LegitGov.org & Legal Times & ABC News – 2011-08-26 00:46:25
http://www.legitgov.org/Transitional-National-Council-Hires-Patton-Boggs-Seize-Libyan-Assets
Transitional National Council Hires Patton Boggs to Seize Libyan Assets
Lori Price / LegitGov.org
(August 23 2011) — Ever wonder how fraudulent this illegal invasion by the so-called Libyan rebels — aka US/NATO-backed mercenaries and terrorists fighting for Exxon Mobil and BP — actually is?
The Transitional National Council hired DC-based ‘law’ firm Patton Boggs last week to seize Libyan assets.
Patton Boggs Takes on Lobbying for Libyan Transitional Government
Legal Times
(August 23, 2011) — As rebels attempt to capture Tripoli from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Patton Boggs is taking on Washington for the Interim Transitional National Council of Libya.
The Council, based in the rebel capital of Benghazi, Libya, hired the firm this spring to provide it with legal advice and help it gain recognition as the country’s legitimate government and access Gadhafi’s funds frozen by the United States, according to paperwork filed with the US Justice Department. About a dozen Patton Boggs lawyers assist the Council, firm partner David Tafuri said.
And the firm has worked hard for the transitional government this week following news of rebel victories in the battle for Tripoli.
Tafuri said his firm helped Ali Suleiman Aujali, the transitional government’s US ambassador, deal with press inquiries and worked with the Council on transition plans during the last few days.
“It’s been a really busy week,” Tafuri said. But it has been “very satisfying and gratifying,” he added.
Tafuri said he and his colleagues enjoy the work they are doing for the Council and already have helped their client achieve major victories, including full diplomatic recognition of the transitional government by the United States.
But the transitional government’s need for funds to support itself and the Libyan people is still “incredibly urgent,” Tafuri said. In the United States alone, Gadhafi has $35 billion in frozen assets the Council is trying to access, he said. “He put very little money into the country,” said Tafuri, who visited Benghazi this summer.
Patton Boggs initially focused on Congress in its lobbying for the funds, he said. But the firm now is targeting the executive branch for the assets, after Congress left town this month without passing legislation that would provide frozen funds to the Council.
Work on securing the frozen assets is “moving forward, but not as quickly as we would like it to,” Tafuri said. “Getting them access to those funds is very critical at this point,” he said.
Patton Boggs is charging the Council a maximum of $50,000 per month, according to disclosure paperwork. But the firm will not request payment until the Council has enough money to pay, the paperwork says.
US Military Intervention in Libya Cost At Least $896 Million
Luis Martinez / ABC News
NEW YORK (August 22, 2011) — The cost of U.S. military intervention in Libya has cost American taxpayers an estimated $896 million through July 31, the Pentagon said today.
The price tag includes the amounts for daily military operations, munitions used in the operation and humanitarian assistance for the Libyan people.
The U.S. has also promised $25 million in non-lethal aid to the Libyan Transitional National Council, half of which the Defense Department has already on MRE’s (military lingo for Meals, Ready to Eat).
The military delivered 120,000 Halal MRE’s to Benghazi in May and a second shipment that included medical supplies, boots, tents, uniforms, and personal protective gear in June.
While Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appears on the way out, NATO says flight missions over Tripoli will continue, with the U.S. playing a role in helping to keep a tight window over the area that’s been in effect for weeks.
Over the past 12 days, U.S. planes have flown 391 sorties for a total of 5,316 since April 1, according to figures provided by the Defense Department. That total includes 1,210 airstrike missions over the same three and a half month period. The U.S. has also conducted 101 Predator drone strike missions in Libya.
A U.S. official credited NATO flight cover over the past many months with allowing the Libyan rebels enough time to eventually regroup and begin their pushes.
One significant offset to the cost of U.S. involvement in the flights worth noting is the sale of military equipment to allies also involved in the cause. Pentagon officials say the sale of ammunition, replacement parts, fuel, and technical assistance to allies since March has totaled $221.9 million.
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