MP's partner linked to £80m trade in crude (MORE GALLOWAY)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 24, 2003 | Anton La Guardia

[MadIvan]

Fawaz Zureikat, George Galloway's Jordanian partner who claims not to be involved in oil deals, is closely associated with a company that has traded Iraqi crude valued at millions of pounds, according to United Nations documents seen by The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Zureikat has dismissed as a "forgery" an Iraqi intelligence report identifying him as the front man for Mr Galloway's secret contracts to buy Iraqi crude and sell humanitarian supplies under the UN's oil-for-food programme.

The Jordanian businessman has repeatedly insisted that he does not deal in oil, although he does sell food and other civilian supplies to Iraq.

However the UN register of companies allowed to buy Iraqi oil, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, includes the name of one firm closely associated with Mr Zureikat - Middle East Advanced Semiconductor Inc (Measi).

Diplomats said Measi had bought 8.8 million barrels of Iraqi oil since December 2000. Depending on the price of oil, this would amount to between £80 million and £160 million worth of crude. Mr Galloway, who has yet to reveal his accounts, admitted on Tuesday that Mr Zureikat was a major donor to his political campaigns, alongside the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The Labour MP said Mr Zureikat, whose name frequently appears on Mr Galloway's campaign literature, gave about £200,000 over four years to the Mariam Appeal, set up to help a young Iraqi girl suffering from leukaemia. But he said he did not know whether he dealt in oil.

Mr Zureikat shares premises in Amman and uses the same telephone numbers as Measi, which appears as number 610 in the UN's list of 1,129 oil purchasers as of March 11 this year. The UN's Office of the Iraq Programme said it would not release details of individual traders. But diplomats said the UN lists Measi's director as one Ziad Abdallah Zureikat, who appears to be a brother of Fawaz Zureikat.

Fawaz Zureikat yesterday did not respond to a list of questions left by The Daily Telegraph. But he allegedly told a Jordanian journalist that he was a "partner" in Measi. He insisted, as he did a day earlier, that the company did not deal in oil and threatened to sue if the newspaper mentioned his name.

The names of Fawaz and Ziad Zureikat appear as joint partners in another company - Ziad and Fawaz Zureikat Trading Company - listed by the Jordanian government's register of companies.

Its postal address is the same as that of Measi. The two men share the same middle names, which in Arabic usually denote the names of the father and grandfather, implying that they are brothers.

The ministry of trade lists several other companies headed by Fawaz Zureikat, some with Iraqi and British partners.

[MadIvan]

This just keeps getting bigger and bigger, doesn't it? Galloway is the weak link a chain of UN corruption.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Dog]

OMG!!!!!

This is getting bigger and bigger..

We are getting to the UN files it seems..

[My2Cents]

Bill Clinton must stand in awe of this guy.

[MizSterious]

" Mr Zureikat has dismissed as a "forgery" an Iraqi intelligence report identifying him as the front man for Mr Galloway's secret contracts to buy Iraqi crude and sell humanitarian supplies under the UN's oil-for-food programme."

Ping!

[Dog]

Ping!

[MEG33]

The whole thing is delicious and awful,too. I want some justice!

[backhoe]

Cross-link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898108/posts
MP George Galloway- voice cries "peace," hand in Saddam's till...
various FR links | 04-22-03 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[bigfootbob]

How is this playing in Country? Will there be repercussions for any of the culprits, really?

[MadIvan]

Realistically we can expect the following:

1. Galloway to be thrown out of the Labour Party
2. The Crown Prosecution Service to pursue Galloway on charges of bribery and tax evasion
3. Possible jail time for Galloway. Special election for his seat (while it lasts)

That's about as good as it gets.

Regards, Ivan

[John Jorsett]

Of the three stories I've read on this, none has explained why Galloway was important to Iraq. I infer that somehow Galloway was involved in diverting funds in the money-for-oil program for the Iraqis, but I'm still not clear on whether British government connections were involved, or if Galloway was just someone able to do this, apart from his role as an MP. Is there a story that goes into specifically what Galloway was doing for the Iraqis and how?

[MadIvan]

Galloway had a capacity for stirring up trouble. He was the darling of the anti-war left, and could whip those type of people into a hysterical frenzy. In that sense, he was useful as an agitator for the regime in Britain.

While not successful, he certainly contributed to making Blair's life harder.

Regards, Ivan

[bigfootbob]

Good enough, I suppose.

Thank you.

[Catspaw]

Isn't it lovely the way the Daily Telegraph baited the trap and waited for Galloway to walk right in? Do you hear the sound of a faint SNAP in the distance?

Galloway had to be an idiot to think that the first set of papers was all the Daily Telegraph had.

It's only going to get better and better--or, from George's perspective, worse and worse--as the days go by.

I'm going to allow myself a small giggle for now. I hope it grows into a chortle--and when, and only when, Gorgeous George is placed in handcuffs will I allow myself a guffaw.

[MEG33]

Well said!

[Miss Marple]

Hopefully, an American media outlet will pick up on this story. I nominate the New York Post, followed by Fox.

Dog, you KNOW there are payments to people in the USA! I am looking forward to those documents coming out.

[Catspaw]

Why, thank you :-))

I believe the Daily Telegraph is using the "drip drip drip" technique on Georgie Boy.

And I do hope the reporter picked up that file labeled "US" (and all the rest of the files that were just tossed about) and shares the contents with us after he's done with Galloway. I *really* want to know who's named in those files.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Dog, you KNOW there are payments to people in the USA! I am looking forward to those documents coming out.

Let us speculate on who the likely suspects might be. Ramsey Clark's organization perhaps? They are behind a lot of the Anti-war protest organizations!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping to question in post #18.

[MadIvan]

The Telegraph has him. The papers have been verified by Saddam's chief of protocol. There is no way that Galloway will get away with this.

Regards, Ivan