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2004-01-29 05:32:17 UTC
And still the Frogs want a cut of the reconstruction take. Sacre bleu!
Iraqi government docs: Saddam bribed France
Papers said to have come from ousted regime show oil used to buy opposition
Posted: January 28, 2004
Saddam Hussein used oil to bribe French officials into opposing the U.S.-led
war against Iraq, according to documents purportedly from the ousted Baghdad
regime's oil ministry.
The U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council is investigating the claim, which
was prompted by a report from an independent Baghdad newspaper, al-Mada, the
London Independent reported today.
From the government documents, the Iraqi paper published a list of 46
individuals, companies and organizations inside and outside Iraq given
millions of barrels of oil.
"I think the list is true," Naseer Chaderji, a Governing Council member,
said, according to the London daily. "I will demand an investigation. These
people must be prosecuted."
The discovery comes after month of rumors about the eventual surfacing of
documents that would implicate senior French officials and undermine
President Jacques Chirac's moral opposition to overthrowing Saddam Hussein.
Negotiations in the U.N. Security Council for another resolution to give the
United States and Britain sanction to launch the war broke down in the face
of a veto threat from France. Since then, relations with Paris have been
tense.
The London paper cited a senior Bush administration official who said the
White House is aware of the reports, but he refused to comment.
France has insisted its opposition to war with Iraq did not equate with
support for Saddam, but British diplomats have been suspicious of French
motives, the Independent said.
"Oil runs thicker than blood," one unnamed former ambassador said.
The Iraqi newspapers list included members of Arab ruling families,
religious organizations, politicians and political parties from Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sudan, China, Austria,
France and other countries, the Independent said, noting no names were
available at press time.
The organizations on the list included the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Russian Communist Party, India's Congress Party and the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
The Iraqi authorities want to interview prominent officials from Saddam's
regime held by the Coalition Provisional Authority, including the former oil
minister, Amer Mohammed Rashid.
Oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said the stolen documents could prove
Saddam used bribery to rally support.
"Anyone stealing Iraqi wealth will be prosecuted," he said, according to the
Independent.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36820
Iraqi government docs: Saddam bribed France
Papers said to have come from ousted regime show oil used to buy opposition
Posted: January 28, 2004
Saddam Hussein used oil to bribe French officials into opposing the U.S.-led
war against Iraq, according to documents purportedly from the ousted Baghdad
regime's oil ministry.
The U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council is investigating the claim, which
was prompted by a report from an independent Baghdad newspaper, al-Mada, the
London Independent reported today.
From the government documents, the Iraqi paper published a list of 46
individuals, companies and organizations inside and outside Iraq given
millions of barrels of oil.
"I think the list is true," Naseer Chaderji, a Governing Council member,
said, according to the London daily. "I will demand an investigation. These
people must be prosecuted."
The discovery comes after month of rumors about the eventual surfacing of
documents that would implicate senior French officials and undermine
President Jacques Chirac's moral opposition to overthrowing Saddam Hussein.
Negotiations in the U.N. Security Council for another resolution to give the
United States and Britain sanction to launch the war broke down in the face
of a veto threat from France. Since then, relations with Paris have been
tense.
The London paper cited a senior Bush administration official who said the
White House is aware of the reports, but he refused to comment.
France has insisted its opposition to war with Iraq did not equate with
support for Saddam, but British diplomats have been suspicious of French
motives, the Independent said.
"Oil runs thicker than blood," one unnamed former ambassador said.
The Iraqi newspapers list included members of Arab ruling families,
religious organizations, politicians and political parties from Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sudan, China, Austria,
France and other countries, the Independent said, noting no names were
available at press time.
The organizations on the list included the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Russian Communist Party, India's Congress Party and the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
The Iraqi authorities want to interview prominent officials from Saddam's
regime held by the Coalition Provisional Authority, including the former oil
minister, Amer Mohammed Rashid.
Oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said the stolen documents could prove
Saddam used bribery to rally support.
"Anyone stealing Iraqi wealth will be prosecuted," he said, according to the
Independent.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36820