This article in the New Yorker discusses Richard Perle, a PNAC member who recently resigned from his post as Chairman of the influential Defense Policy Board, to avoid the appearance of improriety or conflict of interest. He remains on the board, just not as Chairman. The story below details the connections that give that appearance of conflict of interest, and discusses Richard Perle’s influence in the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

LUNCH WITH THE CHAIRMAN
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Why was Richard Perle meeting with Adnan Khashoggi?
Issue of 2003-03-17
Posted 2003-03-10

Excerpt:

Four members of the Defense Policy Board told me that the board, which met most recently on February 27th and 28th, had not been informed of Perle�s involvement in Trireme. One board member, upon being told of Trireme and Perle�s meeting with Khashoggi, exclaimed, �Oh, get out of here. He�s the chairman! If you had a story about me setting up a company for homeland security, and I�ve put people on the board with whom I�m doing that business, I�d be had��a reference to Gerald Hillman, who had almost no senior policy or military experience in government before being offered a post on the policy board. �Seems to me this is at the edge of or off the ethical charts. I think it would stink to high heaven.�

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