Iraq adviser quits as head of Pentagon panel

Washington, Mar 28: Richard Perle, a US architect of the war on Iraq, resigned yesterday as chairman of a Pentagon advisory panel after facing allegations of a conflict of interest over his work for the bankrupt telecommunications firm Global Crossing Ltd.
Perle said that he would remain a member of the Defence Policy Board while stepping down as chairman, and quit his consulting job with Global Crossing.


"As I cannot quickly or easily quell criticism of me based on errors of fact concerning my activities, the least I can do under these circumstances is to ask you to accept my resignation as chairman of the Defense Policy Board," Perle wrote to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld accepted Perle's resignation as chairman but asked that he remain a member of the board, and Perle said in a telephone interview that he agreed to stay on the board.

"He has been an excellent chairman and has led the Defense Policy Board during an important time in our history," Rumsfeld said in a statement. "I should add that I have known Richard Perle for many years and know him to be a man of integrity and honour."

In a letter to Chris Nash, a senior vice president at Global Crossing, Perle wrote: "In light of the recent controversy reported in the press, I think it best that I withdraw from performing any further services for the company. I believe most of my work on your behalf is complete."

On Monday, Republican John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, asked the Pentagon's inspector general to probe Perle's work as a paid adviser to Global Crossing and his guidance on investment opportunities resulting from the Iraq conflict.


Conyers said yesterday that Perle's continued membership on the Pentagon panel was problematic. "I have no plans to withdraw my request for a review of Mr Perle's conflicts of interest by the Defense Department inspector general," he said.


In his resignation letter, Perle said, "I am advising Global Crossing that I will not accept any compensation that might result from their pending acquisition and that any fee for past service would be donated to the families of American forces killed or injured in Iraq."


Perle said by telephone that the $125,000 fee received for work he had already done for Global Crossing would be donated. He had said previously that he would have been paid another $600,000 if the government approved the deal.

Bureau Report