The Carlyle Group

A Network of Prestigious Advisers

A private equity fund, the Carlyle Group is directed by Louis Gerstner, former CEO of IBM, since january 2003. Till then, Franck Carlucci, former secretary of Defense of Ronald Reagan from 1987 to 1989, and former director of the CIA, was the manager. Links between politics and economics are very strong. We find as advisers for Carlyle Georges Bush (former President of the USA), Otto Pohl (former president of the Bundesbank), John Major (former Prime Minister of the UK), Arthur Levitt (former president of the Security Exchange Commission), James Baker (former State secretary of George Bush senior), Karl Fidel Ramos (former president of Philippines), Henri Martre (former president of Matra Aerospatiale)…Even W. Bush, president of the USA, worked for Caterair, a subsidiary of the Carlyle Group, and till the attacks of 9/11, members of the Bin Laden family were members of the advisory board.

This private group manage 13 billions dollars in different activities : defense industries, telecommunication, high technologie, drugs, newspapers...The Carlyle Group owns more than 160 firms in 55 states. The french management took control of 40% of the Figaro in july 1999, by converting shares. In order to block the control of an american private equity fund over french press, medias and politics encouraged Dassault to get into the capital of the Socpress. Lately, the Carlyle Group succeeded to penetrate french press by controling Aprovia (Groupe Tests, Groupe Le Moniteur...).

Defense and Military Industries

Activities linked to armaments and defense allowed the Carlyle Group to become one the main contractor of the Pentagone. The US government represents 80% of the United Defense Industries' sells. A major part of the contracts depends of the actual administration. Should we remind the links between the Carlyle Group and the Bush ? After the new terrorist threats, the US Army ordered a new tank to the Congress (500 million dollars piece) to fight in the future : the Crusader. It appears that United Defense Industries develops this tank...

The Bin Laden family has invested 2 million dollars in the « Carlyle Partners II Fund », in which you find United Defense Industries. In 1991, the Carlyle Group realized a 590 million dollars operation for the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who desired to invest in Citicorp.
Moreover, the Carlyle Group served as adviser for saudian monarchy about the Economic Offset Program. This program was about the opportunity for Saudi Arabia to buy US armaments. In response, the States had to buy some saudians products. Furthermore, the Carlyle Group was one of the stakeholders of BDM International, in charge of the military training of Saudi National Guard and saudi air forces through the Vinnell Corp. Franck Carlucci was a board member of BDM International in the 1990s. In 1997, TRW International took control of BDM International.

Sami Baarma, director of Prime Commercial Bank of Pakistan (Khalid Bin Mafhouz was the president) was a board member of the Carlyle Group. Khalid Bin Mafhouz is associated to the BCCI scandal (12 billion dollars disappeared). Convicted of fiscal fraud, he had to pay 225 million dollars and is not authorized to work in bank activities in the States. Khalid Bin Mahfouz bought 11,5 % of Harken, a firm directed by W. Bush, through his business man Abdullah Taha Bakksh. Harken obtain an exclusive right to explore gaz and oil of Bahreïn for 35 years, in spite of its non-experience...In june 1990, few weeks before Desert Storm, W. Bush sold all his participations in Harken, 850 000 dollars, and a week later Harken announced huge losses of 23 million dollars. Khalid Bin Mafhouz was arrested in august 2000 and holded in a military hospital in Saudi Arabia. Bin Mahfouz was researched for his help to Al Qaida through humanitarian associations.

Nowadays, the "Defense" Department of the Carlyle Group tries to penetrate the europe defense market. In 2001, United Defense Industries took control of a swedish firm, Bofors Defense, specialized in "intelligent" weapons. Lately, the European Commission authorized the Carlyle Group to buy QinetiQ, a britannic research laboratory in defense...

From : www.infocrise.info