the Bin Laden family?
Secondly I don't know that there has been enough evidence with proof presented to suggest that the Bin Laden family has enabled or abetted Osama's agenda.
"Suffice to say that I do NOT believe the Bin Laden family have clean hands, and if they have USG or World Bank contracts then yes it does disturb me."
Evidence?
"Suffice to say that I do NOT believe the Bin Laden family have clean hands, and if they have USG or World Bank contracts then yes it does disturb me."
The Bush family has had business dealings with the bin Laden group (as well as the Hinckley family) for years.
Faced with these facts, you have basically two choices:
1. Conclude that Bush's business dealings were as suspect as the World Bank's dealings. (For once, I would consider this to be grossly unfair to Bush)
2. Consider cutting the rest of the bin Laden family some slack.
Not all bin Ladens are named Osama. It is unreasonable to judge an entire group by the actions of one of its individuals.
As a Jew, and on Good Friday especially, I would expect you to understand this by now.
Interesting. Of course, y'all probably realize that there are several hundred American (and other) troops within 5 miles of Sharm El-Sheikh with the Multinational Force and Observers, eh?
T.J... or maybe I'm just better informed than you are:
The phrase you're looking for is The Golden Chain - and no, I don't find this difficult to believe for a second. UPI also covered this at the time.
I don't feel particularly inclined to cut the Bin Laden family any slack, today or any day. And if that raises questions about George Bush's dealings with them (and I am not aware of the nature of those dealings since the Golden Chain documents were found in 2002), then he ought to answer the questions.
To paraphrase Armed Liberal, I reserve unquestioning loyalty for the Toronto Blue Jays.
I'm a little confused. Let's assume for the moment that a group of wealthy individuals with a combined net worth >80 billion dollars has been funding Al Qaeda, and that the bin Ladens have been involved.
Where is the wave of terror in the US? Is it being stopped by a hypercompetent DoD/DoHS? With a small fraction of 80 billion dollars I could kill a LOT of Americans.
This doesn't make sense. Incompetent morons can't run businessess that are worth billions of dollars (at least, not for long.) And these Al Qaeda guys haven't exactly been demonstrating three-digit IQ behavior.
If the bin Ladens are involved, and hard evidence for this exists, why aren't more of them in the slammer?