Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitortag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-941612053140989572011-08-04T14:23:03-04:00Original reporting on little-known U.S. government funded foreign aid projects, so-called "drug war" initiatives, and overseas business subsidies.TypePadU.S. Considers Financing Gas Extraction Projects in Central Asiatag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834515b9569e2015434419f79970c2011-08-04T14:23:03-04:002011-08-04T14:23:03-04:00USTDA is weighing whether to partially subsidize a coal-bed methane extraction project in the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Steve PeacockUSAID Dumping $50 Million into Central Asia Trade & Reform Projecttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834515b9569e2014e89c22f07970d2011-07-11T15:30:39-04:002011-07-11T15:30:39-04:00$50 million in contracts recently were awarded to four vendors under an initiative that seeks to promote economic growth in Central Asia, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed today.Steve PeacockU.S.-Funded Projects Increase as Kazakhstan Power-Brokers Curry Favor From Washingtontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834515b9569e201538f06fed4970b2011-06-07T20:08:17-04:002011-06-07T20:08:17-04:00A trio of initiatives aimed at modernizing the infrastructure of oil-rich Kazakhstan—while simultaneously benefiting U.S. consulting firms—was unveiled, albeit without without fanfare, by the federal government. The U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) late last week began its search for Kazakh project vendors at a time when the U.S. increasingly is becoming embroiled in a tempestuous controversy between the Kazakh President and his exiled son-in-law.Steve Peacock