No, I'm not going to do it daily, but I bet I could...
Amusing as it was to learn that somehow those obscure agencies were billed more than $400,000 for the mayor's covert visits to Southampton -- and that the bizarre billings had later been referred to the city Department of Investigation for a quiet burial -- this story tells us little we did not already know about Giuliani. He denies knowing anything about the billing procedures for his trips, and there is no proof that he did. And he was entitled to police protection wherever he went, even to his girlfriend's condo.
Nevertheless, CNN chose to include a question about the Long Island trips in the Republican YouTube debate.
Meanwhile, Barrett's latest article -- probing the lucrative relationship between Giuliani's security firm and the emirate of Qatar -- prompts questions that "America's Mayor" might have found truly hard to answer. With Qatar's troubling record as both an American ally and a longtime haven for al-Qaida terrorists, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, or "KSM," the little Gulf sheikdom is a curious client indeed for Giuliani Security and Safety, a division of Giuliani Partners.
If Giuliani was unaware of the terrorism issues surrounding Qatar before he signed his initial contract with the emirate in 2005, then he must not be quite the expert he claims to be. And if he knew of those issues but signed up anyway, that raises other questions.
Certainly he should be asked to explain his connections with the emirate and especially with Interior Minister Abdullah bin Khalid al-Thani, who has long been suspected of harboring KSM and facilitating the travel of al-Qaida operatives to and from Qatar. Whatever reasons the United States may have for maintaining diplomatic and military ties with Qatar, the contradictions in doing business with that nation for a hard-liner like Giuliani should be explored.
Reluctant as the Republican front-runner apparently is to sit down for an interview with Barrett, perhaps other journalists should inquire about those Qatar deals (and for that matter, all of the other business relationships that he has so far declined to disclose). Here are a few pertinent questions to encourage them:
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And don't forget that Hugo Chavez is a BAD GUY
but, not bad enough to turn down his CHECKS to Rudy's firm.