Hussein Bribed Chirac

[Rasputin]

Following on from a post from Rightturnonred - more and more information is coming to light on the bribery used by Hussein to buy Chirac and other politicians. Maybe the useless ICJ in the Hague can try Chirac and others on bribery, complicity in the murder of 300-500.000 Iraqi's and fraud in circumventing UNO sanctions and the oil for food program.

From an Iranian author and writer - dated May 12 2003:

Some Iraq experts describe the documents as ''weapons of political and diplomatic mass destruction.'' For they narrate the secret story of over 30 years of Ba'athist rule.  In that period, thousands of politicians, diplomats, journalists, do-gooders, peaceniks, and officials of an unknown number of countries in the Middle East, Europe, and North America were on the payroll of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Some of Saddam's former collaborators who later joined his opponents in exile have revealed that the Ba'athist regime pursued a policy of targeting politicians and opinion-makers in all countries where Iraq had a presence.

      ''Putting journalists and politicians on the payroll was a well-established policy,'' says Khalid Kishtaini who worked for the Iraqi Cultural Office in London in the 1980s.  Kishtaini, a prominent writer who later joined the opposition, also reports that the office had instructions to obtain documents from all the recipients of Iraqi largesse, possibly for future blackmailing exercises.

      Saad al-Bazzaz, another writer who also worked with Saddam before defecting to the opposition, confirms this.  ''The principle was that everyone could be bought, if the price was right,'' al-Bazzaz says. ''You would be surprised to know who was in Saddam's pay.''    European, especially French, and Middle Eastern political parties and individual politicians, received cash or anonymous donations through front organisations, including fake charities.

.....The real value of the documents lies elsewhere.  Properly studied they would reveal how a large number of multinational companies, no doubt encouraged by major industrial nations, helped Saddam Hussein create his war machine.  For example, who gave him the heavy bombers that in 1983 destroyed Iran's main oil export terminal at Kharg Island?  And which European company sold him the chemicals that he used for massacring 5000 Kurdish men, women, and children in Halabchah in 1988? Which French company built Saddam's numerous palaces and bunker? And which German company provided the electronic surveillance and communication systems used in them?  And what about the British companies that helped Saddam built his ''Supergun,'' known as ''The Fist of Allah''?

....

The documents would show the collective guilt that lies behind Saddam's vicious rule. This does not absolve Saddam and his cohorts. But it would show the world how cynicism disguised as Realpolitik and combined with greed masquerading as business, can help create a monster.

Amir Taheri is an Iranian author of 10 books on the Middle East and Islam.  He's reachable through www.benadorassociates.com.

Amen brother. Try Chirac and Hussein together !!!

Now that is a trial made for TV.

[Michael Hardner]

Rasputin:

Where does it say anything about Chirac ? This is yet another baseless and irresponsible accusation from you.

You throw charges around these boards without any basis, then - on other threads - accuse your opponents of being immoral.

Well I for one think that slander is immoral.

[Hohenzollern]

True, Chirac is not mentioned in the entire blurb. However, I still don't like Chirac. There's been some shady dealings between Iraq the French, and he was probably involved.

[Rasputin]

Probably? of course he was. There are 2 ways to Bribe Chirac. One is directly. The second is indirectly by promising French firms and top ministers contracts, dollars and access. Chirac is guilty of both. You really believe that France was concerned about peace and human rights and UNO law ?

Excuse me i am laughing hysterically. Ah my side now hurts.

The first post was just to get started. I am hoping others join in with more

In Fact good old Jacques - he the moral, honest, courageous democrat - was sued by a Judicial activist group for fraud, bribery and corruption.

March 2003:

Judicial Watch said it had filed complaints "for the unlawful proliferation of nuclear technology, the unlawful trafficking of arms and military technology, and the violation of UN trade sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, as well as additional UN sanctions relating to the so-called 'oil-for-food' program."

In a statement the group said that it particularly wanted an investigation of "financial contacts and dealings" between Chirac's Rally for the Republic party and other parties, and government officials and corporations.

"These unlawful activities involve private persons from France, Iraq, the People's Republic of China and Syria. It is likely that several other parties and countries, unknown at this time, are also involved in the criminal conspiracy."

In Fact Jacques will be in trouble once he leaves office - from the same brief as above:

In the statement Judicial Watch chairman Larry Klayman stressed that Chirac had also been accused of accepting bribes while he was mayor of Paris but that a court had ruled he could not be prosecuted until he left office.

"However, Interpol and Europol have no constraints on beginning an investigation of President Chirac," Klayman said, adding: "He and his colleagues of violations of law and public trust are a disgrace to the high ideals upon which the French Republic was founded."

Le monde maintains some of the bribes came from Hussein.

Here is another story from UPI - Jan 28 2004:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Documents from Saddam Hussein's oil ministry reveal he used oil to bribe top French officials into opposing the imminent U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The oil ministry papers, described by the independent Baghdad newspaper al-Mada, are apparently authentic and will become the basis of an official investigation by the new Iraqi Governing Council, the Independent reported Wednesday.

"I think the list is true," Naseer Chaderji, a governing council member, said. "I will demand an investigation. These people must be prosecuted."

Such evidence would undermine the French position before the war when President Jacques Chirac sought to couch his opposition to the invasion on a moral high ground.

A senior Bush administration official said Washington was aware of the reports but refused further comment.

French diplomats have dismissed any suggestion their foreign policy was influenced by payments from Saddam, but some European diplomats have long suspected France's steadfast opposition to the war was less moral than monetary.

"Oil runs thicker than blood," is how one former ambassador put his suspicions about the French motives for opposing action against Saddam.

Al-Mada's list cites a total of 46 individuals, companies and organizations inside and outside Iraq as receiving Saddam's oil bribes, including officials in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sudan, China, Austria and France, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian Communist Party, India's Congress Party and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The list is available at: "The Beneficiaries of Saddam's Oil Vouchers: The List of 270" Middle East Media Research Institute January 29, 2004.

One Canadian is listed.

There are many sources on this topic, i am just hoping more people add posts and sources.

I wonder if the ICJ will try Mr. Chirac ?

[righturnonred]

More information coming out about Iraq's "Oil for Blood" contracts handed out to supporters of his regime under the guise of the UN's "Oil for Food" program.

This article gives more details from the Iraqi Oil Ministry Documents implicating government officals worldwide of accepting bribes in exchange for looking the other way.

All of the contracts were awarded from late 1997 until the U.S.-led war in March 2003. They were conducted under the aegis of the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which was designed to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian goods.

The document was discovered several weeks ago in the files of the Iraqi Oil Ministry in Baghdad.

According to a copy obtained by ABCNEWS, some 270 prominent individuals, political parties or corporations in 47 countries were on a list of those given Iraq oil contracts instantly worth millions of dollars.

Investigators say none of the people involved would have actually taken possession of oil, but rather just the right to buy the oil at a discounted price, which could be resold to a legitimate broker or oil company, at an average profit of about 50 cents a barrel.

List Includes Prominent Names

Among those named: Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri, an outspoken opponent of U.S.-Iraq policy, who received a contract for 10 million barrels of oil — about a $5 million profit.

The son of the Syrian defense minister received 6 million barrels, according to the document, worth about $3 million.

George Galloway, a British member of Parliament, was also on the list to receive 19 million barrels of oil, a $9.5 million profit. A vocal critic of the Iraq war, Galloway denied any involvement to ABCNEWS earlier this year.

According to the document, France was the second-largest beneficiary, with tens of millions of barrels awarded to Patrick Maugein, a close political associate and financial backer of French President Jacques Chirac.

The single biggest set of contracts were given to the Russian government and Russian political figures, more than 1.3 billion barrels in all — including 92 million barrels to individual officials in the office of President Vladimir Putin.

Another 1 million barrels were contracted to the Russian ambassador to Baghdad, 137 million barrels of oil were given to the Russian Communist Party, and 5 million barrels were contracted to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Also on the list are the names of prominent journalists, two Iraqi-Americans, and a French priest who organized a meeting between the pope and Tariq Aziz, Saddam's deputy prime minister.

Developing...

Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts

[Rasputin]

Right, good good good. So where are the CBC and CNN broadsides on this issue ?

From UPI another article stating that without question good ol Honest, moral, 'civilised' Jacques had his palms greased [April 9 2003]:

They point to a quarter of a century of such close relations that Baghdad generously contributed to Chirac's election campaigns and made annual donations to the Gaullist Rassemblement Pour La Republique political party, founded by Chirac.

They cite mutual public declarations of admiration made by the two leaders during Chirac's 1975 trip to Baghdad as prime minister, a visit that ushered in the golden age in French-Iraqi relations.

Shortly thereafter, France provided financial and technical assistance for the Ozirak, Iraq's first nuclear reactor. Israel eventually bombed the Ozirak, keeping Saddam from having a nuclear offensive capability during the Gulf War in 1990-91. At the time, Chirac's critics called him "Jacques Ozirak," much as now U.S. commentators have taken to referring to the French president as "Jacques Iraq."

Follow the Money, Oil, Weapons ...

After Chirac's 1975 visit, Iraq became the leading buyer of French arms, as well as France's main oil supplier. In fact from 1980 until Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, exports to Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for 75 percent of France's total arms sales, with the United States eventually taking the lead in Saudi Arabia.

The situation has been further complicated by a struggle between France and Russia over commercial dominance in Iraq.

France was strongly criticized by Baghdad last year when it agreed to the U.N. imposing "smart sanctions" against Iraq. At the time, the Iraqi newspaper Babel, run by Saddam's eldest son Uday, warned France its stance endangered French oil "interests and privileges" in Iraq.

France's leading oil company, Total Elf, which has held exclusive negotiating rights for the huge Majnoun and Bin Omar oil fields, was about to sign new contracts late last year, prior to the Iraqi oil minister being dismissed for canceling contracts with Russia.

.............

Analysis by Hussain Hindawi, a native Iraqi historian, humanitarian and journalist who is editor of UPI's Arabic News Service, and John R. Thomson, who has been involved in the Middle East since 1966 as businessman, diplomat and journalist.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International.

Yep, Iraq sure was better off when France and Hussein were running the place.

[KrustyKidd]

So if I was French, and anti war, my sandwhich board would say, "Peace for Oil!"?

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear all,

The 'supergun' was a development of Richard bull, a Canadian. If you'll recall, he was assassinated outside his apartment by the Mossad.

If you'll also recall, the French were instrumental in developing Israel's nuclear capabilities.

It would seem that 'free enterprise' is under attack here.

[Rasputin]

Today it was announced that Jacques' best buddy and heir apparent a devenir Le President du Republique - Alain Juppe - has been found guilty of bribery, fraud and influence peddling during Chirac's tenure as Mayor of Paris in the 80s and 90s. The NP has the story on p. A15. At the time Juppe was #2 in Paris to our honest faithful democrat Jacques - he the agitator for peace and love in Iraq, and Hussein's best friend.

Baghdad generously contributed to Chirac's election campaigns and made annual donations to the Gaullist Rassemblement Pour La Republique political party, founded by Chirac.  They cite mutual public declarations of admiration made by the two leaders during Chirac's 1975 trip to Baghdad as prime minister, a visit that ushered in the golden age in French-Iraqi relations.

The only reason Chirac is not under investigation is that under French law the president cannot be investigated. This typifies the anti-Democrat, oligarchic nature of French politics, where Enarque graduates run the govt, businesses, and banks, like a family business. No doubt they will rally to Jacques and defend his honour.

It took a long time [many years] to convict Juppe and the French legal system or at any rate the prosecutors should be commended on their perseverance. If Juppe was found guilty of bribery as Chirac's #2 what are the chances that Jacques is guilty as well ? And what are the chances that such a man would take money from Hussein while 300-500.000 Iraqi's are murdered ? What is the chance that such a ruthless, immoral, hypocritical creature would get his palms greased by a dictator that murders civilians ?

But then again, it is obvious that the UNO, led by France and Russia is a noble creature.....Jacques should replace Kofi one supposes - we can replace incompetent corruption with competent fraud. Jacques for UNO Pres !

He has the right resume for the job.

[Michael Hardner]

what are the chances that Jacques is guilty as well ?

I'm confused. According to your post above, he IS guilty.

[Rasputin]

Well of course ChIRAQ is guilty, and yes we know you are confused, as most liberals are on difficult issues. So the question is where is the media attention and focus on this ? Or is bribery, fraud, deceit and letting 300-500.000 Iraqi's die, so France can get oil contracts a little matter ? Where is the scrutiny by the ICJ of this - instead of trying to 'sue' Israel for building a legitimate barrier against terror ? Where is the ranting on the CBC about those French bastards ?

According to a copy obtained by ABCNEWS, some 270 prominent individuals, political parties or corporations in 47 countries were on a list of those given Iraq oil contracts instantly worth millions of dollars.

Today, the U.S.Treasury Department said that any American citizens found to be illegally involved could face prosecution.

"You are looking at a political slush fund that was buying political support for the regime of Saddam Hussein for the last six or seven years," said financial investigator John Fawcett.

Investigators say none of the people involved would have actually taken possession of oil, but rather just the right to buy the oil at a discounted price, which could be resold to a legitimate broker or oil company, at an average profit of about 50 cents a barrel.

.......

According to the document, France was the second-largest beneficiary, with tens of millions of barrels awarded to Patrick Maugein, a close political associate and financial backer of French President Jacques Chirac.

Like i said, ChIRAQ should succeed Kofi as King of the UNO. His resume and skill set fit the UNO perfectly.

He is a peace loving democrat who believed that Hussein was a good man - and more importantly had lots of good money.

[SirRiff]

this has got to be the most blind ranting of all...

what exactly do you think the relationship between saudi arabia and the US is???

why are the unelected dictators of saudi arabia greeted in the US and called the "royal family" while other nations are called dictators??

why havnt you heard ANY US president call for immediate elections in saudi arabia?

AMERICA IS BRIBED EVERY DAY BY SAUDI AND KUWAITI OIL

just look at the doubled standard applied. democracy everywhere except for oil rich nations led by corrupt billionaires who keep selling oil to teh US.

the US has dealth with iraq and iran for 50 years, never blinking an eye as thier violence. this idea that saddam had ties with many nations is underwhelming. the US is worse then any nation when supporting dictators and even a picture of chirac and saddam in a bathtub washing each others backs wouldnt absolve the US of all the blood on their hands.

first get all the ugly history of the US out in the open, then i would be more then happy to start trashing the secondary countries.

[Rasputin]

As usual you provide no proof of anything just nonsense.

Why are you allowed to post ?

You said:

AMERICA IS BRIBED EVERY DAY BY SAUDI AND KUWAITI OIL

just look at the doubled standard applied. democracy everywhere except for oil rich nations led by corrupt billionaires who keep selling oil to teh US.

The US provides much of its domestic consumption through US oil production and Cdn imports.

Data for 2002 sce eia.doe.gov; US Bureau of Stats

U.S. Crude Oil Production 5,746,000 Barrels / Day

U.S. Crude Oil Imports 9,140,000 Barrels / Day

U.S. Crude Oil Imports from OPEC 4,083,000 Barrels / Day

Top U.S. Crude Oil Supplier Saudi Arabia - 1,519,000 Barrels / Day

Top U.S. Total Petroleum Supplier Canada - 1,971,000 Barrels / Day

U.S. Total Petroleum Exports 975,000 Barrels / Day

U.S. Net Petroleum Imports 10,546,000 Barrels / Day

U.S. Petroleum Consumptiona 19,761,000 Barrels / Day

Since apparently you are math challenged, i will intepret. 48 % of US consumption is sourced by the US and Canada. 7.8 % is sourced by SA. So according to your assinine theory, for 8 % of consumption SA has bribed the US. One supposes that Canada which accounts for 10 % of consumption has also bribed the US and holds the US hostage to all of our whims and fancies. Kuwait provides 1 % or less of US consumption. Iraq given that oil prices are still high and therefore supplies are relatively low vs. demand, will not provide any oil sourcing for some time and it will be controlled via its state owned oil company. Remember the recent war was over oil wasn't it ? Funny how liberal fantasies never meet facts. Hard to imagine invading Iraq, spending $100 billion in year one, losing 522 men and women over the ability to add NO oil sourcing. Good plan that.

Provide sources that SA and Kuwait bribe the US with oil, detailing how much and to whom. Provide a list like we have done on ChIRAQ receiving bribes from Hussein, listing sources identifying that Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr. were directly bribed by SA and Kuwait.

On SA it is clear that SA must be changed and it will be changed. But the US - with little help from its 'allies' - has its hands full in Iraq and Afgh. at the moment. If you want Canada to change SA's regime then provide a reasonable rationale for how to achieve this. If you remove the SA regime the Saud Family, what takes its place - Wahhabi extremists ?

You raved:

the US has dealth with iraq and iran for 50 years, never blinking an eye as thier violence. this idea that saddam had ties with many nations is underwhelming. the US is worse then any nation when supporting dictators and even a picture of chirac and saddam in a bathtub washing each others backs wouldnt absolve the US of all the blood on their hands

There are a number of disturbing features in that rant. First you are completely immoral. You think it is funny that ChIRAQ, Russia and the UNO, had their collective hands greased while thousands were murdered, and then hat in hand profess love for peace and concern for the Iraqi's. The busy bodies at the ICJ should be investigating ChIRAQ and the UNO not Israel. Their crimes are egregious and if you tolerate such criminal activity your morality can be seriously impugned.

Second there are many other posts on this issue of US past political strategems in the ME and i suggest you read some history of the Cold War to start with. You can maybe begin to understand first of all geopolitical competition with an aggressive USSR and second you will quickly see that the nations which actually funded Iraq - were France and Russia providing 95 % of weapons sent to Iraq over the past 30 yrs.

Since they directly funded a fascist regime these countries were well oiled with money and bribes. As well during the 90s the French, Russians, Germans and chinese made billions in illegal trade with Iraq. Please provide detailed sources on the amount of money the US made from Iraq from 1970-2003 vs. France. You will find that the US made nothing and the French quite a bit. You will find that the largest revenue source for the UNO in the 90s was Iraq.

Liberal mouthpieces are hypocrites. When the US does remove a terror regime they first cry that babies and women will be murdered on masse, and when that does not happen they cite that the US moved too slow and was too friendly with said regime for too many years. If the US was to go on a rampage and remove every thuggish dictatorship in the world, you would be on the streets with ur dumb sandwich board with 'No War for Oil' or some such nonsense or 'Down with US Imperialism'. You would then make up stories about US complicity with these regimes, and invent conspiracy theories to implicate US business leaders with the war effort. In short you would delve into your virtual reality world and ignore the reality of what needs and what can be done NOW. 9-11, UNO incompetence, French criminality and EU hypocrisy never factor into your calculations.

And you never bothered to answer my questions on ChIRAQ:

ChIRAQ is guilty, and yes we know you are confused, as most liberals are on difficult issues. So the question is where is the media attention and focus on this ? Or is bribery, fraud, deceit and letting 300-500.000 Iraqi's die, so France can get oil contracts a little matter ? Where is the scrutiny by the ICJ of this - instead of trying to 'sue' Israel for building a legitimate barrier against terror ? Where is the ranting on the CBC about those French bastards ?

Is it because France is our new best friend and Canada loves the french so much ??? Or is the incompetence of the Cdn media so engrained that NOTHING MATTERS.

Nice Post modern world - a world in which morality, right and good are deemed unequal to immorality, wrong and evil.