Dan Rather Reports - Oakland Institute

KEENEYIt’s nice to have Iowa State involved, because they’ve got this great reputation. I mean, that kindof helps cover what is really going on. You don’t know.RATHER (VOICE OVER)DR. DENNIS KEENEY IS PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF AGRONOMY ANDAGRICULTURE AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY. HETOLD US HE’S NEVER SEEN SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THIS.KEENEYI don’t think anybody’s ever had a board of regents president owning a massive project overseasand then asking the university to do part of the work. I just don’t think that’s-- that’s-- that’s partof anything we’ve seen before.RATHER (VOICE OVER)DR. NEIL HARL IS PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF ECONOMICS AT IOWA STATEUNIVERSITY AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FORINTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL FINANCE. HE SAYS HAVING THE UNIVERSITYIN ON THE DEAL IS AN OBVIOUS BENEFIT TO AGRISOL.HARLIf the university says, "We're going to do this to benefit you and your country," I think they'reinclined to believe that. If it’s said by a private sector firm they’re less likely to believe that.There's a question here as to whether this is to help a worthy cause to raise the income levels ofthe Tanzanian people, or is this a project to-- produce ethanol and other products-- as cheaply aspossible and for the benefits to flow to the private sector firm, Agrisol? We don't know.RATHER (VOICE OVER)RASTETTER, HIMSELF, HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A POTENTIALCONFLICT BETWEEN HIS FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AGRISOL AND HIS POSITIONON THE BOARD OF REGENTS.AND RASTETTER DID DISCLOSE THIS POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST TO THEBOARD, BUT NOT UNTIL JUNE 17 -- A FEW DAYS AFTER THE DES MOINESREGISTER RAN THIS FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE ABOUT THE CONTROVERSYSURROUNDING AGRISOL. AND RASTETTER DIDN’T RECUSE HIMSELF FROM16