the terms of his employment would be made public in the future

September 5, 2006 7:02 AM

Albania to get more corruption, and duct-tape expert--... As much as Ridge's security expertise, Berisha wants him to also bring to Albania his "success story" as Governor of Pennsylvania on education, the judiciary, information technology, agriculture and money laundering. ...
posted by amberglow (17 comments total)

and this: ... A government spokesman said Ridge would engage a team of consultants and offer his connections to make known Albania's reforms in the United States and create homeland security and good governance strategies. ...
posted by amberglow at 7:04 AM on September 5, 2006

mmmh, i love the smell of freedom being spread!
posted by slater at 7:20 AM on September 5, 2006

So is this a Good Thing or Not A Good Thing? If the latter, can you suggest a better place to ship Tom Ridge off to than Albania, or a more appropriate westerner for Albania hire?
posted by jfuller at 7:21 AM on September 5, 2006

Where do you get the 'more corruption' bit from?
posted by raedyn at 7:29 AM on September 5, 2006

Where do you get the 'more corruption' bit from?

Well, it wasn't like Albania was going to get less corrupt from hiring this stooge.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:39 AM on September 5, 2006

Don't we have some secret prisons in Albanaia where the CIA gets to interrogate "terrorists" without the pesky Geneva bullshit or due process crap?

Tom Ridge is a tool. This guy claimed he left DHS because he needed to make more money because his kids were going to college. I believe his salary at DHS was over $300K.

Watching his pucker-face as he made all those "heightened terror alert" and "Americans should be wary" announcements every time the Bushies got in political hot water makes me puke. A man without conscience. I hope his trip to Albania is permanent.

see here for some of Ridge's priceless I'm Lying To You facial expressions:
The nexus of politics and Terror on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
posted by fourcheesemac at 8:06 AM on September 5, 2006

more corruption (and they have enough corruption problems to begin with): Akima and Ridge and Katrina

And of course, he admitted he raised the terror alert levels over and over even when there was no proof.
posted by amberglow at 8:11 AM on September 5, 2006

Sounds like a good way to open up some Rendition Sites, too...
posted by DenOfSizer at 8:17 AM on September 5, 2006

more: ...Clark Kent Ervin says he was confronted personally by then Secretary Tom Ridge “to intimidate me, to stare me down, to force me to back off, to not look into these areas that would be controversial, not to issue critical reports.” ...

and speaking of Rendition: Albania takes Guantanamo Uighurs
posted by amberglow at 8:36 AM on September 5, 2006

amberglow writes "Albania takes Guantanamo Uighurs "

As far as I'm concerned, this is the single weirdest story to come out of the whole strage War on Terror.
posted by mr_roboto at 8:46 AM on September 5, 2006

I still don't get it either. Why Albania for ethnic Chinese?
posted by amberglow at 8:57 AM on September 5, 2006

This reminds me of Guilani's consultancy to Mexico City a few years ago. He came in saying he was going to cut crime just like he did in NYC. Of course that didn't happen. Instead, he got a few million and Mexico City got nothing but a few powerpoint presentations.

Ridge is doing the same thing, using his profile to rip off a country. If Albania put the money they were going to put into his fee into programs, it would be better served.
posted by birdherder at 9:06 AM on September 5, 2006

Technically, it was David Paulison, director of FEMA’s preparedness division, that suggested Duct Tape.
posted by hal9k at 9:08 AM on September 5, 2006

I still don't get it either. Why Albania for ethnic Chinese?

Because Uighurs are not ethnic Chinese, or at least not Han, they are a Turkic people, Muslim, and a percecuted minority in China. The US, when releasing someone from Guatanamo, has to ensure that they are not going to be unfairly pesecuted when returned to their home country (I know, I know), which would have happened to the Uighurs in China. Albania's population is, in large part, Muslim, which may be why they decided to offer them asylum.
posted by blahblahblah at 9:10 AM on September 5, 2006

Technically, it was David Paulison, director of FEMA’s preparedness division, that suggested Duct Tape. - hal9k

Yes, but as a member of Home Depot's board of directors, Ridge probably is expected to know a thing or two about duct tape, and would have a vested interest in promoting it.

/tongue-in-cheek
posted by raedyn at 10:21 AM on September 5, 2006

Anyone remember the hot albanian girl in "Inside Man".

Btw, I had an Albanian friend once, he had zero respect for the law, and in fact was a professional DVD pirate.
posted by delmoi at 11:19 AM on September 5, 2006

The US, when releasing someone from Guantanamo, has to ensure that they are not going to be unfairly persecuted when returned to their home country

I'm sorry, were you actually seriously saying that without bursting out laughing, given our recent history? Albania tortures, you know, and i don't remember reading that these people (who were unjustly imprisoned for years) had family there, or friends, or any sort of community--nor that they actually were to be set free once there.
posted by amberglow at 2:13 PM on September 5, 2006