- The London based Arabic daily Al Quds Al Arabi reported
on Tuesday, March 25 that the American vice president, Dick Cheney, would
soon head to the Jordanian capital, Amman.
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- The newspaper claimed that the visit would be an attempt
by Cheney to convince his daughter, who was in the Jordanian capital, to
back down her decision to go to Baghdad within a group of volunteers who
want to form human shields against the US led attacks on Iraq.
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- Al Quds Al Arabi cited news reports it claimed circulating
in Amman as saying that Cheney would arrive in the Jordanian capital soon
on a special visit it described as having a "social mission."
"News agencies cited sources as saying that Cheney will arrive in
Amman next Friday. He will try to convince his daughter who is currently
staying at a hotel in Amman not to go to Baghdad along with a group of
volunteers who want to go to Iraq and form human shields against the Anglo
American attacks," said the report.
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- A U.S. Embassy spokesman in the Jordanian capital, denied
that Cheney was on his way to Jordan: "The embassy has no information
that the U.S. vice president will arrive in Jordan to convince one of his
daughters not to travel to Iraq to join human shields opposed to war,"
he said.
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- However, some sons of western officials have already
volunteered as human shields in Iraq against the American invasion, including
the son of the Canadian Foreign Minister, Bill Graham
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- Although not mentioned in the the Arabic newspaper, it
is likely refers to Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President
Dick Cheney. Mary, 34, is a lesbian, and she has not kept her homosexuality
a secret -- either to her friends or to her employer, Coors Brewing Co.,
where she was the gay and lesbian corporate relations manager. Mary Cheney
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- The controversy around Mary has emerged in the US media
during her father's vice presidential campaign during 2000. During that
time, Mary told Time magazine in some of her few public words to date,
"I love my father. I don't want to be a distraction."
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- However, when Lynne Cheney was asked about her daughter
being openly gay, Mrs. Cheney said her daughter is "bright" and
"hard-working" and "decent," and yes, she loves her.
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- Now, after the war started, it seems there are not just
political but also financial reasons for Mr. Cheney's strong support for
the raids on Iraq. When it comes to making money from a war in Iraq, few
can match the firepower of the company once headed by Dick Cheney, Reuters
reported.
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- Houston-based Halliburton Co. can build roads and bridges
and camps for US forces. It can transport personnel and provide other logistics.
And after the war, assuming a U.S. victory, it can help restore Iraq's
infrastructure and oil production.
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- At the same time, the company's oilfield services business,
which is second only to Schlumberger Ltd., is likely to supply most of
the heavy equipment to fight fires in oil wells and oil fields.
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- And should the U.S. emerge victorious, Halliburton --
which develops oil fields and drills for oil all over the world -- has
the connections and businesses to play a major role in "rebuilding"
Iraq.
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- "They have the businesses. They have the government
relationship already well-established, and, as we all know, Cheney was
the CEO, so it makes logical sense," said Denis Walsh, an equity analyst
who covers the energy sector for State Street Research and Management.
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- For all these reasons, one should not be surprised that
the American VP will hurry to Amman and try to bring his "rebellious"
daughter back home....(Albawaba.com)
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- © 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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