Last night, I had dinner with a long-time national security systems analyst who has worked in the Department of Defense and now works for one of the larger private think tanks funded mostly by government.
The two largest economic partners for Cuba today are Venezuela and China. Venezuela provides oil to Cuba in exchange for a finely tuned barter arrangement for tens of thousands of doctors deployed throughout Venezuelan cities and villages. China is pumping “tied aid” and financing into Cuba because it smells mercantilist opportunities there.
Secretary of the Treasury “Hank Paulson can easily control his enthusiasm for Paul Wolfowitz,” according to a source close to Paulson, “but he does not have enough yet to stick the final knife in.
(Steve Clemons rushing a last blog post a month ago on Senator Chuck Hagel’s “non-campaign campaign” before jumping on a flight from Miami to Havana) Folks, I have been chasing down some more important material on Paul Wolfowitz’s past. It will be up later today I hope, tomorrow morning at the latest.
Andrew Sullivan has highlighted a fascinating, yet troubling, YouTube capture of a BBC interview with John Bolton on the recess-appointed Ambassador’s views of the Iraq War and its aftermath. As Sullivan writes: The BBC’s interviewers are not as deferent as some in America. Paxman is among the most aggressive.
Congressmen Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Charles Rangel (D-NY) have laid out a compelling and sensible plan to reconsider America’s relations with Cuba titled “Time for America to be Relevant in Cuba.
Beyond the question of what Shaha Riza’s compensation was and how she got it — is what she has been doing and for whom. She was reportedly seconded to the multi-nationally supported “Foundation for the Future,” which was really a part of America’s public diplomacy game plan.
Here is some material to help those following the Wolfowitz scandal. First, here is a great article by Emad Mekay and Jim Lobe, “Top Wolfowitz Postings Went to Iraq War Backers.” Here is a fascinating piece on Paul Wolfowitz’s family roots and early days at Cornell.
A TWN reader has done a nice job of assembling key email addresses for World Bank officials who may have some influence on whether the corrupt actions of Bank President Paul Wolfowitz on behalf of his girlfriend and others justifies his resignation/firing.
Paul Wolfowitz‘s tenure at the World Bank may end in the next day or two. Rumors are spreading like wild fire at the Bank that he plans to resign tomorrow.