Technology is racing forward faster than it seems we buy an"old" model. These days, 70 percent of the nation's estimated $48 billion dollar intelligence budget is heading right into the pockets of private contractors along with a large part of the $58 billion set aside for homeland security.
The best money can be made still in landing government contracts and it still seems that it helps to have friends in high places for that to happen. It seems that a number of former Bush Administration officials and insiders are signing on as directors of obscure companies that are now competing with their old agencies for those dollars. Those companies don't seem to be concerned that their "new" directors may have screwed up their former duties with taxpayers dollars, just so long as they are able to do a bit of nest feathering of their own.
Included in this bunch are George Tenet, ex-CIA director who stated that the Iraq WMDs are a "slam dunk". His new job with QinetiQ has landed him $2.3 million in salary and stock since his retirement. L Paul Bremer who received a Medal of Freedom while somehow letting $9 billion in cash go free and missing in Iraq now works for BlastGard. Wayne Downing who is serving a second run on the board of Metal Storm after leaving his post as Deputy National Security Advisor, over seeing an electronic supershedder gun.
These and several others are certainly enjoying it seems, the spoils of their former jobs and of the war on terror, to the tune of millions os dollars in government contracts.
For a better view, go here.
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