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    Friday, August 8, 2008

    Major contractor for U.S. military is also wanted by the FBI

    WASHINGTON — A prominent Saudi contractor who recently won an $80 million contract by the U.S. Army, is also under federal indictment.

    In June 2008, Attock Refinery won an $80 million award to supply jet fuel to the U.S. military, Middle East Newsline reported.

    Attock, based in Pakistan, has been owned by Gaith Pharaon, who was indicted on charges of using the now-defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International and CenTrust Savings and Loan for money-laundering and terrorist financing.

    "Ghaith Pharaon is an FBI fugitive indicted in both the BCCI and Centrust case," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said. "If anyone has information on his location, they are requested to contact the FBI or the U.S. embassy."

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    The U.S. military has not explained the selection of Attock.

    Attock has been supplying the U.S. military with fuel in neighboring Afghanistan. Industry sources said the company was delivering thousands of tons of jet fuel per month to the U.S. Air Force base in Bagram.

    In 2007, Attock supplied more than $40 million worth of jet fuel to the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The orders were conducted through the U.S. contractor Supreme Fuels.

    Pharaon has been described as close to the White House and invested in President George Bush's first business venture, Arbusto Energy. In 2002, the Saudi entrepreneur was cited in a French parliamentary report on hawala operators — Gulf financiers deemed as having ties to Al Qaida.

    The United States has sought to award contracts to Saudi and other companies based in Gulf Cooperation Council states in an effort to garner support for the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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