Monday, November 13, 2006

Baker Botts

Robots for James Baker? Nope. It is the name of a law firm boasting one James Baker as a senior partner. Newsweek has an interesting story about Baker Botts.

April 16 - After months of working below the radar, a huge U.S. legal team hired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has sprung into action and begun a major counteroffensive against a landmark lawsuit seeking $1 trillion in damages on behalf of the victims of the September 11 terror attacks.
From the tone of the story it looks like Baker Botts has made a huge strategic error. However, what I'm looking for is James Baker. (Sultan is Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi defense minister)
Baker Botts, Sultan’s law firm, for example, still boasts former secretary of State James Baker as one of its senior partners. Its recent alumni include Robert Jordan, the former personal lawyer for President Bush who is now U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

An internal list of other law firms retained in the case, reviewed by NEWSWEEK , reads like a veritable “who’s who” of the U.S. legal community. Among those firms and their Saudi clients are: Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (Prince Mohammed al Faisal); Kellog, Huber, Hansen, Todd & Evans (Prince Turki al Faisal); Jones, Day (the Binladin Group); Ropes & Grey (Khaled bin Mahfouz); White & Case,(the Al-Rajhi Banking Group); King & Spalding (the Arab Bank and Youssef Nada); Akin Gump (Mohammed Hussein Al-Almoudi); and Fulbright & Jaworski (Nimir Petroleum.)

But legal sources say some high-priced firms and their senior partners have been wary of the Saudi overtures—despite offers of retainers that, in some cases, have ranged as high as $5 million. One former Clinton administration official at a big law firm said he was personally approached to represent a high-ranking Saudi prince in the case but turned it down. “I kept asking myself, ‘do I want to be representing the Saudis against the 9-11 families—especially after all the trouble we had getting cooperation from the Saudis on terrorism’,” the official said. “I finally just said no.”
So now we have Mr. Baker giving advice on policy.

Straight from Saudi Arabia.

If this deal goes down I'm going to back the Dems on impeachment. Any charge. Jr. is going the way of Sr. and I don't like it one bit. They do not have America's best interests at heart.

I wonder if Bush will go down as our second Saudi Arabian President?

See also: The Saudis Are Not Our Friends.

Update: 14 Nov '06 2321z

The American Thinker has more plus lots of links.

Israel Matzav has a bit.

Commenter southsalem also makes this very good point:
The very sad and depressing fact is it is simplistic to single out the Bushes as the only Saudi terrorist supporters. FDR started this deal with the devil, even Jimmy Carter was on a talk show a year or so ago and openly stated how his family vacations at the ski resort of Saudi Prince Bandar, and Bill Clinton is raking in big bucks from his speaking engagements in terrorist financing/supporting middle eastern countries and has yet to come clean on how much the Saudi's have given to his presidential library.

I guess my point is they are all in the Saudi pockets, all to blame for the American Heroes choosing between immolation and jumping off the upper floors of the World Trade Center on 911.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree. The representation by American Law Firms, especially Baker's of Saudi enablers/supporters/financers of the terrorism of 911 is truly despicable.
I would also add to the list the liberal/ACLU and Democratic law firms that represent (often pro bono or at taxpayers' expense) the actual terrorists of 911 (Moussaoui(sic)), & Gitmo terrorists, as an example.
The very sad and depressing fact is it is simplistic to single out the Bushes as the only Saudi terrorist supporters. FDR started this deal with the devil, even Jimmy Carter was on a talk show a year or so ago and openly stated how his family vacations at the ski resort of Saudi Prince Bandar, and Bill Clinton is raking in big bucks from his speaking engagements in terrorist financing/supporting middle eastern countries and has yet to come clean on how much the Saudi's have given to his presidential library.
I guess my point is they are all in the Saudi pockets, all to blame for the American Heroes choosing between immolation and jumping off the upper floors of the World Trade Center on 911.

Joe Katzman said...

Frighteningly, it's the guy from the Clinton Administration who stands out in this sordid gallery as a lone light of integrity.

You know things have really gone to hell when... but credit where it's due, and may his sleep at night be the sleep of the righteous.

Anonymous said...

Soooo Baker is on a commission that Bush has nothing to do with... and that makes Bush a terrorist supporter... lol... that's funny. Maybe he's taking all his dividends from stock in Halliburton and sending it to Osama, too. That must be why we invaded Afghanistan. He's just trying to get more money for terrorists!! It's the perfect cover-up!

M. Simon said...

Uh, Gates is the connection between Baker and Bush.

You know. The guy who is on his way to be the next Sec. Def.

Anonymous said...

wasn't Baker, Bush's lawyer during the whole Florida recount fiasco in 2000? I believe so. Is Baker truly representing the interests of the United States or the interests of Saudi 'royalty?' And for that matter much of the Bush family has Saudi ties. It's all about the $$$$$$ I don't see much patriotism except in rhetoric. And no loyalty except that which can be bought.
Their actions speak much louder and in this global economy the dollar talks, no matter where it comes from!! Can you even buy an American flag that does not have a "made in China" sticker?
It's every man for himself. Obviously.