The GOP may be blindsided on this one! A Google search found links from Samir to the first Bush admin. See this link for a ready-made "connect the dots" picture:
http://www.namebase.org/xvil/Samir-Vincent.html Furthermore, this ABC NEWS link has the list of donors and is dated January 29,2004! I thought this was supposed to be a scoop.
Better yet, see this Free Republic post in March:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1068518/posts "Shakir al-Khafaji, an American citizen who came to the United States in 1976, has contributed to the campaigns of former U.S. Rep. David Bonior, Rep. John Conyers, Sen. Carl Levin — all Michigan Democrats — and the Clinton/Gore 1996 Primary Committee
11 posted on 01/30/2004 1:24:43 PM PST by Republican Red"
Jean Marie Benjamin (Father Benjamin)
Biography
Former staff member of the United Nations, UNICEF “Special Events Officer”, Geneva headquarters
Secretary General of the "Beato Angelico Foundation"
Member of the "Société des Gens de Lettres de France"
President of the "Benjamin Committee for Iraq"
Born in France on 11 April 1946, Jean-Marie Benjamin has been resident in Italy since 1975.
He directed and wrote the film "Padre Pio: la Notte del Profeta" (shown on RAI UNO, 27 April and 25 May 1999).
From 1983 to 1988 he served as "Special Events Officer" for UNICEF in Geneva. During this time he organised many television programmes in Europe and Japan with the participation of Peter Ustinov, Audrey Hepburn and others. In 1986 he created the "World Philharmonic Orchestra"
In 1988 he ended his cultural activities for the United Nations to devote himself to theological studies in Rome which led to his being ordained a priest on 26 October 1991. Between 1991 and 1994 he accompanied Cardinal Agostino Casaroli (Secretary of State, Vatican) on his missions in Europe and throughout the world. In 1992 he was appointed Secretary General of the Beato Angelico Foundation.
February 2003. He organizes the visit of the Iraqi Vice prime minister Tareq Aziz to Italy (13-16 Feb.03). Following coordination with the Secretariat of State of the Vatican for an audience with the Pope John-Paul II (13 and 15 January) he meets the Vice prime minister in Baghdad on 24 January to inform him about the initiative and to extend an invitation from the Beato Angelico Foundation. During their meeting Benjamin proposes to Mr. Aziz a visit to the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi.
December 1998 - he was in Baghdad during the bombing and, after an international enquiry, made a new documentary entitled: "Iraq: journey to the forbidden kingdom" dedicated to the living conditions of the Iraqi population and the impact of radioactive contamination on the population and the environment due to the use of weapons containing depleted uranium.
Jean-Marie Benjamin now lives in Assisi where he has transferred the Beato Angelico Foundation and has set up a multimedia production and post-production studio.
e-mail:
info@benjaminforiraq.org Web: www.benjaminforiraq.org
Father Benjamin, a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the pope and Tariq Aziz: 4.5 million