Bush Vows Probe of Riggs Money-Laundering Allegations (Update1)

[seemslikeadream]

July 19 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said allegations of money-laundering at Riggs National Corp. are being investigated after a U.S. Senate report found the bank helped former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet hide millions of dollars from prosecutors.

``The people of Chile must know there will be a full investigation,'' Bush told reporters while meeting with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos. ``You're seeing a transparent society dealing with allegations. The Riggs Bank is being fully investigated and they'll be investigated in a very open way.''

The Riggs case has led the U.S. government to consider regulatory changes such as giving a single agency greater authority to enforce laws against laundering and terrorist financing, the New York Times reported, citing congressional leaders. PNC Financial Services Group Inc., Pennsylvania's biggest bank, agreed Friday to buy Washington-based Riggs for $779 million.

Bush told reporters that Lagos ``wants to know the truth'' about the Riggs case. The Senate report also cited Riggs for lapses in reporting suspicious transactions involving Saudi diplomats who may have had ties to two Sept. 11 hijackers.

Bush also said that Chile has played a constructive role before Venezuela's planned Aug. 15 referendum over whether to recall the country's president, Hugo Chavez.
Venezuela must hold an ``honest and open'' referendum, and welcome observers, Bush said.
more
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aWZpcK9Hx8Rg&refer=latin_america

on edit no mention of uncle Jonathan Bush

[agates]

1. They'll be investigated in a very open way

Too funny. I needed a laugh.

[Downtown Hound]

11. And when they're done

they'll be tried in a very trial sort of way, and then incarcerated in a very incarcerating way. For a couple of weeks at least.

[Tellurian]

15. When they're done.. Saudi's will be the blame.. another TWOFER!

[htuttle]

2. "You're seeing a transparent society dealing with allegations."

What a fucking car salesman this guy is. If they really WERE seeing a 'transparent society dealing with allegations', he wouldn't have to TELL them they were seeing that, would he?

Whenever somebody has to TELL you what you're seeing, it's a sure thing they are trying to make you think it's something other than it is.

[Kool Kitty]

12. The only thing that is transparent to me

is the fact that W is an ass. That must be one of his favorite words.

[susu369]

14. Georgie loves to use that word "transparent"

I've noticed. It's just one of those fabulous words he likes to impress us with. A real joke because bu$h* and his cartel display nothing but opacity.

IMHO, this Rigged, er Riggs, Bank "allegation" is not going to drop off the radar like Smirky hopes.

[DenverDem]

3. w is just providing cover for his Uncle Jon, bfee.

<http://www.riggsbank.com/Discover_Riggs/may31_00.html>

[seemslikeadream]

4. Bush Says Riggs-Pinochet Links Face Probe

President Bush said Monday the U.S. government will fully investigate the failure of Riggs Bank executives to act while its managers helped former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet conceal millions.

"I think the people of Chile must know that there will be a full investigation," Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos. "It's important for the facts to be ... on the table so we know what course of action may or may not be needed. That's what you're seeing. You're seeing a transparent society dealing with allegations."
more
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2004/07/19/ap1460609.html

oopsy no mention of Jonny boy here either

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

5. Psssssttttttttttttttt...........

Wanna buy a bridge in New York City?

[0007]

18. Will 'ya take a check?

[gratuitous]

6. He can start by ringing up Unca Jon

What if the investigation leads to the Oval Office? Will Bush try to go after the leader of the United States? Does he have the stones to take on Crashcart mano a mano?

[seemslikeadream]

7. A little DU history on Riggs

WaPo: Allbritton Loses Riggs Bank (front page, day 3)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x691609

Equatorial Guinea readies for Zim 69 extradition
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x694690

Full service bank COUPS ARE US

[seemslikeadream]

8. Kenyan At Centre of Bank Scandal in US

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

July 18, 2004
Posted to the web July 19, 2004

John Mulaa
Nairobi

A Kenyan is at the centre of a scandal involving improper handling of millions of dollars at the Washington DC based Riggs Bank.

Mr Simon P. Keriri on Thursday invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions from a United States Senate panel investigating the scandal.

Keriri, a former vice-president at the bank, oversaw the accounts of various foreign embassies here in Washington, including the Kenyan Embassy.

He was sacked in January this year, after he became a target of investigations following whistleblower allegations that he personally ferried suitcases containing millions of dollars from the embassy of the oil rich Equatorial Guinea to the Riggs Bank where it was deposited, flouting strict American banking laws regarding cash deposits and identification of depositors.

The Senate panel was also told Keriri opened an offshore account in his wife's name in which he funnelled more than $1 million dollars from Riggs Bank.

MORE
http://allafrica.com/stories/200407190430.html

[goforit]

9. Start with your Daddy first Georgie!!!

[Veggie Meathead]

10. How about a probe of Don Rumsfeld for his role in the torture of

children at Abu Ghraib? Why not hand him over for crimes against humanity to the International court of justice,where he can spend some time with fellow criminal Slobodan Milosevic?And the two of them can await the arrival of still another fellow criminal Ariel Sharon?

[Snazzy]

13. from voa, full * quote--also WH version

"And I appreciate that, and we'll make sure that people do know the truth. And that's what you're seeing. You're beginning to see the process of truth-finding."

AP left out "the process of truth-finding." Maybe he can get OJ to track down the real evil-doer money-launderers.

More interesting and less of a laugh, maybe, is his later quote about Venezuela:

"Chile plays a very important role in our neighborhood, and the referendum in Venezuela is an important referendum. And the referendum must be conducted in an honest and open way," he said.

Well, maybe just a Mr. Rogers moment, but he's using the same 3rd grade level terms to describe the coming vote (coup?) there. So, applying some Shrubology 101, he's either simply stuck on "open way" or might be that pea-pod of a beautiful mind roughly equates the two. Like finding a way to not speak publicly about family secrets about the family's bank Riggs and family friend Pinochet creates roughly the same linguistic log-jam as talking about what a great open recall we'll soon be throwing for Chavez.

Here's VOA (same story. longer quotes only)

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=AD8C17E8-DD18-440C-A7B101AAB3B5F8FA

WH version:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I think the people of Chile must know that there will be a full investigation. It's important for the facts to be en la mesa, as we say -- on the table, and -- so that we know what course of action may or may not be needed. And that's what you're seeing. You're seeing a transparent society dealing with allegations and/or -- and the Riggs Bank is being fully investigated, and they'll be investigated in a very open way.

And the President brought this issue up. Of course, he's concerned about it, as well. He wants to know the truth. And I appreciate that, and we'll make sure that people do know the truth. And that's what you're seeing. You're beginning to see the process of truth-finding.

... and ...

And that's going to require security measures, and as the President mentioned -- I think you said in Spanish, there's a donors conference tomorrow, it's a very important conference, and that we will be attending, along with Chile, to see if we can't set priorities for the people of Chile * so they have a chance to live a good life.

And the second part of the question was?

PRESIDENT LAGOS: Venezuela.

Q About political referendum --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Again, this is a -- Chile plays a very important role in our neighborhood, and the referendum in Venezuela is an important referendum. And the referendum must be conducted in a honest and open way. And the influence of President Lagos is a very important influence, because he has made it clear that for the credibility of the current government, they must welcome observers, they must encourage observers, and they must not interfere with the process, so that the people of Venezuela have a chance to express their opinion without fear of reprisal.

*(Haiti)

(that's their correction, ha! what an asshole)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/07/20040719-2.html

[al bupp]

22. LOL, Shrubology 101

Here's a sample of the syllabus:

• Smirking at Inappropriate Times
  
• How to Repeat the Adjectives
  
• Stock Phrases for All Occassions
  
• How to Explain Things to Children
  
• Mangled Words and Garbled Syntax (Taught by Bush the Elder)
  
• Messiah Complexes for Frat Boys on the Wagon
  
• Simple Syllogisms and Facile Logic
  

It's late, or I could think of more.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

16. When FratBoy says he's going to do one thing, ALWAYS think...

...the opposite.

[truth2power]

17. Bwahahahaha!!

"Bush vows probe.." How many things has he vowed to probe to date???

Not holding my breath...

[0007]

19. junior is gonna probe Laura's lastest UTI

[MasonJar]

20. Let's see. Isn't this the same Yahoo who cheated to get to be

selected. Isn't this the same idiot who also promised money for Aids, etc., etc.

[banana republican]

21. junior investigates uncle????

RONTFLMAF