More Boratgate?: Clintons & Yellowcake

The big headline out of South Africa today is:

Uranium One tanks as Froneman jumps ship
Share price loses 12.8% on resignation

This is news that broke Friday and is being trumpeted on the South African newspapers here today, on Monday morning.

To quickly connect the dots here, a few weeks ago Borat-gate broke in the New York times.  Basically, Clinton buddy Frank Giustra created a shell of a company that purported to be a mining company without any mining technology or equipment.  What Frank had was a buddy, Bill Clinton, who travelled with him to a uranium rich place, i.e. Kazakhstan, to meet with high government officials.  

Upon securing some very lucrative mining rights deals from the Kazakh government, Frank sold his faux-uranium-mining company, UrAsia, to a real mining company called Uranium One for $3.1 billion.

Uranium One is a big player here in South Africa, thus the news is big here.

I'm sort of surprised that the NY Times or WSJ hasn't picked this story up yet.  Of course, it's 95% a financial story until more investigation is done around the Clinton involvement.

The #'s are certainly eye-opening.  10's of millions for the Clinton Library, and billions for his buddy Frank Giustra.  And the resulting Uranium One shareholders seem to be holding the bag, at present.

Here's an article in Moneyweb concerning Froneman's resignation.

•  Tips

  by rustydude on Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 11:56:47 PM PDT

  •  The Google is your friend

    http://www.busrep.co.za/...

    by TocqueDeville on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:02:55 AM PDT

    •  Thanks for the link n/t

      by rustydude on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:51:07 AM PDT

•  tipped and recced nt

  by Mr Bula on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:01:04 AM PDT

•  This Should Be A Headline

  On every frontpage in America.

  Hey.

  It Might!!!!!!!!

  by Edgar08 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:05:58 AM PDT

  •  Another South Africa headline...

    Interest on Public Debt Decreases as % of GDP.

    I'm sure Bonddad would be interested in this.  Basically, the South African Rand has been just as depressed as the American Dollar.  But what we're seeing is an improvement in some economic metrics in South Africa, while we're seeing nothing of the sort in America.  So I would expect the Rand will rise relative to the dollar.  As more and more currencies improve relative to the dollar, we could see a new round of the magically sinking dollar.

    by rustydude on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:11:39 AM PDT

•  I think that you might be reading a little too...

  much into the story. As best as I can tell the resignation is due to a mine in South Africa.

  http://network.nationalpost.com/...

  It is pretty hard to tie this into Clinton ( although I wouldn't have minded. LOL)

  by humphrey on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:11:38 AM PDT

  •  I actually agree with you...

    that too much may be read into this recent news.  I've tried to limit my own conclusions.

    I'm just the messenger connecting the dots.  As of today, it doesn't seem like too many people following political news realize the UrAsia and Uranium One connection.

    by rustydude on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:20:11 AM PDT

•  Good God.

  Boratgate indeed. Clinton jumped the gun....and how about HRC being on the committees that oversee these activities.
    Not Good.

  Mr. Clinton’s praise was odd, given that the United States did not support Mr. Nazarbayev’s bid. (Late last year, Kazakhstan finally won the chance to lead the security organization for one year, despite concerns raised by the Bush administration.) Moreover, Mr. Clinton’s wife, who sits on a Congressional commission with oversight of such matters, had also voiced skepticism.

  Eleven months before Mr. Clinton’s statement, Mrs. Clinton co-signed a commission letter to the State Department that sounded “alarm bells” about the prospect that Kazakhstan might head the group. The letter stated that Kazakhstan’s bid “would not be acceptable,” citing “serious corruption,” canceled elections and government control of the news media.

  In a written statement to The Times, Mr. Clinton’s spokesman said the former president saw “no contradiction” between his statements in Kazakhstan and the position of Mrs. Clinton, who said through a spokeswoman, “Senator Clinton’s position on Kazakhstan remains unchanged.”.................
  and
   Nearly a year earlier, Mr. Clinton had advised Dubai on how to handle the political furor after one of that nation’s companies attempted to take over several American ports. Mrs. Clinton was among those on Capitol Hill who raised the national security concerns that helped kill the deal.

    I'm too simple to understand how these situation should be even more institutionalized.

  by KenBee on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:14:15 AM PDT

•  Shouldn't this be posted on Redstate

  or one of the other repug sites where you Rightwing nuts normally post?
  You do know DKs's purpose is to elect Democrats, don't you, and unfounded diaries like this, who's sole purpose is to Swiftboat opponents, is best done on the RW blogs.

  by ichibon on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 12:22:43 AM PDT

  •  I attributed the story as 95% financial/5% other

    Not really sure where you're getting the RedState connection.  It's not like I'm posting a story without real media links or something of complete conjecture like "Bill Clinton cheating on Hillary with 5 different women."

    I guess you're of the school that we should not explore our candidates' backgrounds, and instead allow the Republicans to unveil all the dirty stuff in October 2008.

    by rustydude on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:57:55 AM PDT

    •  Not at all, I just think this is obviously

      right wing garbage, and should be allowed to die on the vine.

      by ichibon on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:29:09 AM PDT

      •  I bow to your wishes...

        Master Judge of all Dailykos content.

        by rustydude on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:23:28 AM PDT

        •  About damn time too!

          by ichibon on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:39:30 AM PDT