Posted on 05/14/2005 8:54:07 AM PDT by phoenix_004
A senior French politician said on Friday he had been implicated in an oil-for-food scam in Iraq in an effort to discredit President Jacques Chirac, a fierce opponent of the US-led war in Iraq.
A US Senate report on Thursday said Senator Charles Pasqua - once a close Chirac associate and former interior minister in a conservative government - had received an allocation of 11 million barrels of oil with the personal approval of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The oil-for-food programme was dogged by allegations of massive fraud and charges Saddam used it to buy influence in the West.
Pasqua, who has immunity from prosecution as a member of the French Senate, again denied any link to Saddam’s Iraq and said he had urged the president of the French Senate to launch a separate probe into the allegations made against him, other French nationals and leading French companies.
Pasqua said: “Perhaps also, those who think that, through me, they can strike Jacques Chirac, are unaware that the nature of our relations has changed, at least politically.
“And if they think I could have influenced France’s policy, they are wrong,” “I’m capable of defending myself, that’s not the issue. (What is at issue is) the campaign that’s underway that is targeting a certain number of big French firms and French interests,” he said.
“In the United States, there is a real psychosis. This psychosis consists of them saying, ‘if France was hostile to the American intervention (in Iraq), it’s due to its economic interests or preferential relations it had with Saddam Hussein’.”
The French Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticised the US Senate for naming Pasqua, saying those accused had not been given a chance to defend themselves against the allegations. reuters
(Excerpt) Read more at swissinfo.org ...
If there's no evidence against Mr. Pasqua, then he doesn't need to worry, does he? It's just that simple. Mr. Pasqua seems worried, though.
One other good thing about the US having gone into Iraq, is that the cesspool of crap that is/was "Oil-For-Food" would never have seen the light of day. At least some of those involved have been exposed for what they are.
Chirac's doing a good enough job of that without any outside assistance, thank you. :)
As I understand it the SOB Chirac would be in prison if he hadn't been elected president. As president he has immunity from prosecution for the corruption of his administration over Paris.
And it wouldn't have anything to do with your own corrupt activities, would it Frenchy?
No, it's not a psychosis. It is a relevant observation.
And, it's not quite that simple. First, since there were ongoing sanctions in place by the sacred UN, why were there any economic relations between Iraq and France in the first place. Second, if France was nothing but up-front and honest during the whole debate, why did their ambassador assure Colin Powell that it would not veto the US initiative if it went back one more time to the UN and then break their promise if not to embarass the US and frustrate the coalition's aims?
It's not a psychosis to make reasonable conclusions based on multiple and repeated actions over a long period of time. It would be a psychosis to not re-evaluate the nature of our relationship with Iraq after the actions of France the last 5 - 10 years or so where they have not only been adversarial to the US but have flouted UN sanctions.
AND it's called connecting the obvious dots.
Chirac has done everything possible to make an enemy of the American administration, while they worked to put themselves at the center of a world wide US Counter-Alliance.
So now they're shocked when the US tries to discredit their administration? Au'contraire, Chirac! If the US wants your sorry administration out, we just have to wait.
The French have always taken everyone to be fools. They are shocked when anyone dares to call them on their own devilish behavior. We whould have freed the rest of Europe but left France to the British to rule under martial law. Of course, why would I wish such a terrible fate on Great Britain?
This could all go away if Jacques Chirac would say the following in an international address:
"Good evening.
This afternoon in this room, from this chair, I testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations.
I answered their questions truthfully, including questions about my private life, questions no French citizen would ever want to answer.
Still, I must take complete responsibility for all my actions, both public and private. And that is why I am speaking to you tonight.
As you know, in a recent deposition, I was asked questions about my relationship with Saddam Hussein. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information.
Indeed, I did have a relationship with Saddam Hussein that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.
But I told the House Subcommittee today and I say to you now that at no time did I ask anyone to lie, to hide or destroy evidence or to take any other unlawful action.
I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that.
I can only tell you I was motivated by many factors. First, by a desire to protect myself from the embarrassment of my own conduct.
I was also very concerned about protecting my family. The fact that these questions were being asked in a geopolitically inspired probe was a consideration, too.
In addition, I had real and serious concerns about an international investigation that began with private business dealings 14 years ago, dealings I might add about which a U.N. agency has never found evidence of any wrongdoing by me or my wife.
This international investigation moved on to my staff and friends, including Saddam Hussein, then into my private life. And now the investigation itself is coming under criticism from the U.N.
This has gone on too long, cost too much and hurt too many innocent people.
Now, this matter is between me, the two people I love most -- my wife and our daughter -- and the U.N. I must put it right, and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to do so.
Nothing is more important to me personally. But it is private, and I intend to reclaim my family life for my family. It's nobody's business but ours.
Even presidents of France have private lives. It is time to stop the pursuit of personal destruction and the prying into private lives and get on with our international dealings.
The U.N. has been distracted by this matter for too long, and I take my responsibility for my part in all of this. That is all I can do.
Now it is time -- in fact, it is past time to move on.
We have important work to do -- real opportunities to seize, real problems to solve, real security matters to face, more money to make.
And so tonight, I ask you to turn away from the spectacle of the past few years, to repair the fabric of our international discourse, and to return our attention to all the challenges and all the promise of the next French decade, or however long we have.
Thank you for watching. And good night."
It's not a psychosis to make reasonable conclusions based on multiple and repeated actions over a long period of time. It would be a psychosis to not re-evaluate the nature of our relationship with Iraq after the actions of France the last 5 - 10 years or so where they have not only been adversarial to the US but have flouted UN sanctions.
I've read that there's been talk of making Chiraq a Senator emeritus so he could enjoy immunity from prosecution for the rest of his life.
France is such a thoroughly corrupt little country.
Anyone have that photo of Chirac and Saddam touring a nuclear facility in France? I guess the a-hole from the spider hole wanted to see what these things looked like before the French start building him that reactor that the Israelis took out in 1981.
Now it is time -- in fact, it is past time to move on.
We have important work to do -- real opportunities to seize, real problems to solve, real security matters to face, more money to make.
And so tonight, I ask you to turn away from the spectacle of the past few years, ...
Oh lookie, another French narcissist. It's all about you. Gosh, look how important you are! You're so important, that your criminal activities can bring down Chirac. Of course that leads me to believe that your buddy was in on it too.
Fork France!
It worked with Clinton, I figured he might as well try it!
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