How the U.N. Helped Saddam Buy Allies

[Sabastian]

Another investigative gem from Evan. Here are a few morsels.

And according to ABC News, allies of Saddam Hussein profited by pocketing the difference between the price of oil under the U.N.'s "Oil for Food" program and the price of oil on the open market. Some of these allies included "a close political associate and financial backer of French President Jacques Chirac", "Russian political figures" including "the Russian ambassador to Baghdad" and "officials in the office of President Vladimir Putin", "George Galloway, a British member of Parliament", and even some--gasp!--"prominent journalists".

Not only did the French help the Iraqi nuclear program as recently as 1990, they actively undermined the U.N. weapons inspection team, and they even kept the Hussein regime informed of discussions between Jacques Chirac and President Bush. And last October, when 40 rockets were fired at an American government office in Baghdad, it appeared that at least half of them were made by France after the U.N. weapons embargo went into effect in the wake of the first Gulf War. In other words, someone was sneaking French weapons to Saddam Hussein after the U.N. declared it illegal. Who would have done that? Could it have been the French?

In January 2003, two German businessmen were convicted of supplying weapons-making equipment to Saddam Hussein in violation of the U.N. embargo. Apparently, this was just the tip of the iceberg: according to an Iraqi weapons report to the U.N., over 80 German companies were involved in supplying Saddam's military, some of which were still doing so just months before the war. "Of further embarrassment to Germany is that [...] German companies make up more than half of the total number of institutions listed in the [Iraqi weapons] report," the BBC noted.

Not surprisingly, Russian military hardware also found its way into Saddam's hands despite the U.N. ban. Days after the war started last March, President Bush called Russian leader Vladimir Putin to voice concern over evidence that recently-made Russian military equipment was being used against U.S. forces. If true, it wouldn't be the first time that Russia violated the arms embargo. According to a 1998 article in The Washington Post, "[an] investigation by Russian and American nonproliferation specialists" showed that "top missile experts from Iraq went on a shopping trip to Russia in late 1994 and signed documents to acquire missile engines, technology and services despite the U.N. sanctions against Iraq [...]"

You can read the full article here.

http://brain-terminal.com/articles/world/iraqi-oil-bribes.html

 

[pax]

Its the black market. Do you honestly think the companies if they did biz directly with saddam would leave a paper trail? The only factual information was reports of weapons found in Iraq. Docus can be made... There also was a large amount of us made 50 cal ammo and grenades found in stashes in crates marked saudi arabia and made in the usa. Wheres the paaper trail for them?

But because we can also find german and french made weaponry there we say its the germans and the french? And not third party countries or companies acting illegally by themselves? Black market trade is immensely profitable. Id bet all their weapons came in that way thru the embargo.

Even foxnews cant substantiate these accusations...

Id like to see investigations to validate the accusation that journalists made $ off food for oil trade... That one is pretty wild. But any corruption needs to be investigated.

 

[Sabastian]

It might be that some of the transactions were under the table so to speak. But when political parties are on the list it shows that the deals were known about. I agree pax there ought to be a massive investigation. The violators of the embargo should be punished severely in particular political parties that received benefits from the oil for food scam. There is also the matter of the UN enabling it all. I think that there is a great deal of culpability on behalf of the UN. One has to wonder how many on the security counsel would have opposed the US action if there were not so many political and private beneficiaries of the Iraqi oil for food scam. I find it funny though that you make some sort of equation between all of these news sources and Fox News. Christ man, soppose it was covered by Fox, then what? Of course if it were the whole article would be in question .. right? At any rate as time goes by the truth will become more and more obvious.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/saddam_oil_vouchers_040129.html

Saddam’s Gifts Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts By Brian Ross ABCNEWS.com Jan. 29- ABCNEWS has obtained an extraordinary list that contains the names of prominent people around the world who supported Saddam Hussein's regime and were given oil contracts as a result.

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. 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.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004667

On Dec. 5, during a trip to Baghdad, Claude Hankes-Drielsma faxed an urgent letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Mr. Drielsma, the U.K. Chairman of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, had recently been appointed to advise the Iraqi Governing Council. What he saw in Baghdad left him shocked. "As a result of my findings here, combined with earlier information," he wrote, "I most strongly urge the U.N. to consider appointing an independent commission to review and investigate the 'Oil for Food Programme.' Failure to do so might bring into question the U.N.'s credibility and the public's perception of it. . . . My belief is that serious transgressions have taken place and may still be taking place."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2712903.stm

There are concerns that this may not be an isolated case and investigations into other companies are continuing.
Last December, Tageszeitung newspaper reported that over 80 German companies were listed in Iraq's weapons report to the UN.
Several of these were still involved in Iraq last year, thereby breaking the UN weapons embargo.
Of further embarrassment to Germany is that - according to the newspaper article - German companies make up more than half of the total number of institutions listed in the report.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6344726%5E1702,00.html

One report warned of a US "attempt to involve Iraq with terrorism" as "cover for an attack on Iraq", according to The Sunday Times.
Another, dated September 25, 2001, from Naji Sabri, the Iraqi foreign minister, to Saddam's palace, was based on a briefing from the French ambassador in Baghdad and covered talks between presidents Jacques Chirac and US President George W Bush.

The 40 rockets in the launcher included 20 that appeared to be French-made and designed for use with the Alouette helicopter, Army officers said. These rockets were of relatively recent vintage, and might have been obtained by Iraq illegally after the imposition of a U.N. weapons embargo in 1991. The other 20 missiles appeared to be Russian-made, the officers said.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/01/10/evidence_cited_of_russian_arms_in_iraq?mode=PF

In raising the issue last year, US officials contended that although the hardware was allegedly sold by private companies, the Russian government could have taken steps to oversee and interdict the traffic. They maintained at the time that the gear had been sold relatively recently, and with an understanding that it could be used in such a war.
High-tech military equipment is a top export for Russia. Though the country's military budget has shrunk dramatically, its military industry exports about $5 billion annually in tanks, planes, small arms, and other equipment, which end up -- directly or through transshipment -- in dozens of countries.
During the war, US military sources gave differing accounts on how much the Russian-made equipment affected US forces. Some military officials were quoted as blaming jamming gear for sending missiles off course and into Iran and Saudi Arabia, and as contending that Russian made Kornet antitank missiles destroyed at least two American M-1 A-1 tanks, the first time such tanks had been destroyed in battle.

http://cns.miis.edu/research/iraq/gyro/postgyro.htm

MOSCOW-A delegation of top missile experts from Iraq went on a shopping trip to Russia in late 1994 and signed documents to acquire missile engines, technology and services despite the U.N. sanctions against Iraq and in violation of Russian export controls, according to results of a new investigation by Russian and American nonproliferation specialists.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040128-094014-7323r.htm

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

"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.

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA16004

The List
The following is a partial list and description of individuals and organizations that MEMRI has been able to identify:
Canada: Arthur Millholland, president and CEO of the Calgary-based Oilexco company, received 1 million barrels of oil.
United States: Samir Vincent received 10.5 million barrels. In 2000, Vincent, an Iraqi-born American citizen who has lived in the U.S. since 1958, organized a delegation of Iraqi religious leaders to visit the U.S. and meet with former president Jimmy Carter. Shaker Al-Khafaji,the pro-Saddam chairman of the 17th conference of Iraqi expatriates, received 1 million barrels.
Great Britain: George Galloway received 1 million barrels. Fawwaz Zreiqat received 1 million barrels. Zreiqat also appears in the Jordanian section as having received 6 million barrels. The Mujahideen Khalq in Britain received 1 million barrels.
France: The French-Arab Friendship Association received 15.1 million barrels. Former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua received 12 million barrels. Patrick Maugein of the Trafigura company received 25 million barrels. Michel Grimard, founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club, received 17.1 million barrels.
Switzerland: Glenco Re, the largest commodity trader in Switzerland, received 12 million barrels. Taurus, which has been associated with Iraq for 20 years and was the first company to renew its business with Iraq after the fall of Saddam, received 1 million barrels. Petrogas, which is listed under three sub-companies - Petrogas Services, Petrogas Distribution, and Petrogas Resources - and is associated withthe Russian company Rosneftegazetroy, received 1 million barrels. Alcon, listed in Lichtenstein and associated with larger oil companies, received 1 million barrels. Finar Holdings, which is listed in Lugano, Switzerland, and is under liquidation, received 1 million barrels.
Italy: The Italian Petrol Union received 1 million barrels.West Petrol, an Italian company that trades crude oil and oil products, received 1 million barrels. Roberto Formigoni, possibly the president of Lombardia, received 1 million barrels. Salvatore Nicotra, a former NATO pilot who became an oil merchant, received 1 million barrels.
Spain: Basem Qaqish, a member of the Spanish Committee for the Defense of the Arab Cause, received 1 million barrels. Ali Ballout, a pro-Saddam Lebanese journalist, received 1 million barrels. Javier Robert received 1 million barrels.
Yugoslavia: Four Yugoslav political parties received vouchers: the Yugoslav Left party received 9.5 million barrels. The Socialist Party received 1 million barrels. The Italian Party received 1 million barrels. A nother party, whose name in exact transliteration is "kokstuntsha" - possibly Kostunica's party - received 1 million barrels.
Other political parties: The Romanian Labor Party received 5.5 million barrels. The Party of the Hungarian Interest received 4.7 million barrels. The Bulgarian Socialist Party received 1 2 million barrels. The Slovakian Communist Party received 1 million barrels.
Austria: The Arab-Austrian Society received 1 million barrels.
Brazil: The 8th of October Movement, a Brazilian Communist group, received 4.5 million barrels. Fuwad Sirhan received 10 million barrels.
Egypt: Khaled Gamal Abd Al-Nasser, son of the late Egyptian president, received 16.6 million barrels. 'Imad Al-Galda, a businessman and a member of the Egyptian parliament from President Mubarak's National Democratic Party, received 14 million barrels. Abd Al-Azim Mannaf,editor of the Sout Al-Arab newspaper, received 6 million barrels. Muhammad Hilmi, editor of the Egyptian paper Sahwat Misr,received an undisclosed number of barrels. The United Arab Company received 6 million barrels. The Nile and Euphrates Company received 3 million barrels. The Al-Multaqa Foundation for Press and Publication received 1 million barrels.
Libya: Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem received 1 million barrels.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Chad's foreign minister received 1 million barrels. Four South Africans are listed: Tokyo Saxville received 4 million barrels. Montega received 4 million barrels. Both are associated with the African National Party..
Palestinians: The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) received 4 million barrels. The PLO Political Bureau received 5 million barrels. Abu Al-Abbas received 11.5 million barrels. Abdallah Al-Horani received 8 million barrels. The PFLP received 5 million barrels. Wafa Tawfiq Al-Sayegh received 4 million barrels.
Oman: The Al-Shanfari group received 5 million barrels.
Syria: Farras Mustafa Tlass, the son of Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, received 6 million barrels. 'Audh Amourah received18 million barrels. Ghassan Zakariya received 6 million barrels. Anwar Al-Aqqad received 2 million barrels. Hamida Na'Na', the owner of the Al-Wafaq Al-Arabi periodical, received 1 million barrels.
Lebanon: The son of Lebanese President Emil Lahoud received 4.5 million barrels. Former MP Najjah Wakim received 3 million barrels. Nasserist Party head Osama M'arouf received 3 million barrels. National Arabic Club Chairman Faisal Darnika received 3 million barrels.
Jordan: Former Islamist MP and head of the Engineers Union Leith Shbeilatreceived 15.5 million barrels. Former MP and Jordanian Writers Union head Fakhri Qi'war received 6 million barrels.Former Jordanian chief of staff Mashhour Haditha received 1 million barrels. Former MP Toujan Al-Faisal received 3 million barrels.The Jordanian Ministry of Energy received 5 million barrels. Muhammad Saleh Al-Horani, the Amman Stock Exchange head and former Minister of Supplies, received 4 million barrels. Lawyer Wamidth Hussein Al-Majali received 6 million barrels.
Qatar: Qatari Horseracing Association Chairman Hamad bin Ali Aal Thani received 14 million barrels. Gulf Petroleum received 2 million barrels.
The Indian Congress Party received 1 million barrels.
Indonesia: Indonesian President Megawati received 1 million barrels as "the daughter of President Sukarno," and 1 million barrels as Megawati..
Myanmar: Myanmar's Forestry Minister received 1 million barrels.
Ukraine: The Social Democratic Party received 1 million barrels. The Communist Party received 6 million barrels. The Socialist Party received 1 million barrels. The FTD oil company received 1 million barrels, as did other Ukrainian companies.
Belarus: The Liberal Party received 1 million barrels. The Communist Party received 1 ton [sic] of oil. The director of the Belarussian president's office received 1 million barrels.
Russia: The Russian state itself received 1,366,000,000 barrels. The list also included the following:
Companies belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party received 79.8 million barrels - t he list notes the name of party president Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The Russian Communist Party received 1 million barrels. The Lukoil company received 63 million barrels. The Russneft company received 35.5 million barrels. Vladimir Putin's Peace and Unity Party received 34 million barrels - the list notes the name of party chairwoman Saji Umalatova. The Gazprom company received 26 million barrels. The Soyuzneftgaz company received 25.5 million barrels - t he list notes the name Shafrannik. The Moscow Oil Company received 25.1 million barrels. The Onako company received 22.2 million barrels. The Sidanco company received 21.2 million barrels. The Russian Association for Solidarity with Iraq received 12.5 million barrels. The Ural Invest company received 8.5 million barrels. Russneft Gazexport received 12.5 million barrels. The Transneft company received 9 million barrels. The Sibneft company received 8.1 million barrels. The Stroyneftgaz company received 6 million barrels. The Russian Committee for Solidarity with the People of Iraq received 6.5 million barrels - the list notes the name of committee chairman Rudasev. The Russian Orthodox Church received 5 million barrels. The Moscow Science Academy received 3.5 million barrels. The Chechnya Administration received 2 million barrels. T he National Democratic Party received 2 million barrels. The Nordwest group received 2 million barrels. The Yukos company received 2 million barrels. One Russian company which phonetically reads as Zarabsneft received 174.5 million barrels. Vouchers were also granted to the Russian foreign ministry, one under the name of Al-Fayko for 1 million barrels, and one to Yetumin for 30.1 million barrels. T he Mashinoimport Company received 1 million barrels. The Slavneft Company received 1 million barrels. The Caspian Invest Company (Kalika) received 1 million barrels. The Tatneft Tatarstan company received 1 million barrels. The Surgutneft company received 1 million barrels. Siberia's oil and gas company received 1 million barrels.
In addition, the son of the former Russian Ambassador to Iraq received 19.7 million barrels. Nikolay Ryjkov, a former prime minister of the USSR, received 13 million barrels. The Russian President's office director received 5 million barrels.
Oil vouchers were also distributed to companies and individuals from the Sudan, Yemen, Cyprus, Turkey, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, the UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Panama, Thailand, Chad, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Ireland, Bahrain, and the Philippines. Two Saudi companies were also listed.

 

[Geeforcer]

Some of this information is outdated and incarcerate (For example, Army determined that no Kornet missiles were used to destroy M1 tanks). Also, AFAIK none of the entities on the list (assuming it's real) actually received anything except for the right to buy oil at below-market price once the embargo was lifted.

 

[pax]

My foxnews comment was meant as the fact media colors its reporting. But as embelishment of light data is almost never substantiated with solid evidence to showcase the diff tween black market and actual official national corruption thats even supported by the peoples of those countries as suggested by the using of national terms such as 'french' or 'german' illegal trade . I have a hard time accepting those kinds of accusations made, I find, too lightly.

Kind of like the BBC going too far even tho the info on data manipulation by Blair was far above that of post GF1 illegal iraqi trade.

There is no doubt about illegal trade. There is plenty of doubt who engaged in it personally. Much of the oil trade was legal.

Good example of that kind of thing: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040216/asp/opinion/story_2892430.asp

 

[Ty]

Very old news. It's been known for ages that Saddam was cheating on food for oil program set up by the UN.

 

[Sabastian]

Very old news. It's been known for ages that Saddam was cheating on food for oil program set up by the UN.

That is not the point. The point is who else was in on the UN program that was also on the Security Council? Which political parties and governments received vouchers from the Saddam regime and also voiced opposition to the removal of Saddam? Who wanted Iraqi oil? Was the war in Iraq about greedy Americans making a stake on Iraqi oil? Or was the anti war in Iraq coalition really the ones after Iraqi oil through the UN oil for food program? The evidence is starting to point at the later from what I can see.

 

[Ty]

That is not the point. The point is who else was in on the UN program that was also on the Security Council? Which political parties and governments received vouchers from the Saddam regime and also voiced opposition to the removal of Saddam? Who wanted Iraqi oil? Was the war in Iraq about greedy Americans making a stake on Iraqi oil? Or was the anti war in Iraq coalition really the ones after Iraqi oil through the UN oil for food program? The evidence is starting to point at the later from what I can see.

Very true. I thought about (but did not mention in my first post) that perhaps the participants was the interesting bit. Then again, many of these allegations were actually discussed here before. Nonetheless, if true, I would not be surprised as someone always benefits from the status quo.