The Political Chase

State to Blackwater: Talk to No One Including Congress

The Bush-Cheney administration continues its rampage to unconstitutionally obstruct, obfuscate, deceive, and distract whatever may be in its wake. State Department officials and Blackwater, the private U.S. security company providing security in Iraq, have been ordered to not talk with anyone — not even Congress.

From the House Committee on Oversight and Reform:

The State Department has instructed its officials that they cannot communicate with the Committee about corruption in the Maliki government unless the Committee agrees to treat all information, including “broad statements/assessments,” as national security secrets. Other points of growing contention between the Committee and the State Department include Blackwater’s assertion that the State Department has instructed the company to withhold information from the Committee and the refusal of Secretary Rice to testify.

On September 20, Kiazan Moneypenny, a State Department contracting officer, sent a letter (pdf) to Blackwater’s Fred Roitz ordering the security company to not discuss or reveal any information about Blackwater’s operations in Iraq, any information or documents the security company may have obtained while performing services for the Department, nor about Blackwater’s contract with the State Department. In other words, say nothing except what we tell you to say.

Yesterday, Blackwater’s attorney, Stephen M. Ryan of McDermott Will & Emory, wrote Waxman (pdf) and politely told him to stuff it, that State hard ordered Blackwater to not do or say anything without their prior approval.

Apparently Waxman was unaware of the State Department’s order and another surprise, Condi Rice’s refusal to testify before Congress, which resulted in a love letter from Waxman to Rice (pdf), informing her that State had no authority to compel Blackwater to obstruct a congressional investigation.

I am writing about three extraordinary communications the Committee has received from the State Department regarding corruption within the Iraqi government, the operations of Blackwater USA, and the status of political reconciliation in Iraq.

First, Committee staff were informed yesterday that State Department officials with direct knowledge of corruption within the Maliki government would not be allowed to provide the Committee with “assessments which judge or characterize the quality of Iraqi governance or the ability/determination of the Iraqi government to deal with corruption” unless the Committee agreed to treat this information as classified and withhold it from the public.

Second, Blackwater has informed the Committee that a State Department official directed Blackwater not to provide documents relevant to the Committee’s investigation into the company’s activities in Iraq without the prior written approval of the State Department.

Third, the Committee staff were informed that you have refused to testify at any hearing called by this Committee to examine the progress of political reconciliation in Iraq, the impact of corruption in Iraq, and the Blackwater incident.

I urge you to reconsider the unusual positions you are taking. Congress has a constitutional prerogative to examine the impacts that corruption within the Iraqi ministries and the activities of Blackwater may have on the prospects for political reconciliation in Iraq. You are wrong to interfere with the Committee’s inquiry.

Of course George Bush will view Executive Privilege extending to Blackwater. In April, he claimed Executive Privilege over the Republican National Committee, so why not Blackwater? What’s next? The Dairy Queen and McDonalds?