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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I'll bet they picked Mukasey deliberately
Posted by Jill | 7:48 PM
Looks like Captain Codpiece's choice for Attorney General has some 'splainin' to do:

For more than 25 years, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement authorities say they have suspected the New York-based Alavi Foundation is a "front" for Iranian espionage and anti-American activities.

For more than 25 years, court records show the foundation has been publicly defended and represented by the New York law firm where attorney-general nominee Michael Mukasey is a partner: Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.

The foundation says the firm continues to represent it.

Mukasey personally handled at least one matter in court for the foundation.

That case, a real estate dispute, began in 1981 when reports first surfaced that the foundation, originally set up by the Shah, had been taken over by the new Ayatollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mukasey took it to trial in 1984.

The firm insists the foundation has no link to Iran's government.

"I think we've had a relationship that goes back 20 or so odd years with this foundation. This foundation has made all appropriate filings...since we've represented the foundation," said John Winter, a partner at Patterson Belknap. "The foundation is transparent...in accordance with the law. It is not an alter ego or a front for the Iranian government nor is it controlled by the government of Iran."

The case handled by Mukasey was settled in 1984, two years after the foundation was described in the New York Times as being controlled by the government of Iran.


It's hard to imagine Republicans and their Mini-me Joe Lieberman being willing to confirm an Attorney General who has represented a foundation that the government believes is an Iranian front, especially as they salivate for a nice shiny new war.

So this puts the Democrats in an interesting position: Confirm an attorney general who represents interests that may be contrary to the interests of the United States, or block the confirmation and open the door to the nominee that Bush really wants -- someone like Ted Olson.

It's all very Rovian....I can't imagine that whoever vetted possible nominees didn't know about this.

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