[Shermy]

On or off Galloway ping list.

[Cicero]

"As you know, Mr Aziz and his family are Roman Catholics. Christmas is for them just as it is for us. It was cold, it was snowing. A little girl sang and some children performed a nativity play."

This isn't going to go over big in Scotland either.

Your average Scot may be puzzled whether or not to hate Saddam and his Arabs, but he knows perfectly well how he feels about Catholics.

[Mike Fieschko]

Aziz is not Roman Catholic, he is Chaldean Catholic.

The Chaldeans are in union with Rome, but they are not Roman Catholics. They have their own, separate hierarchy of bishops.

They reunited with Rome in the 16th century, I believe.

Galloway says: "As you know, Mr Aziz and his family are Roman Catholics. Christmas is for them just as it is for us. It was cold, it was snowing. A little girl sang and some children performed a nativity play. The archbishop shook everyone's hand ..."

Galloway must have been paying close attention to the Patriarch (not the archbishop).

Anyone have the weather conditions in Bagdhad on Dec 26 1999?

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

OK

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, or "comical Ali"... then later He said: "As you know, Mr Aziz and his family are Roman Catholics. Christmas is for them just as it is for us. It was cold, it was snowing. A little girl sang and... alright traitor, I'm trying not to make a joke here, but what in the WORLD is Baghdad Bob doing there? He's a Shiite. He betrayed his people and they hate him, but still, exactly what relevance could Bob find in this "celebration" of these true believers the birth of Jesus Christ? Gimme a break, this guy is flailing in the quicksand.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

"Hey, George, have a drumstick and six million dollars!"

[lilylangtree]

"If you play in dirt, you do get dirty." Georgie Porgie, you can't be this naive. MI-5 is not stupid I hope, and neither are the Brits. Somewhat anal but not stupid.

[mass55th]

Mr Galloway said no gifts were exchanged...

Just cash.

[GailA]

MASTER LIST Useless Nations Food for Oil scam + galloway

[aristeides]

Mr Galloway added: "Having spent all of Christmas Day with the very top political leaders in Iraq, why on earth the next day would I want to have a meeting with a junior intelligence officer to discuss issues as alleged in that so-called document?

"It just doesn't bear any logical examination. Why would I raise these matters with a junior intelligence official who then has to write a memo to his superior, who then has to write another memo to the leadership, when I had spent the previous day in a private house with the second most important man in the country and then later in the evening with a collection of other very important members of the country?"

I don't think you make a request for secret funding at a public dinner attended by the press.

[CaptRon]

Why would I raise these matters with a junior intelligence official who then has to write a memo to his superior, who then has to write another memo to the leadership, when I had spent the previous day in a private house with the second most important man in the country and then later in the evening with a collection of other very important members of the country?"

Plausible deniability.