Sometimes the intersection of politics and policy is comfortable, sometimes uncomfortable, and sometimes you have to "connect the dots." One very uncomfortable "dot connecting" involves President Bill Clinton, philanthropic fundraising, the uranium industry and Clinton's private activity that ran contrary to US foreign policy and reinforced a country, Kazakhstan, with an antipathy to human rights and open media. Maybe it's just a former President cynically cashing in. Maybe it's more, as Clinton's income was pledged as part of the collateral for the loans to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Who can know? It's not like they tell us anything.
My summary is a stripped down version of the New York Times story, with human rights websites added in. Apologies for the length, but it's really interesting (in a frustrating, tragic sort of way). To read the story for yourself, go here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/us/politics/31donor.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1204395501-nZTZ1lLN+NSs27uQK6AlIg
The Deal Details:
On September 6, 2005, Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra flew in his private jet to Almaty, in southeast Kazakhstan, with former President Bill Clinton. Kazakhstan, the former Soviet Republic, has about one-fifth of the world’s uranium reserves (yes, Uranium, as in nuclear energy and nuclear weaponry). Unlike more established competitors, Giustra was a newcomer to uranium mining in Kazakhstan(in late 2004, Mr. Giustra began talking to investors, and put together a company that would eventually be called UrAsia Energy Ltd.).
Just months after the Kazakh pact was finalized, Clinton’s charitable foundation received $31.3 million donation from Giustra, though the gift was not acknowledged until December 2007. Giustra’s more recent and public pledge to give the William J. Clinton Foundation an additional $100 million.
Late last year, Kazakhstan won the chance to lead the security organization for one year, despite US opposition by the Bush administration. Moreover, NY Senator Hillary Clinton, who sits on a Congressional commission with oversight, also voiced concern. Eleven months before Bill Clinton’s travels, Senator Clinton co-signed a commission letter to the State Department that Kazakhstan’s bid “would not be acceptable,” citing “serious corruption,” canceled elections and government control of the news media.
Robert Herman, who worked for the State Department in the Clinton administration said the former president’s statement amounted to an endorsement of Kazakhstan’s readiness to lead the group, a position he called “patently absurd,” adding “there was nothing in the record to suggest that they really wanted to move forward on democratic reform.
In December 2005, Nazarbayev won an election, in which the OSCE itself said was marred by an “atmosphere of intimidation” and “ballot-box stuffing.” After Nazarbayev won with 91% of the vote, Clinton sent his congratulations. “Recognizing that your work has received an excellent grade is one of the most important rewards in life,” Clinton wrote in a letter released by the Kazakh embassy. Last September, just weeks after Kazakhstan held an election that once again failed to meet international standards, Clinton honored Nazarbayev by inviting him to his annual philanthropic conference.
Oh, and in September 2006, Giustra co-produced a gala 60th birthday for Clinton that featured rocker (former member of Atlantic City Expressway, before going on to super stardom) Jon Bon Jovi and raised about $21 million for the Clinton Foundation.
In the fall of 2006, Dzhakishev, the Kazatomprom chief, traveled to Chappaqua, N.Y., to meet with Clinton at his home, in a three hour meeting arranged and and attended by Giustra. Dzhakishev said he wanted to discuss Kazakhstan’s intention — not publicly known at the time — to buy a 10% stake in Westinghouse, a United States supplier of nuclear technology.
You may remember that nearly a year earlier, Clinton had advised Dubai on how to handle the political furor after one of Dubai’s companies attempted to take over several American ports. NY Senator Hillary Clinton was one Congressional leader raising the national security concerns that helped kill the Dubai ports deal. Dzhakishev said he was concerned that a Westinghouse deal could face the same objections (well, I certainly hope so!). Clinton said he would not support a Westinghouse deal.
Both Clinton and Giustra at first denied that any such meeting occurred. Giustra also denied ever arranging for Kazakh officials to meet with Clinton. After The New York Times confirmed the details of the meeting at the Clinton home, both Giustra and Clinton acknowledged the meeting.
So what are the Consequences? (other than public cynicism):
The Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan Party (DVK), which had been banned in January 2005, attempted to register under a new name"Forward Kazakhstan!" but was barred.
In May 2006, Alibek Zhumabaev, of the For A Just Kazakhstan bloc, received a five-year sentence for insulting the dignity and honor of the president and creating civil disorder.
Altynbek Sarsenbaev, co-chairman of Naghyz Ak Zhol, and two of his aides were murdered on February 13, 2006. The arrest and conviction has been characterized as a farce by his surviving Sarsenbaev's family. Another prominent opposition figure, Zamanbek Nurkadilov, a former ally of President Nazarbaev who had accused the government of corruption and joined the opposition two years previously, was found dead.