Carlyle Group

Red Herring says Carlyle has established itself as the Gate Keeper between private business interests and U.S. Defense Spending.

http://www.thecarlylegroup.com/

Private Equity investment group.

Owner of (now-public) United Defense.

Includes George H W Bush, James Baker, Frank Carlucci, John Major (former Prime Minister of England).

• statement from David Rubenstein, co-founder and Managing Director, on George W Bush - So you know if you said to me, name 25 million people who would maybe be President of the United States, he wouldn't have been in that category. So you never know. Anyway, I haven't been invited to the White House for any things.

Red Herring credits Frank Carlucci: It wasn't until 1989, when the company brought in Mr. Carlucci, fresh off his two-year stint as U.S. secretary of defense, that Carlyle got serious in government.

The Bin Laden Family was an investor, until relationship severed in Oct'01 after Sept11 attack.

So is CalPERS. It owns 5.5 percent of the Carlyle Group in a minority equity stake and has an option to double that holding during the next two years.

Silly notoriety in May'01 from Peter Chung http://www.snopes2.com/sex/tattled/chung.htm |scandal Google for relevant Conspiracy Theory