X-URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...nguage=printer


washingtonpost.com

Documents Detail Maneuvers for Boeing Lease

By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 31, 2003; Page A10

The two years of negotiations that culminated in a $21 billion deal
for the Air Force to lease, then buy, 100 Boeing Co. planes were
punctuated by attempts to seek "political cover" and personal appeals
by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to President Bush,
according to more than 100 pages of internal documents released
yesterday.

The Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by John McCain (R-Ariz.),
the chief critic of the deal, released the documents after reviewing
about 8,000 pages turned over by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force,
the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget.
McCain has accused the Air Force of developing the plan to help
Boeing, the Pentagon's second-largest contractor, weather the downturn
in commercial aviation.

{....}

But a recent Congressional Budget Office report said the Air Force
"significantly understates" the cost difference and estimates that
the lease-buy strategy would cost $21.5 billion, while buying the
aircraft outright would cost $15.9 billion.

{...}

The documents raise questions about how the Air Force developed its
argument that it needs the planes urgently, congressional sources
said. A September 2002 e-mail from a Boeing official said Marvin
Sambur, the Air Force's chief procurement officer, requested
clarification.

The Air Force "is desperately looking for the rationale for why the
USAF should pursue the 767 Tanker NOW," the e-mail said. "Sambur is
looking for the compelling reason the administration should do this
now rather than push off to a future administration."


FWIW:

A friend reported that part of the higher cost is that while Boeing
owns the tankers, they will perform the maint. on them and be
reimbursed by Uncle Sam, vs. Him doing it himself/bidging it out...
Anyone know the specifics?


Also, the question about when the tankers do get into hot areas. He
recalled a tanker commander being brought up on charges in GW#1 for
breaking the ROE & crossing the Iraq border to assist someone running
dry. True?


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433