Iraq oil cash funded MPs' campaigns (GALLOWAY!)

Guardian ^ | 02/17/04 | David Leigh and David Pallister

[Pikamax]

Iraq oil cash funded MPs' campaigns

Businessmen handed on money illicitly siphoned from UN deals to pressure groups run by George Galloway and Tam Dalyell

David Leigh and David Pallister Tuesday February 17, 2004 The Guardian

Money illicitly siphoned from the UN oil-for-food programme by Saddam Hussein was used to finance anti-sanctions campaigns run by British politicians, according to documents that have surfaced in Baghdad. Undercover cash from oil deals went to three businessmen who in turn supported pressure groups involving the ex-Labour MP George Galloway, Labour MP Tam Dalyell, and the former Irish premier Albert Reynolds, it is alleged in documents compiled by the oil ministry, which is now under the control of the US occupation regime.

Separately, a dossier from the oil ministry in Baghdad has been handed by the British Foreign Office to Customs and Excise, which has been asked to investigate. They were also referred to the Cabinet Office because of their political sensitivity.

"The government has been given copies of certain documents [from Iraq]," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said yesterday. "They are being passed to the appropriate authorities for consideration."

Two of the three businessmen involved in UK campaigns, Burhan al-Chalabi and Riad al-Tajir, were based in Surrey; the other, Fawwaz Zureikat, a Jordanian entrepreneur, had offices in London.

Mr Chalabi and Mr Zureikat gave money to the Mariam Appeal, run by Mr Galloway, the MP confirmed. Mr Tahir said he ran another anti-sanctions campaign called Friendship Across Borders, which had Mr Dalyell as its official patron and organised visits to Baghdad by supportive politicians.

The three businessmen are alleged to have received money from Saddam via oil allocations. They sold the oil rights on at a profit of more than $1m (about £530,000), in an exploitation by Saddam of loopholes in the UN's then oil-for-food programme.

Mr Tahir agrees he profited from the oil deals. Mr Chalabi refuses to comment. Mr Zureikat confirmed to Agence France Presse in Jordan last week that he had made the oil deals.

The oil-for-food programme was set up in 1995 amid fears of a humanitarian disaster after the first Gulf war. Under the scheme, Saddam was allowed to sell limited quantities of oil to pay for food and medicine for the Iraqi people.

The contents of the new documents shed light on Mr Galloway's libel battle with the Daily Telegraph. Last year newspaper reports based on purported Iraqi intelligence files led to him being accused of receiving an annual £375,000 in secret personal payments from Saddam.

Our investigations in Iraq, New York, Paris, Moscow and London indicate the new British-related documents are authentic, although their meaning is not always clear.

These files do not implicate Mr Galloway in personal corruption. Nor do they suggest that Mr Dalyell and Mr Reynolds, who always paid their own way, had any knowledge of what was going on.

Mr Galloway said he was unaware that his financial sponsors were getting oil cash from the UN programme. But he accepts that he knew his supporters had links with Saddam's regime, and regarded that as an inevitable price to pay.

Despite their importance in the bitter Galloway controversy, the contract documents seem unlikely to surface in the pending libel trial.

The so-called oil list has already caused worldwide embarrassment, with allegations made against prominent people and companies in France, Russia, Switzerland and South Africa, as well as employees at the UN.

Across the world, some of those named agree the lists seem authentic. Others deny it, or say details are exaggerated.

[XHogPilot]

bump

[evad]

Did you know Kerry served in Vietnam?

Turns out that may be a rumor.

His 'body' was in Viet Nam but we don't know for sure that 'he' was in Viet Nam.
In any event, it depends on the definition of "served" ;-)

[MizSterious]

There are some documents already showing that McDermott and a couple others took donations from someone on the list of 270 recipients of Saddam's bribes. It's indirect, but pretty damning.

[Allan]

The next thing that's coming. Which UN officials got 'Oil for Food' money.

Anyone want to guess?

[beckett]

First time I have seen Albert Reynolds' name associated with Saddam. A big blow to his prestige.

[Grampa Dave]

Mewzilla has posted some very interesting photos of the UK Traitor and abettor of the mass murderer, the $oddomite.

Tony should order the UK Marines to wrap this traitor and ship him to Iraq to be tried with his buddy, the $oddomite.

Slime like Galloway around the world enabled the $oddomite to stay in power and to continue to kill innocent Iraqis. Typical lunatic lib behavior when it comes their love/lust for dictators. Another example of how money can buy anything from a lunatic lib.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Dallas Cowboy apologist commie pinko

[Grampa Dave]

Koffee Anananon for sure.

WMD inspectors for sure.

Scott Ritter for sure!

[Zack Nguyen]

LOL.

[FBD]

Thanks for the ping to this Dave.

I also wonder:

Could George SorA$$ be possibly connected to Iraqi oil money? He has a buddy in a Russian oil company...

[Grampa Dave]

You can bet that George $oreA$$ was/is up to his $$ in bribes, kick backs and other payments to keep his buddy $oddomite alive.

[The Old Hoosier]

Maybe he can defect to North Korea.

[Lunatic Fringe]

under the control of the US occupation regime

Interesting choice of words....

[BOBTHENAILER]

Tony should order the UK Marines to wrap this traitor and ship him to Iraq to be tried with his buddy, the $oddomite.

Great thread here. I agree with your proposed handling of the traitor Galloway.

[spacewarp]

Only with their food and forcing them to watch BBC for hours on end. Eventually, the brain just shuts off and dies. Then the body with it.

[tjwmason]

I'm guessing they don't execute traitors in Great Britain, do they?

Unfortunately not. The relevant Treason Act does prescribe hanging for High Treason against the Crown, however, in the late '90s the Blair government incorporated the 'European Convention on Human Rights' into English law, to do this an undertaking was made that any capital sentence would be automatically commuted to life-imprisonment. It's all a long way from the days of being hanged, drawn and quartered.

Execution, in reality, ended in the late '60s; the same time as abortion and homosexual practice were legalised, and divorce made a damn lot easier. Many of our anarcho-leftists consider these four to be the greatest victories for the left. Of course, the vast majority of the British public are in favour of capital punishment.

[mewzilla]

And ther's always the Tower...

[tjwmason]

And ther's always the Tower...

The Tower was actually used as a gaol during the second world war; 900 years and still in service. It also holds the oldest part of the British Military, the Yeoman Warders were founded in 1585.

[mewzilla]

We've toured it twice :) I'd say you could make someone pretty uncomfortable there. Heh heh heh...

[norraad]

"Hangin's too good for them!"

More good old "cap" punishment is worth a try here ( at least give it a trial run ).