Now that the inspector general for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has said he is investigating Charles "Chas" Freeman, two of the congressman who requested the probe are asking him to expand it to look into Freeman’s affiliation with a Chinese government-owned oil company. Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve Israel, who wrote separate letters on the Freeman matter to IG Edward Maguire this week, teamed up for a letter Thursday asking him to check out the business dealings of the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company — on whose advisory board Freeman sits. Here’s the letter:
Mr. Edward Maguire
Inspector General
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
Dear Mr. Maguire:
In addition to the concerns we have with Ambassador Freeman which we have already communicated to you, we would ask you to pay particular attention to the following issue: soon the National Intelligence Council (NIC) will be tasked to produce National Intelligence Estimates on the Islamic Republic of Iran and the People’s Republic of China. Ambassador Freeman served on the Board of Directors of the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), which is owned by the People’s Republic of China.
As you may know, CNOOC also has significant business dealings with Iran. In fact, in 2007, CNOOC signed a $16 billion agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran to develop Iran’s North Pars gas field. CNOOC’s investment in Iran’s energy sector constitutes a possible violation of U.S. law. In addition, CNOOC’s investment in Iran’s energy sector deliberately undermines the foreign policy objectives of the United States, Europe and the United Nations Security Council.
Ambassador Freeman’s service on the Board of Directors of a company owned by a foreign government seems to constitute an obvious conflict of interest — especially given his service to a company owned by the People’s Republic of China with significant investment in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Your attention to whether Ambassador Freeman is an inappropriate candidate to participate in this independent review would be appreciated.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical national security issue.
Sincerely,
Steve Israel Mark Steven Kirk
Member of Congress Member of Congress
