I don't know what it is about this deal that makes me wonder if a certain administration needed to scratch the back of a friendly Middle Eastern government that hosts US military support facilities for the Iraq War in a region of the world where the United States and its foreign policy really aren't all that popular and made it known that it wanted the deal to go through?  Then again, when in doubt never leave out the possibility that the deal was approved by John Snow's Treasury department due to complete ignorance, incompetence or negligence.