Update on the Stanley Hallliburton Scandal

So, although the below is confusing, what appears to be ocurring is this: of the $1.7B to the TSKJ consortium paid by NNLG, about $180M was paid to a company called "Tristar" (you, know, "3 stars"). That's about 10% -- not unusual for, for example, a finders fee. That "company" is "run" by a London lawyer. Money sent to that "company" was then disbused to Swiss accounts owned by 3 people: Jack Stanley of Halliburton, the Nigerian Oil Minister, and the director of the TSKJ consortium.

To me, this sounds like the Nigerian oil minister, who is the buyer, says to Stanley: "We require you have an agent for this deal. We will pay the agent 10% of the total contract. We get to approve who the agent is." This is how a kickback to the oil minister would take place. What's a little unusual is that it seems Stanley and the director of TSKJ took a little off that kickback.

Also, it turns out (stated in the CNN article below) that, although Cheney was CEO of Halliburton KBR from 1995-2000, when the first contracts were negotiated with the minister, Stanley was under Cheney at KBR -- it's possible that Stanley greased his palms without Cheney knowing it. However, it's also possible that Cheney got in on the action, too -- but that would be a monumentally dumb thing for Cheney, who knows that you've got to be squeeky clean to be in public service, and that taking such a payment would kill his chances to be in gov't.