Corrupt U.S. Contracts and the Revolution in Kyrgyzstan

A public perception of massive corruption concerning U.S. Department of Defense fuel-supply contracts has now helped bring down the government of Kyrgyzstan twice–in 2005, and again two weeks ago. Was the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act violated by U.S. government actors and their contractors and subcontractors? Did the Department of Justice actually take note of these massive bribery operations and give them a wink and a nod? A good deal of information is coming to the surface now that suggests the answer to both questions will be “yes.” Here’s my testimony [PDF] delivered this morning before the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the course of a hearing looking into these issues. And here’s Aram Roston’s important new article, which moves us closer to the conclusion that Red Star and Mina, two unheard-of phantom companies that hold $1 billion plus in fuel-supply contracts for the Pentagon, are actually just government shells created to avoid having the Pentagon contract directly with entities controlled by local government officials, in likely violation of the anti-bribery laws.