Neo-con Richard Perle in Kurdish oil deal?

Is neo-conservative Richard Perle -- one of the most effective voices in encouraging the Bush administration to topple Saddam Hussein -- in talks to join a consortium of investors to drill for oil in Iraq's Kurdistan and in Kazakhstan?

The Wall Street Journal says so in a piece this morning, pointing out that Perle has been talking to Kazakhstan's Washington envoy, Alexander Mirtchev, and his associate, Kaloyan Dimitrov. As for the Kurds in northern Iraq, the Bush administration -- and the government in Baghdad -- have asked them not to issue any oil-drilling contracts until Iraq enacts a national oil bill to divvy up lucrative oil revenues. The Journal says Perle has approached the Kurds.

Perle denies this, making the story feel a bit like a hook full of bait but no fish.

"I am not involved in any consortium involving Mr. Mirtchev or Mr. Dimitrov, nor am I 'framing plans for a consortium'  involving them," Perle said in an e-mail to the Journal. He said Mirtchev is a friend of his who once spent a night at his second home in France.

In the run-up to the war in Iraq, Perle chaired the Defense Policy Board, advising Donald Rumsfeld, who was Defense Secretary then.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: Alex Wong / Associated Press

Comments

[Mark]

This is Rupert's Journal - NOT the Times. Of course the story is true.

Tricky Dicky Pearle was involved with Conrad Black's crooked operation in Canada. Now Black's in jail and Pearle's got the inside line on drilling rights. This surprises no one.

The only question is why the LA Times' Johanna Neuman is covering for Tricky Dicky.

Is this a case of a young Likudnik watching out for one of her masters?