Condi brought in "expert" on Afganistan

[pberq]

Yesterday Condi said that Zalmay Khalilzad was better qualified to deal with the situation than Richard Clarke. What were his “qualifications”? See below.

This only adds to the oil theory of Bush admin. complcity in 9-11. Any comments?

http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen04082004.html
“Rice (and the Record) Proves It --Bush Knew, But Failed to Act”
By WAYNE MADSEN

“Rice also spoke of a shift by the Bush administration away from supporting the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance and adopting a more evenhanded approach to forces in southern Afghanistan. She told the 911 Commission, "I brought in Zalmay Khalilzad, an expert on Afghanistan, who, as a senior diplomat in the 1980s, had worked closely with the Afghan mujahedeen, helping them to turn back the Soviet invasion."

"However, Khalilzad had been a consultant for Cambridge Energy Research Associates and had been negotiating with the Taliban on the proposed trans-Afghanistan Central Asia Gas Pipeline (CentGas) deal involving UNOCAL, Halliburton, and other oil companies, including Rice's former company, Chevron. Enron conducted the feasibility study for the pipeline and current Afghan President Hamid Karzai was a consultant to the U.S. oil consortium and its liaison to Mullah Mohammed Omar, the leader of the Taliban whose base was Kandahar. The Bush administration, including Rice, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, held meetings with Taliban officials in the weeks prior to 911, and they met with Pakistani intelligence chief Gen. Mahmud Ahmed, a supporter of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, on the days just prior to 911. Before joining the administration, Rice and Armitage had jobs with oil companies that had a vested interest in the CentGas pipeline.”