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Wed 28 Jan, 2004 06:39 pm
Iraqi govt. papers: Saddam bribed Chirac
Washington Times 1/27/04
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.
Re: Iraqi govt. papers: Saddam bribed Chirac
BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:independent Baghdad newspaper
puhahahaha
True or not the foot certainly does fit the shoe.
WASHINGTON -- During 14 years in the Michigan Legislature and 11 years in Congress, Rep. Nick Smith had never experienced anything like it. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, in the wee hours last Saturday morning, pressed him to vote for the Medicare bill. But Smith refused. Then things got personal.
Smith, self term-limited, is leaving Congress. His lawyer son Brad is one of five Republicans seeking to replace him from a GOP district in Michigan's southern tier. On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.
That's too bad. Most politicians suck.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Nick Smith of Addison appeared to backpedal Thursday on his allegation that he was offered a bribe in exchange for voting for major Medicare legislation.
Smith, a six-term Republican who will retire next year, has said he was told that if he voted for the bill, his son would receive money for his 2004 congressional campaign. Brad Smith, also a Republican, is running to replace his father in Congress.
But in a statement Thursday, Nick Smith said, "No specific reference was made to money."
"I want to make clear that no member of Congress made an offer of financial assistance for my son's campaign in exchange for my vote on the Medicare bill," the statement said.
"I was told that my vote could result in interested groups giving substantial and aggressive campaign 'support' and 'endorsements.' Some (House) members said they would work against Brad if I voted no."
ye110man wrote:"I want to make clear that no member of Congress made an offer of financial assistance for my son's campaign in exchange for my vote on the Medicare bill," the statement said.
"I was told that my vote could result in interested groups giving substantial and aggressive campaign 'support' and 'endorsements.' Some (House) members said they would work against Brad if I voted no."
You can call pig **** perfume -- but it ain't gonna smell any sweeter.
The guy was offered a bribe...no matter how it was offered. He was also threatened -- no matter how that phrased.
As for whether or not Chirac's motives were the product of morality or greed -- I wish his views had prevailed -- if only so that we would not have to be listening to all this revisionary history coming down the pike.
It will nonetheless be interesting to follow the story of the alleged bribe.
"Politician takes bribe"...
...should have about the same impact as...
..."politician wear tie."
The bribery I read about was mostly from the opposite direction. Iraqi contracts for arms especially needed plenty of 'gifts' and cash 'considerations' to Saddam's boys and associated cronies. A book to read about this is:
The death lobby : how the West armed Iraq by Kenneth R. Timmerman. In it he described how Uday is given a gift of an expensive pistol (I think) from a munitions supplier, that gets tossed aside as he shakes out the box to find the money he expects.
As has been stated before. We have the best congress that money can buy.
Why work for a living, get elected to public office instead.
Sigh. Idiocy abound, effin abounds.
Watch where this story goes folks.
Betcha it comes from the same place as Nigerian uranium.
The Times of London has a related article.
signed by Stephen Grey
I would not post a link as it is under subscription.
A small quotation is permitted here?
Quote:Officials from the former Ba'athist regime nevertheless said they believed the list was credible. "Those whom you used to see on television meeting Saddam did not usually come out empty-handed. God forgive him. We paid dearly," said one former official.
"Another said: "Sometimes people came to Iraq wanting nothing. "Saddam corrupted them. He gave them oil as a gift and they got hooked."
Maybe Saddam should have tried to bribe Bush...............
Wilso wrote:Maybe Saddam should have tried to bribe Bush...............
Damn, that was an excellent point, Wilso.
And it appears as though Bush could be bought cheaply!
Wilso wrote:Maybe Saddam should have tried to bribe Bush...............
I wish your irony made sense.
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