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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
STUNNER— Did Obama’s Intel Chief Violate Iran Sanctions?

Since the appointment of Chas Freeman as director of the NIC was announced two weeks ago his recent career has called into question his fitness to serve in the this key intelligence position.

Ambassador Freeman’s relationship with the Saudi royal family has motivated him to express views that go way beyond the range of normal his views go way beyond the range of normal. Freeman runs a magazine that among other things claims the Iraq war was waged to help Israel. He subscribes the the “Walt and Mearsheimer contention that the Israel Lobby (a nice way of saying Jews) control the US Foreign policy. His MEPC political action group publishes a Workbook that teaches our children that the Muslims discovered the “New World” and the “Indians” who met the English Explorers all had Muslim names. The man will now be the gatekeeper deciding what gets to the President, is a Friend of the Bin Laden family, Sportive of Chinese Cruelty and runs a company Projects International that does a lot of buisness with the Saudi Royal family.

Aaron Klein of WorldNet Daily has dug up that since 2004, Freeman has been on the international advisory board of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC, and that CNOOC may have been skirting the US Sanctions against Iran:

CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Obama intel chief violating Iran sanctions?
Board member of Chinese government-owned company in deal with Tehran

By Aaron Klein

JERUSALEM – President Obama’s nominee for a top intelligence post sits on the board of a major oil company owned by the Chinese government that is in the midst of a multibillion dollar deal with Iran which may violate U.S. sanctions, WND has learned.

The oil company is widely seen as conducting business deals meant to expand China’s influence worldwide. One of its recent attempts to purchase a large U.S. oil firm drew bipartisan congressional opposition amid fears the deal would harm American national security interests.

Charles “Chas” Freeman, the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, is slated to head the U.S. National Intelligence Council. The NIC is a crucial component of the U.S. intelligence apparatus, serving as the center for midterm and long-term strategic thinking within the American intelligence community. It provides intelligence briefs for Obama and key U.S. agencies and produces reports that help determine American policy on crucial issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program.

Since 2004, Freeman has been on the international advisory board of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC.

Ma Bing, an analyst for CNOOC’s investor relations department today confirmed to WND that Freeman is still on the board. He said Freeman’s role is to “provide the (company) management with strategic advice on world events and macro issues that may impact our development.”

In 2006, CNOOC, with Freeman on its advisory board, signed a memorandum of understanding with the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company to develop Iran’s North Pars gas field in a contract with Tehran reportedly worth $16 billion. The deal was stalled for two years after the U.S. State and Treasury Departments vowed to scrutinize the transaction to see if it violates either international or U.S. sanctions against Iran.

In December, the Iranian oil company announced it finalized the development plan with CNOOC. The two companies are currently negotiating the price of the contract.

Mohammad Ali Emadi, director of the Iranian firm’s research and development team, said the terms of the agreement may be finalized “in less than one month,” paving the way for the multibillion-dollar deal to be made public.

Emadi said the agreement with CNOOC would last for at least 25 years.

A spokesman for the State Department told WND the U.S. government will look into the deal after it is concluded to determine if it violates American sanctions. The Treasury Department in the past acted swiftly against international firms said to violate the sanctions.

Freeman did not return WND requests for comment left with a media representative at the Middle East Policy Council, where he serves as director.

Click here for the Rest of Aaron Klein’s Impressively researched story

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Posted by Yid With Lid at 3/04/2009 06:22:00 PM