Posted on 02/06/2005 9:37:45 AM PST by Cornpone
BAGHDAD, Feb 6 (AFP) - A UN panel investigating corruption in Iraq's oil-for-food programme wants to interrogate one of Saddam Hussein's jailed right-hand men, Tareq Aziz, his lawyer told AFP Sunday.
Badie Aref Izzat said he expected to visit the former Iraqi deputy prime minister in the coming days and would advise him to demand he be questioned in a foreign country, possibly France.
"I have received many messages over the past 10 days from the head of the panel, Paul Volcker, asking me if Tareq Aziz would accept to be interrogated on the oil-for-food programme," Aref said.
A damning interim report by Volcker's panel released on Thursday found Benon Sevan, who headed the programme, repeatedly asked for oil allocations from Saddam's regime.
Aziz denies any wrongdoing under the oil-for-food programme, but is believed to be ready to name names in a scandal that now threatens UN chief Kofi Annan, as well as several leading figures and companies in France, Russia and other countries.
"He is a political man, he is very clever, he holds a lot of information on this issue and he will assess the benefits that can be derived," Aref said. "But I believe that his moral sense will prevail on his political instinct."
Aziz, 68, was the face of Iraq under Saddam's regime. He surrendered in April 2003 after the US-led invasion of Iraq and has since made only one brief appearance in court in July 2004.
Aref said he believed he would be able to meet Aziz this week to pitch the idea of a meeting with UN investigators.
"My client has four options. He can refuse to answer the questions. He can wait for the prosecution to decide on a release. He can demand the meeting be transferred to another country or he may decide to answer all the questions without conditions.
"I think the best solution is to have this meeting in another country, like France, Germany, Switzerland or Sweden. You can't reach the truth inside a jail. And these countries will be too embarrassed to refuse," the lawyer said.
"I think France would be the most suitable place, as it was opposed to the invasion and it was also against the embargo," Aref explained.
However, he has not yet made any proposal to a foreign country for a transfer, that would also require a green light from the Iraqi judiciary.
The oil-for-food programme was a mechanism set up by the UN in 1996, allowing Iraq to sell oil to alleviate the pressure imposed on the Iraqi people by the embargo slapped on Saddam's regime after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The only time he was allowed to see his client so far was for a six-hour meeting on December 23. Aref said Aziz had ruled out testifying against the former president then and would probably not change his mind.
"He is not faithful to Saddam Hussein, he is just faithful to Iraq and for the moment his country is under occupation. All he told me was: 'When I am free, I will write a book about Saddam Hussein'," the lawyer said.
Aref also said Aziz had urged him to plead for the release of Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, a woman captured in May 2003 and accused of being a leader of Saddam's alleged biological warfare programme.
The scientist is dying of breast cancer, Aref said, warning the US and Iraqi governments that her case was now a "humanitarian emergency".
By French law, the authorities don't have to reveal the cause of death. Right?
OK.....let me gets this straight we will turn him over to the UN and French ......sure we will.
Hey Izzat Baghdad airport is open ...get your well feed UN ass on a plane and ask the question in the cell Aziz uses.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of these guys on the witness stand.
I thought the same thing! Aziz "suddenly" collapses and dies in France (I'd collapse and die at the thought of going to France). But I bet the CIA already has all the info they need from him.
Me, too. "Goes into a coman" rings a bell, doesn't it?
Zero jurisdiction. This is like putting accomplices in the same room to give them time to get their story straight, even if that requires one of them suddenly dropping dead.
OK, I'll run out and get a party tray and some cold drinks. Wonder what the half-time show will be? Revolt in Iran?
LOL - Whatever the halftime show is I hope NO ONE named Jackson is included. (Janet, Micheal, Jesse, etc.)
Add to that they were collaborators in the scam and they are indeed the perfect place!
LOL
"I think France would be the most suitable place, as it was opposed to the invasion and it was also against the embargo,"
This guy is good enough to write for Scrappleface.
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