Contracts with Crooks: There really is no "low" anymore

According to ABC news and Gretchen Peters, the bush administration has pulled off another one.

"The US military has awarded an $80 million contract to a prominent Saudi financier who has been indicted by the US Justice Department."

Saudi businessman Ghaith Pharaon is WANTED and has been indicted by the FBI, is a fugitive from the law and will be providing jet fuel to American bases in Afghanistan. If only this were a "bad-boy-makes-good" story. It's not:

"Pharaon is wanted in connection with his alleged role at the failed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), and the CenTrust savings and loan scandal, which cost US tax payers $1.7 billion.

"The Saudi businessman was also named in a 2002 French parliamentary report as having links to informal money transfer networks called hawala, known to be used by traders and terrorists, including Al Qaeda.

"Interestingly, Pharaon was also an investor in President George W. Bush's first business venture, Arbusto Energy."

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"Ghaith Pharaon is an FBI fugitive indicted in both the BCCI and CENTRUST case," said Richard Kolko, a spokesman for the FBI. "If anyone has information on his location, they are requested to contact the FBI or the US Embassy."

It's hard not to laugh at the sheer audacity of it. Pharaon not only invested in Arbusto, but was a classmate of "W" at Harvard.

How have we not gotten out the pitchforks and torches?