Posted on 11/16/2004 1:25:46 PM PST by quidnunc
Congressional investigators have doubled the estimate of cash Saddam Hussein generated from subverting the oil-for-food program of the United Nations. They told a Senate subcommittee yesterday that at least $21 billion was secured by the Iraqi dictator from a range of illegal schemes, including oil smuggling and kickbacks.
Previous studies by American government agencies of illicit revenue flows concluded that Mr. Hussein's regime generated $10 billion from sanctions busting from 1991 to 2003. Armed with more documents and using different methodologies, investigators told the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that more oil was smuggled out of Iraq than had been calculated before.
In oil smuggling alone, Mr. Hussein is now thought to have profited to the tune of $13.7 billion. As with other schemes designed to subvert the international sanctions on his country, the investigators said, the connivance of corrupt U.N. officials and companies that were protected by members of the Security Council, such as Russia and France, was needed for Iraq to game the system.
Speaking before yesterday's subcommittee hearing, the chairman, Senator Coleman of Minnesota, warned journalists against considering the estimate of $21 billion a final one. "This is an evolving figure," he said.
Likening his committee's investigation to peeling an onion, Mr. Coleman said: "We just keep uncovering more layers and more layers."
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Well at least we know that the sanctions were working...
/sarcasm (grrrr)
Has Marc Rich's name turned up yet?
Isn't THAT blood for oil??????
But Saddamn wasn't the only one getting rich, was he...
The International Court should recuse itself for this one.
His company turned up on the MEMRI list. Haven't heard it or him mentioned elsewhere yet.
C'mon, Kofi! Open yer books, dawg!
Maybuh, weel find out how much them weppon 'spectors were makin' to look the other way....
We can always count on the scoundrels who benefit from liberal appeasement, to show us the absurdity of appeasing and liberalism.
So that's where he got the money to build his 7 palaces! The people sure didn't get any! Bastard!
I am sick to death of the U.N.
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