In a previous issue of Just Above Sunset - December 21, 2003 Odds and Ends - at the end of the left column you will find this:

Enquête sur l'affaire Halliburton
Eric Decouty, le Fiagro, 20 décembre 2003

Pour la première fois en France, une information judiciaire a été ouverte pour «corruption d'agent public étranger».  Elle vise notamment la société française Technip et l'américaine Halliburton associées dans une opération au Nigeria.  Une telle enquête internationale est possible depuis l'adoption en 1997 de la convention de l'OCDE «sur la lutte contre la corruption d'agents publics étrangers dans les négociations commerciales», entrée en vigueur en droit français depuis 2000.  C'est donc dans ce nouveau cadre juridique que le juge Renaud Van Ruymbeke mène ses investigations et que le parquet de Paris envisage la mise en cause de l'actuel vice-président de Etats-Unis, Richard Cheney, en sa qualité d'ex-PDG de Halliburton... .

And it goes on.

You get the idea.

This week you will find this:

SEC OPENS NEW INQUIRY: Halliburton this weekend announced the Securities and Exchange Commission has "commenced a formal investigation" into $180 million worth of potentially illegal payments made by the company to Nigerian officials at the time Dick Cheney was CEO of the company.

Halliburton is already undergoing a Justice Department inquiry for the same allegations, which focus on whether the company's payments were actually illegal bribes to Nigerian officials in connection with a natural gas plant in the country.

If they were, they would violate the U.S. government's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Halliburton has already admitted that a subsidiary made "improper payments" in Nigeria under Cheney.

For his part, Cheney has refused to comment.

No comment is necessary.

Then this:

Halliburton Fires Consultants for Rules Violations

Halliburton Co., the world's largest oilfield-services company, fired the former chairman of its Kellogg Brown & Root unit and another consultant for alleged violations of the company's code of business conduct.

A. Jack Stanley, who retired as unit chairman in December, and another consultant were fired because an investigation in connection with bribery allegations against a venture in Nigeria showed evidence they received "improper personal benefits,'' Houston-based Halliburton said in a statement. The other fired consultant is William Chaudan, spokeswoman Wendy Hall said.

"Halliburton's code of conduct is expected to be followed in every country in which the company operates,'' Halliburton Chief Executive David Lesar said in the statement.

Halliburton – keeping Dick Cheney safe to do his job, telling George Bush what to try to think and try to say.

This may work.  It may not.  Slam the lower level guys to keep the boss in the clear.  Nothing wrong here, not at the top.  Just a few bad apples.  (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)

What did Dick know and when did he know it?  One thinks of the same question being asked about another real Dick, and that would be Nixon. 

But nothing will come of this.