[Iron Triangle is a new corner of the DANGER ROOM, where we'll be following the comings and goings of members of Congress, Pentagon officials, lobbyists, and paid consultants as they pass from one job in the military-industrial complex to the next. ]
Former Republican Congressman Curt Weldon is apparently on the move, quite literally, and boasting of plans to lead a delegation to.....Bangladesh.
Or at least that's the news I got from a trusted source down at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual symposium in Ft. Lauderdale, where Weldon was spotted this week pressing the flesh for his new outfit, Defense Solutions.
Just to refresh your memory: Before being defeated by Joe Sestak in last year's elections, Weldon, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, was a powerful member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he spearheaded support for big-ticket defense programs like ballistic missile defense and the V-22 Osprey.
He was also known as something of a national security gadfly: he traveled to global hot spots, like Libya and North Korea; claimed that an intelligence program called Able Danger could have prevented 9/11; and on a lighter note, was one of the congressmen who took part in the crowning of Reverend Moon. Oh, and his missile defense adviser was a Doobie Brother.
Weldon's downfall, however, had mostly to do with a criminal investigation that resulted from revelations -- first detailed in Ken Silverstein's reporting -- that his daughter was benefiting from his political connections. Those details eventually led to a criminal investigation, which is still pending.
Weldon was defeated in the elections last November.
Last month, Weldon's brief period of unemployment came to an end when he landed a job at Defense Solutions, a private company. So, seeing him at AUSA is not a shock, though his trip to Bangladesh seems a bit off the beaten track, even for Weldon.
Why Bangladesh? No idea. I mean, Bangladesh is no flourishing democracy, but it falls far short of his usual haunts, like North Korea. Then again, the times they are a-changin'. Looks like Bangladesh's army is denying plans to take over the government. Never a good sign.
Update: Haninah has rightly reminded me that I forgot to mention Weldon's support for a Russian flying saucer project that Noah wrote about (there again, was a family connection -- the Russian saucer firm was apparently a client of Weldon's daughter). Say what you will about the guy, but Weldon sure keeps life in the Iron Triangle interesting.
