Article

2014-04-10 Home Front: WoT

Republican Congresscritter Dragging His Feet on Benghazi Has Conflict of Interest

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Uncle Phester 2014-04-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 test

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 04:16|| 2014-04-10 04:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Appears to be getting dirtier by the hour. Aegis LLC has, shall we say, a rather coloured history as a Private Military Company [PMC] in Africa and elsewhere. They also have decades long, deeply rooted contacts in the UK defense establishment and yes, you guesse it, Blue Mountain Security.

And yes, we did recently have billions of USD turn up missing at the State Department. Something tells me the Benghazi investigation may soon be slowing to a crawl.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 04:20|| 2014-04-10 04:20|| Front Page Top

#3 Relevant link to the #2.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 04:22|| 2014-04-10 04:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Former FBI agent and Congressman Mike Rogers calls CISPA opponents, "14 year olds in the basement."

The controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) just passed the U.S. House, and will now head to the upper Senate chamber for further deliberation.

CISPA will allow private sector firms to search personal and sensitive user data of ordinary U.S. residents to identify "threat information," which can then be shared with other opt-in firms and the U.S. government without the need for a court-ordered warrant.

Link

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 09:14|| 2014-04-10 09:14|| Front Page Top

#5 You know, if I was a cynical person, I might be inclined to suspect that our entire government is a cesspool of corruption and thievery. Sort of like a criminal syndicate.

But, can't be, too many checks and balances. Right?

Posted by Tarzan Gurly-Brown 2014-04-10 09:45|| 2014-04-10 09:45|| Front Page Top

#6 Well Tarzan, appears we've layed down with the honds and come up with the fleas.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 09:56|| 2014-04-10 09:56|| Front Page Top

#7 Someone smarter than I said that the Republicans and the Democrats ere just two wings of the same turkey.

Posted by SR-71 2014-04-10 10:20|| 2014-04-10 10:20|| Front Page Top

#8 Certainly explains why nothing has been forthcoming. Both sides anxiously nibbling off the same custard tart.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 11:16|| 2014-04-10 11:16|| Front Page Top

#9 Obviously just being a Republican is not enough. It has to be the right kind of Republican. Otherwise all you ever get is more of the same.

Posted by Iblis 2014-04-10 12:40|| 2014-04-10 12:40|| Front Page Top

#10 Blue Mountain did not have experience in protecting diplomatic facilities. Based on info provided by the foreign diplo community in Benghazi, there was surprise at Blue Mountain getting the contract; normally it's awarded more experienced firms, especially given the situation on the ground.

Personal conjecture:

The Benghazi consulate contract was short term, too 'small', a stand-alone contract (i.e., separate from the large contract Aegis had,) or a combination thereof. It could have been awarded directly to Blue Mountain (based on any or some the above factors.)

Or - and more likely, the contract was awarded to Aegis LLC and then sub-contracted, something that is done frequently. The reason for subcontracting could also have been any or some of the above factors.

In any case, Blue Mountain got the job, either by contract or sub-contract. Although not having experience in diplomatic facility security, it's not unheard of for a firm to bid on a contract or subcontract(breaking even or at a slight loss,) hoping to build a "record of performance" if it's awarded. Connections could have played a part.

Apparently Blue Mountain pulled its employee(s) prior to the attack. If a contractor breaks off a contract, it's because the contracting body (State Department in this case) did not hold up its end of the work-performance statement/contract, Aegis did not hold up its end as contractor administrator, a combination of the two, or Blue Mountain concluded that the risk to its personnel or that performing the work the contract itself required was untenable and was willing to deal with the legal after-effects.

The other possibility was that Blue Mountain was ordered off. The possibles for that are contract non-performance, contract dispute, cancellation of the contract, or being told to go on hiatus.

It's likely we won't know, especially if Blue Mountain signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) for whatever reason.

Curious, in any case.

Posted by Pappy 2014-04-10 13:53|| 2014-04-10 13:53|| Front Page Top

#11 Your "conjecture" is probably closer to the facts than may be realized. Having a major player like Aegis on the ground in Benghazi would have instantly created a flag. Better a small, little know footprint like Blue Mountain.

My curiosity peaked when the Blue Mountain Program Manager was reported to have rather abruptly departed Benghazi and returned to London. As we have noted here on several occasions, little interest was paid to the Blue Mountain piece by investigators or committees. We may now know why.

Contributing factors to the Blue Mountain Program Manger's departure might have been a pending arms deal cock-up, and a need to clear the drop zone prior to everything going seriously to hell. Ambassador Steven's hapless appearance in Benghazi may have been a last ditch attempt at saving the project.

The involvement of dodgy characters like old Sandline International CEO Lt. Col. Tim Spicer and Aegis Defense Services, should provide an alert whenever they appear. It has been said in some circles, that "where Tim goes, trouble generally follows."

A complete laying of Benghazi cards on the table may have rather inconvenient consequences for not only the current regime, but our Albion cousins as well.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 15:31|| 2014-04-10 15:31|| Front Page Top

#12 Moral of the story: Corruption is non-partisan and infectious?

Posted by JohnQC 2014-04-10 16:10|| 2014-04-10 16:10|| Front Page Top

#13 Better a small, little know footprint like Blue Mountain.

I thought about that, especially given that the Benghazi consulate was officially designated in the Congressional report as a "temporary consulate". That in itself is interesting - the ambassador was ostensibly in town to dedicate a new computer/media area at that consulate for use by Libyan nationals. Not exactly something that's usually added to a temporary facility. Then again, it is "government."

My curiosity peaked when the Blue Mountain Program Manager was reported to have rather abruptly departed Benghazi and returned to London

Also interesting are reports that the program manager had no experience with facility security; his background was in the personal-protection/bodyguard field.

As I said, we might not ever know, especially if Blue Mountain signed an NDA with the UK-based Aegis.

Posted by Pappy 2014-04-10 18:20|| 2014-04-10 18:20|| Front Page Top

#14 C-Span video on Kristi Rogers from 2010

Posted by 3dc 2014-04-10 21:19|| 2014-04-10 21:19|| Front Page Top

#15 Nice catch 3dc. Anyone care to opine that Ms. Rogers wasn't a well targeted recruitment and hire by Aegis LLC ?

Posted by Besoeker 2014-04-10 22:02|| 2014-04-10 22:02|| Front Page Top

23:54 Lone Ranger
23:39 CrazyFool
23:39 Rob Crawford
23:37 Rob Crawford
23:09 USN,ret
22:35 gorb
22:02 Besoeker
21:44 Bubba Graiting8281
21:43 Uncle Phester
21:37 Procopius2k
21:35 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:34 Uncle Phester
21:29 Uncle Phester
21:19 3dc
21:12 Rambler in Virginia
21:08 SteveS
21:01 Jeang Gravigum5843
20:56 3dc
20:55 Silentbrick
20:53 Jeang Gravigum5843
20:51 Jeang Gravigum5843
20:48 badanov
20:38 Bubba Graiting8281
20:32 badanov