The Saddam Oil Vouchers Affair (Details)

Introduction On January 25, 2004, the Iraqi independent daily Al-Mada published a list of approximately 270 individuals and entities who were beneficiaries of Saddam Hussein's oil vouchers. [1] The report evoked reactions from many of those included in the list as well as from the Arab media, among them apologists for Saddam's regime. The fact that so many have opted for silence may give credence to the list's authenticity.

A former undersecretary in the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum, Abd Al-Saheb Salman Qutb, said that the ministry possesses documents proving the authenticity of the list published by Al-Mada. The list was originally the property of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which was responsible for marketing Iraqi petroleum. [2] Mr. Qutb also said that the ministry was collecting the information for submission to Interpol, which could then pursue the voucher beneficiaries. [3]

The Iraqi Governing Council has focused on 46 foreign individuals and organizations included on the lists, primarily from neighboring countries, to determine appropriate action. [4] Council member Muwwafaq Al-Rabi'i said during a visit to Beirut that the council has "tons of documents" but emphasized that the publication of these documents will be handled in a constructive way and not "for the sake of vengeance and revenge." [5]

In describing what it called "the curse of the Iraqi vouchers," the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat said that it expects more names and details to be made public in the near future and anticipates the revelation of a scandal of vast dimensions transcending countries and continents, implicating many prominent individuals and organizations. [6]

How It Worked: The Voucher Transactions Method In a subsequent article, Al-Mada provides details on the allocation and sale of oil vouchers. In general, the vouchers were given either as gifts or as payment for goods imported into Iraq in violation of the U.N. sanctions. The voucher holder would normally tender the voucher to any one of the specialized companies operating in the United Arab Emirates for a commission which initially ranged from $0.25 to $0.30 per barrel, though it may have declined in later years to as little as $0.10 or even $0.05 per barrel because of oil surplus on the market. [7] In other words, a voucher for 1 million barrels would have translated into a quick profit of $250,000-300,000 on the high side and $50,000-100,000 on the low side – all paid in cash. According to Al-Mada, Jordan will seek to tax the illicit profits of citizens who benefited from the sale of the vouchers.

One of the common arguments by recipients of vouchers was that the vouchers paid for goods provided in the framework of the U.N.-administered Oil for Food program. However, under the Memorandum of Understanding governing the program, oil allocations were intended for "end users," meaning those with refineries. Most of the voucher recipients would be considered "non-end users." Moreover, if vouchers were used to pay for goods, it would suggest that these were not authorized by the program and should be considered illicit since all contracts approved by the U.N. were reimbursed from the trust account where the oil revenues were kept, at a French bank, at Iraq's insistence. According to the United Nations: "The oil buyer had to pay the price approved by the Security Council Sanctions Committee into a U.N. escrow account, and the U.N. had to verify that the goods purchased by Iraq were indeed those allowed under the program. But the U.N. had no way of knowing what other transactions might be going on directly between the Iraqi government and the buyers and sellers." [8]

Part I: (A) the list of oil vouchers recipients; and (B) reactions by implicated individuals and organizations.

A. Complete List of Recipients of Oil Vouchers (in alphabetical order by country)

All names on the list were transliterated from the Arabic. Although every effort was made to be precise, some inaccuracy is inevitable.

Bahrain 1. Kadhem Al-Darazi Company 2 million 2. Ali Al-Muslim Company 3 million 3. Concrete Contracting Company 2 million

Belarus 1. Liberal Party 6 million 2. Belarus Communist Party 7 tons 3. Belminal Company 14.2 million 4. Belfarm Company 4 million 5. Chief of the President's Bureau 6 million 6. Lada Company 2 million

China 1. Mr. Juan 39.1 million 2. Noresco 17.5 million 3. Zank Ronk 13 million 4. Biorg 13.5 million 5. South Holken 1 million

Cyprus 1. Muhammad Al-Hawny 17 million 2. Nefta Petroleum 13.2 million 3. Continental 1 million

Egypt 1. Ancom Co. (Muhammad Shatta)14 million 2. Abd Al-Adham Manaf 6 million 3. Khaled Gamal Abd Al-Nasser 16.5 million 4. Imad Al-Jilda 14 million 5. Muhammad Salah 7 million 6. Muhammad Hilmi 4.5 million 7. Arab Company limited 6 million 8. Nile & Euphrates Co. 3 million 9. Mahmoud Mahdi Al-Ma'sarawi 7 million 10. Al-Hami Bashanti Foundation 2 million 11.International MultaqaFoundation 2 million

France 1. Adax 8.3 million 2. Trafigure Patrick Maugein 25 million 3. Michel Grimard 17 million 4. Franco-Iraqi Friendship 15.1 million 5. Ayix 47.2 million 6. Charles Pasque 12 million 7. Alias Al-Gharzali 14.6 million 8. IOTC (Claude Caspert) 4 million 9. Bernard Merimee 3 million 10. Bernard Merimee 8 million 11. de Souza 11 million

Indonesia 1. Daughter of President Sukarno 2 million 2. Hawa Atlantic 2 million 3. Makram Hakim 3 million 4. Megawati 8 million 5. Muhammad Amin Rayyis 4 million 6. Natuna Oil 2 million

Italy 1. Roberto Frimagoni 24.5 million 2. Salvatore Nicotra 20 million 3. Mr. Feloni 6.5 million 4. Father Benjamin 4.5 million 5. West Petrol 2 tons 6. Hetralk 2 tons 7. IPS (Italian Petroleum Assoc.) 1 million

Jordan 1. Leith Shbeilat 15.5 million 2. Fakhri Qa'war 6 million 3. Grand Resource 2 million 4. Al-Rashid International (Ahmad Al-Bashir) 9 million 5. Fawwaz Zuraiqat 6 million 6. Salem Al-Na'ass 3 million 7. Zayyad Al-Ragheb 7 million 8. Mashhur Haditha 4 million 9. Shaker bin Zayd 6.5 million 10. Muhammad Saleh Al-Hourani 4 million 11. Tojan Faisal 3 million 12. Ministry of Energy (Jordan) 5 million 13. Zayyad Yaghmour 2 million 14. Wamidh Hussein 1 million

Lebanon 1. B.B. Energy 2 million 2. Fadi Al-Alamiyya (International)2 million 3. Haitham Seidani 2 million 4. Plant [Blunt?] Petroleum 1 million 5. George Tarkhaynan 7 million 6. President Lehoud's son 4.5 million 7. Ali To'ma 1 million 8. Al-Hilal Co. (Adnan Al-Hanani) 1 million 9. International Company for Trade and Investment 3 million 10. Faisal Darniqa 3 million 11. Fim Oil Company 1 million 12. Najah Wakim 3 million 13. Osama Ma'rouf 3 million 14. Zuhair Al-Khatib 3.5 million

Malaysia 1. Fa'iq Ahmad Sharif 12.5 million 2. Pitmall Company 4 million 3. Trader Babar 4 million 4. Mastek (Fa'iq Ahmad Sharif0 57 million 5. Hawala 7 million

Morocco 1. Abdallah Al-Sallawi 7.2 million 2. Nadhel Al-Hashemi 5.7 million 3. Muhammad Al-Basri 4.5 million

Nigeria 1. Hayson 7.2 million 2. Raz Company 7.5 million 3. A.A.G. Company (Nigerian Ambassador) 1 million 4. Comeback 4 million

Palestine 1. Abu Al-Abbas 11.5 million 2. Abdullah Al-Hourani 8 million 3. Wafa Tawfiq Sa'igh 3.5 million 4. Liberation Organization 4 million 5. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine 5 million 6. Liberation Organization (Political Bureau) 5 million

Pakistan 1. Oil & Gas Group 10 tons 2. Abu Abd Al-Rahman 11.5 tons 3. Sayyed Azzaz 1 ton

Qatar 1. Hamad bin Ali Al-Thani 14 million 2. The Duleimy Group 4 million 3. Gulf Petroleum 2 million 4. Petrolina Oil 2 million 5. Petroleum Wells Maintenance 2 million

Russia 1. The Russian State 1.366 billion 2. Zarubesneft 174.5 million 3. Russneft Ampex 86.9 million (for the office of the president, including 1 million to Mr. Tetzenko, Russian Ambassador to Baghdad) 4. Communist Party Companies 137 million 5. Amircom (Unity Party/ Ministry for Emergencies) 57 million 6. Mishinoimport 1 million 7. Al-Fayco (Russian Foreign Ministry) 128.8 million 8. Yatumin (Russian Foreign Ministry) 30.1 million 9. Slavneft 25.5 million 10. Zan Gaz 49.1 million 11. Rosneft Company 35.5 million 12. Caspian Investment 8.5 million 13. Kamaneft Company 7.5 million 14. Gasprom 26 million 15. Tatneft 1 million 16. LUKoil 63 million 17. Surgut Neftegas 4 million 18. Siberia Oil & Gas company 1 million 19. Nafta Moscow Company 25.1 million 20. Onaco Company 22.2 million 21. Sidanco Company 21.2 million 22. Sibneft 8.1 million 23. Transneft 9 million 24. Yukos 2 million 25. Liberal Democratic Party (Zhirinovsky) 79.8 million 26. Peace and Unity Party 34 million (the list mentions party chairwoman Sazhi Umalatova) 27. Russian Committee of Solidarity with the People of Iraq 6.5 million (its chair, Sergei Rudasev is mentioned) 28. Russian Association for Solidarity with Iraq 12.5 million (its chair, [Zhorafilon] is listed) 29. Russneft-Gazexport 12.5 million 30. Uralinvest (Stroyev) 8.5 million 31. Moscow Science Academy 3.5 million 32. Romain (son of former ambassador to Baghdad) 19.7 million 33. Zarabsneft (Gobkin University) 3.5 million 34. Nordvest Group) 2 million 35. Zarbshneft & Gas (Mr. Hassan) 3 million (only one million delivered) 36. Soyuzneftgaz (Yuri Shafrannik) 25.5 million 37. Nikolayi Ryzhkov 13 million 38. Stroyneftgas 6 million 39. Akht Neft Company 4.5 million 40. Chechna Administration 2 million 41. 'Adel Al-Jablawi (I.N.M. Airways) 6 million 42. Khrozolit 5 million 43. Trader Nafta 3 million 44. Chief of the President's Bureau 5 million 45. Russian Orthodox Church 5 million 46. Russian National Democratic Party 3 million

South Africa 1. Imvume Management (Sandy Majali) 9 million 2. Tokyo Saxwele Holdings (MVL) 4 million 3. Montega 4 million 4. Omni Oil 4 million

1. Bassim Qaqish 17.5 million 2. Javier Robert 9.8 million 3. Ali Balutt 8.8 million

Switzerland 1. Media 2 million 2. Delta Service 2 million 3. Iblom 1 million 4. Sipol 1 million 5. Glencore 12 million 6. Lakia 2 million 7. Elkon [or Elcon] 23 million 8. Taurus 8 million 9. Petrogas 5 million 10. Finar [Holdings] 21 million 11. Napex Company 3 million

Syria 1. Awadh Ammura 18 million+ 2. Beshara Nuri 12 million+ 3. Ghassan Shallah 11 million 4. Muhammad Amar Nofel 3.5 million 5. Tamam Shehab 1 million 6. Hamida Na'na' 9 million+ 7. Farras Mustapha Tlass 6 million 8. Salim Al-Toon 3.5 million 9. Lutfi Fawzi 2.5 million 10. Lid Guarantees 3.5 million 11. Ghassan Zacharia 6 million 12. Muhammad Ma'moun Al-Sab'i 4 million 13. Hassan Al-Kayal 2 million 14. Anwar Al-Aqqad 2 million

Tunisia 1. Madex Petroleum 6.7 million 2. Farnaco 3.7 million 3. Maydor 4 million

Turkey 1. Zayn Al-Abideen Ardam 27 million+ 2. Lutfi Dughan 1 million+ 3. Muhammad Aslan 13 million 4. Techfen 15.5 million 5. KCK Company 1.5 million 6. Delta Petroleum 1 million 7. Sita 1 million 8. Ozia 2.5 million 9. Samir 2 million 10. Muhtashem 2 million 11. Maqdar Sarjeen 2 million

Ukraine 1. Social Democratic Party 8.5 million 2. Ukraine Communist Party 6 million 3. Energy Resources 2 million 4. Fazmash Ampex 2 million 5. Neftogas 8 million 6. Hugh Company (Sokolov) 5 million 7. Orshansky 4.5 million 8. Fideralty Torkovy 1 million 9. Trans Isko 1 million 10. The Ukranian House 1 million 11. F.T.D. 2 million 12. Socialist Party of Ukraine 2 million

United Arab Emirates 1. Fal Petrol 1.8 million 2. Ahmad Mani' Sa'id Al-Utaiba 11 million 3. Jewan Oil 7.5 million 4. Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan 4 million 5. Al-Huda 22.9 million 6. Issa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan 5 million 7. Millenium 2 tons 8. Bony Fiol 1 ton

United Kingdom 1. George Galloway/Nawwaf Zuraiqat 19 million 2. Mujahideen Khalq 36.5 million

Vietnam 1. Vinapco 1.2 million 2. Darlink Med 2 million 3. Vinafod 6 million 4. O.S.C. 2 tons

Yemen 1. Abd Al-Karim Al-Aryani 7.8 million 2. Tawfiq Abd Al-Raheem 1.5 million 3. Shaher Abd Al-Haq 7 million+

1. Socialist Party 22 million 2. Left Party 9.5 million 3. Italian Party 16 million 4. Kokostancha Party 9 million

B. Reactions of Implicated Individuals and Organizations It is hardly surprising that most of those interviewed or those who reacted otherwise denied receiving such vouchers or claimed that the vouchers were received in the framework of the Oil for Food program. This latter argument is somewhat disingenuous because legitimate suppliers of goods and services under the program were paid from a trust account administered by the United Nations, and with vouchers from Saddam. Some may have made statements to newspapers not readily available to MEMRI, and others may have opted to remain silent.

Abd Al-Majid Al-Attar, a formerdirector-general of the Algerian national oil company SONATRAC (6 million barrels) wrote a long rebuttal in the London daily Al-Hayatstating that the 6 million barrels were marketed by Algerian companies. According to him, the profits were used for humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people. Al-Attar likes to remind the reader "that every airplane [carrying assistance] which landed in Baghdad cost hundreds of thousands of dollars without getting involved in details" [emphasis added]. [9] Radio Algiers announced that the state would investigate allegations of corruption. [10]

Ali Al-Muslim (3 million barrels) said he had visited Iraq 22 times before the war but his trips were primarily "humanitarian," and that he had sent food and cleaning materials within the framework of the Oil for Food program. As a sign of appreciation, the regime offered Al-Muslim the opportunity to sell, as a broker, 3 million barrels. Al-Muslim ran into difficulties selling the vouchers and hence he withdrew from the deal.

Hassan Al-Darazi, the son of businessman Kadhem Al-Darazi (2 million barrels), said his father had made a pilgrimage to Mecca but that all his activities were "purely commercial." [11]

The Socialist Party of Bulgaria (12 million). President Georgi Parvanov, head of the Socialist Party, characterized the allegation as "ill-advised black humor," but ordered an inquiry into the accusation. [12] President Parvanov also met with the U.S. Ambassador in Sofia and sought his help to clarify the facts regarding the list. [13]

Arthur Millholland, CEO of the Calgary-based Oilexco(9.6 million barrels), denied he had received vouchers and criticized MEMRI, which he claimed "was critical of the recent U.S.-led war with Iraq and participated in the UN's Oil for Food program to help Iraqi children [sic]." "Obviously," he hinted, MEMRI "has some motives." [14]

Abd Al-Adhim Manaf (6 million barrels), the owner and editor of The Voice of the Arabs (Sawt Al-Arab), and a member of parliament, offered to show evidence that he had been offered oil vouchers, but had refused them. [15]

Muhammad Shatta (14 million barrels) maintained that he served as an agent for two international petroleum companies and that all his transactions were under the Oil for Food Program. He said there was small-scale smuggling of oil of 3000 barrels at a time by small merchants, but did not explain how the smuggling was related to the vouchers he received.

Khaled Abd Al-Nasser, the son of the late Egyptian president Gamal Abd Al-Nasser, (16.5 million barrels), could not be reached by the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Youssef because all his phones "were out of order." However, the weekly cites a number of instances of Abd Al-Nasser's involvement in activities for solidarity with Iraq.

Egyptian MP Imad Al-Gilda (14 million barrels) denied receiving any vouchers. Roz Al-Youssefreported that there were rumors before the war that Al-Gilda was "part of the Iraqi propaganda machine."

Mahmoud Mahdi Al-Ma'sarawi (7 million barrels) attributes the inclusion of his and other names on the list to their stand against U.S. actions in Iraq.

Muhammad Hilmi (4.5 million barrels), who named his son Saddam, said he would be proud if his son would be another Saddam Hussein. [16] Otherwise, he denied the allegation.

It is noteworthy that Egyptian activist Mamdouh El-Sheikh filed suit in May 2003 against several Egyptian politicians and journalists, accusing them of accepting bribes from Saddam which violated Egyptian law. [17]

Former interior minister Charles Pasqua (12 million barrels ) denied any involvement and suggested another, unnamed former French interior minister may have been the beneficiary. [18] According to The New York Post Mr. Pasqua, "a close friend and former colleague of Chirac … fought to allow visits by top Iraqi officials to France in 1993." [19]

Patrick Maugein, CEO of the oil firm SOCO International (25 million barrels), was quoted as saying that he did a lot of business in Iraq under the Oil for Food program, "but none of it was illegal." [20] It was mentioned that the 55-year old businessman "appears to wield [influence] with President Jacques Chirac." [21]

Bernard Merimee (3 million and another 8 million barrels) was the French Ambassador to the United Nations and France's representative in the Security Council.

Michael Grimard (17 million barrels) is the founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club.

Gilles Munier, secretary general of the Franco-Iraqi Friendship Association, said his organization introduced numerous businesses, oil and otherwise, to contracts in Iraq, but that it was all perfectly legal. For each successful introduction, he said he "received a commission." [22]

Hungarian Interest Party (MEP). Quoting from the Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag, the MEP was established by Izabella Kiraly B. in the fall of 1993 after her expulsion from the Hungarian Democratic Party. Ms. Kiraly refused to talk to the Hungarian newspaper but her website includes slogans such as: "Hands off Iraq!" "Peace Instead of War," and "America! Leave the World Alone in Peace!" On her site, President Bush in a Nazi uniform with the U.S. flag in hand repeats a famous statement by Hitler: "One People, One Empire, One Ruler" (ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer). [23]

President Megawati Sukarnoputri (2 million as "daughter of President Sukarno" plus 8 million barrels under her own name). A spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that President Megawati was "aware of the allegations." [24]

People's Consultative Assembly speaker Muhammad Amin Rayyis (4 million barrels) did not respond to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Father Benjamin (4.5 million barrels) is a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the Pope and Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister. [25]

Salvatore Nicotra (20 million) is a former NATO pilot who became an oil merchant.

Leith Shbeilat (15.5 million barrels) is an Islamist with a pro-Saddam record. He stressed that the United Nations system was so stringent that it would not have allowed anyone to play with oil contracts and that the publication of the list was intended "to slander those who were defending the Iraqi people." [26] Ironically, he served as the chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Jordanian parliament. [27]

Fawwaz Zureiqat (6 million barrels) whose name was linked with the British MP George Galloway (see United Kingdom) said that the accusations are silly. He said that he had earned a commission of five cents per barrel, which had not been paid by the Iraqi government.

Tojan Faisal, a member of parliament (3 million barrels), said she acted to help a friend in need. She identified him as Abd Al-Rahman Al-Qatarna. [28]

Fakhri Qi'war (6 million barrels) is a former Jordanian MP and a journalist. He said the list "has no basis in truth and we do not know its reasons." He added that the accusation "is an attempt to slander those who stand against the American occupation of Iraq and stand with the Iraqi resistance and the Iraqi brethren and cooperate and support them." [29]

Wamidh Hussein (Majali) (1 million barrels) denied receiving oil. He said: "I was a member of the Popular Jordanian Committee for Solidarity with Iraq, and provided medicines. We paid for it from our own pockets." [30]

In response to a parliamentary question, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Halaiqa said: "The issue is under follow-up, and we are seeking to verify whether some people have acquired [Iraqi] graft." [31]

Emil Emil Lahoud (4.5 million barrels) is a Lebanese MP and the son of Lebanese President Emil Lahoud. In an interview with the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Lahoud maintained that his inclusion on the list was aimed at undermining the position taken by his father which "supports the [Palestinian] resistance, stands by Syria, rejects the occupation of Iraq, and demands the liberation of all the Palestinian lands." [32]

Osama Ma'rouf (3 million barrels), another MP and head of the Nasserite Popular Organization, admitted receiving a voucher to sell oil for commission. However, he added that the voucher had cost Iraq nothing and that he had in any event never exercised the option. [33]

Najah Wakim (3 million barrels), a former MP, denied the allegation, maintaining that Al-Mada editor Fakhri Kareem said on television, without specifying time or venue, that he received the list from the CIA without supporting evidence. [34] Kareem told the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar that he had never spoken with Wakim. [35]

Muhammad Al-Basri (4.5 million barrels) who has since died, was a former Moroccan Socialist leader. [36]

One surprise on the list was Mr. [Benon] Sevan (11.5 million barrels) who is the Executive Director of the Oil for Food program. A U.N. spokeswoman denied the charges and said that the U.N. secretary-general was completely satisfied with Sevan's integrity. [37] Mr. Sevan denied the allegations and stated that "it was incumbent on those who published these allegations to provide the necessary documents." [38]

Abd Al-Aziz Mubarak Al-Duleimi (4 million barrels) said he had contracts to sell 10 million barrels as a broker under the U.N. supervision and had nothing to do with Saddam's coupons or bribes. [39]

Two entities are listed under Romania: Delf Aderlink ( 1 million barrels) and the Romanian Labor Party ( 5.5 million barrels). The following is a slightly edited version of an email to MEMRI from a Romanian journalist:

"The owner of Bulf Drilling, Cornel Bulf, is a pretty well known Romanian businessman, deeply involved in oil business. He has a lot of privileged businesses with the state-owned oil company Petrom. He claimed that all the Iraqi oil that he sold was with U.N. permission – and he showed me some approvals in this regard. Nevertheless, I take into consideration that he could have traded Iraqi oil both with and without approval, and that U.N. approvals were meant to cover his illicit trade.

"The son of the president of Labor Party, Ioan Cristian Nicolae, in connection with some politicians, has just bought a huge building in Bucharest for $1.5 million." [40]

Tokyo Saxwele Mvelaphanda Holdings (MVL) reacted angrily to its inclusion in the list, but has not denied buying oil under the Oil for Food program. [41]

Petrogas (5 million barrels) is listed in Switzerland under three sub-companies – Petrogas Services, Petrogas Distribution, and Petrogas Resources – and is associated with the Russian company Rosneftegazetroy (35.5 million barrels).

Hamida Na'na (over 9 million barrels) is the owner of Al-Wifaq Al-Arabi and the author of a biography of former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz. She is currently writing a biography of Iraqi general Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali. [43]

Farras Mustafa Tlass (6 million barrels) is the son of Mustafa Tlass, Syrian Defense Minister and one of the pillars of the Syrian Ba'ath party. He said his company had bought oil from Iraq under the Oil for Food program and denied receiving any oil outside the framework of that agreement. [44]

There is a reference on the margin of the list to "a Mr. Burhan Al-Chelebi" and "Fortrum and Gas-Oy," a Finnish purchasing company, in an agreement on December 29, 1999. There is also another reference to former MP George Galloway, as beneficiary of 3 million barrels. There is another reference to George Galloway's receiving 4 million barrels, through Jordanian Fawwaz Zureiqat, of Aredio Petroleum, in an agreement on July 10, 2001. Similarly, Middle East Advance Semi-Conductor, a Jordanian company, referred to Galloway as receiving 3 million barrels in an agreement on June 8, 2001, also via Mr. Fawwaz Zureiqat. Similarly, March 5, 2001 - 2 million barrels Similarly, December 12, 2002 - 3 million barrels Similarly, June 3, 2002 - 3 million barrels Thus, "George Galloway as beneficiary is cited six times, twice in the name of Finnish and French companies and the rest Jordanian under the name of Fawwaz Zureiqat. All these requests were approved by the minister of oil, with his signature." [45]

When asked by ABC News about being on the list, Galloway replied: "Not one brass farthing. I've never seen a barrel of oil, owned one, bought one." [46]

The Mujahideen Khalq (36.5) is an organization which opposes the Iranian regime which had operated from within Iraq under the Saddam regime. The United States has classified it as a terrorist organization and it has recently been ordered to leave Iraq.

Shaker Al-Khaffaji (7 million barrels) advanced $400,000 to Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. Ritter produced a documentary purporting to tell the true story of the weapons inspections, which in his telling were corrupted by sinister U.S. manipulation. [47]

Samir Vincent (10.5 million barrels): In 2000, Vincent, an Iraqi-born American who lived in the U.S. since 1958, organized a delegation of Iraqi religious leaders to the U.S., which met with former president Jimmy Carter.

There's all sorts of interesting ones here, easiest to pick is the Scott Ritter connection.

For Switzerland there is "Glencore" - to whom CLinton pardongate figure Marc Rich is or was connected.

Father Benjamin among other things, arranged that distasteful meeting between the Pope and Tariq Aziz.

Then there's UK MP George Galloway, the nephew-in-law of Yassir Arafat.

Thanks for the ping, Shermy.

Listen, I heard Greg Palkot on Fox the other day. He was in Paris and he was talking about "recently discovered" documents about oil contracts. I am pretty sure he was talking about this story we've been following. I didn't see a written report and not a word again, either from Palkot or any other reporter on Fox.

Still, I thought it significant that he was reporting this, and from Paris, no less. I hope he's on the trail.

Wonder if this is what President Bush showed Mr. PUTin after the Camp David visit.

PUTin came out and announced that he was in talks with some to stop the US in removing the terrorists in Afghanistan.

No one asked who he was in talks with.

The Russian have been busy building missiles ever since.

Here's a January 29 article from Le Monde about Maugein, etc.

Before the War, the Sale of Iraqi Oil Enriched a Multitude of Intermediaries (Le Monde)

A shocking name is under "Panama" - Sevan, the chief of the Oil for Food program.

...In describing what it called "the curse of the Iraqi vouchers," the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat said that it expects more names and details to be made public in the near future and anticipates the revelation of a scandal of vast dimensions transcending countries and continents, implicating many prominent individuals and organizations. [6]..."

I hope so...

No Bias in our Media, none.
However, I could not tell you what TV reports, I quit watching them years ago, I do not buy a Paper But... I can tell you that the propaganda that comes on every 15 minutes on Radio has yet to blame it all on President Bush. (They will get to it soon I'm sure)

the trust account where the oil revenues were kept, at a French bank, at Iraq's insistence

Billions were yanked from the US economy, I believe in October 2000, and sent to France at "Saddam's" insistence. I could never believe a bigger deal was never made over it.

Check out this thread. Some speculate that maybe one of Clinton's last minute pardon-ees were in the list from a Swiss acount? Follow the paper trail. information for the masses! I hope our government really preasures these people and governments who let this go on... :)

Tacis stated the following in a past thread...

It is not in the left wing media because of a hypothesis I posed yesterday. When this list was posted, I said that I couldn't believe that, given his corrupt nature, Willie Clinton wasn't on the list. A voucher the size of a sheet of paper worth a million barrels of oil at, what?, $15 a barrel, would explain a lot about Willie and his crimes/treason. It would explain Vince Foster's trips to Switzerland and his murder, why Suzie went to prison, why Jim McDougal was murdered in a federal prison, and so on.

A sharp poster responded that the original listing for Switzerland showed a "Glenco Re" (I assumed it was an insurance company) as a beneficiary. He observed that it probably was "Glencore," an outfit owned (?) by Marc Rich, the same guy who bought a pardon from Willie on the last and who probably will never again step foot in the US.

Thus, the reason it hasn't been mentioned in most of the left wing media is that it points at Willie and they want nothing that doesn't point at Bush. A lesser reason is, of course, is that there is an oil scandal and Halliburton isn't mentioned.

> Then there's UK MP George Galloway, the nephew-in-law of Yassir Arafat.

Didn't know Galloway was related to him--that certainly sheds some light.

So beyond the individual names mentioned here, is there any pattern connecting the names together?--specifically one connecting Saddam's bribes to the EU left and the former Soviet bloc to Saddam's US allies like ANSWER, Ritter, McDermott, etc.? My theory is that the US bribes were somehow being funneled through the more obvious lefties to the more "mainstream" ones, in order to give the Democratic opponents of the war in the House and Senate (notably Ted Kennedy) a cover of plausible deniability in case the Galloway/McDermott types got caught. I'm especially wondering if Valerie Plame, Joseph Wilson, John Kerry, and/or Ted Kennedy had any connections to anyone mentioned in this article.

Upon rereading I see I worded my post somewhat clumsily, so let me clarify one point I was trying to make: I know Ritter was mentioned in the article, I'm just wondering if there's some pattern connecting the bribes to him with the bribes to others, which might help indicate the channels through which the money flowed. Seems to me like the UN had to be one of the central conduits, but there were undoubtedly others.

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