Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts

ABCNEWS ^ | 01/29/04 | Brian Ross

[Pikamax]

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.

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 $90.5 million profit. A vocal critic of the Iraq war, Galloway denied any involvement to ABCNEWS earlier this year.

"I've never seen a bottle of oil, owned one or bought one," Galloway said in a previous interview with ABCNEWS.

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.

Maugein, individually and through companies connected to him, received contracts for some 36 million barrels. Chirac's office said it was unaware of Maugein's deals, which Maugein told ABCNEWS are perfectly legal.

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.

The following are the names of some of those who, according to the document, received Iraqi oil contracts (amounts are in millions of barrels of oil):

Russia The Companies of the Russian Communist Party: 137 million The Companies of the Liberal Democratic Party: 79.8 million The Russian Committee for Solidarity with Iraq: 6.5 million and 12.5 million (2 separate contracts) Head of the Russian Presidential Cabinet: 90 million The Russian Orthodox Church: 5 million

France Charles Pasqua, former minister of interior: 12 million Trafigura (Patrick Maugein), businessman: 25 million Ibex: 47.2 million Bernard Merimee, former French ambassador to the United Nations: 3 million Michel Grimard, founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club: 17.1 million

Syria Firas Mostafa Tlass, son of Syria's defense minister: 6 million

Turkey Zeynel Abidin Erdem: more than 27 million Lotfy Doghan: more than 11 million

Indonesia Megawati Sukarnoputri: 11 million

Spain Ali Ballout, Lebanese journalist: 8.8 million

Yugoslavia The Socialist Party: 22 million Kostunica's Party: 6 million

Canada Arthur Millholland, president and CEO of Oilexco: 9.5 million

Italy Father Benjamin, a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the pope and Tariq Aziz: 4.5 million Roberto Frimigoni: 24.5 million

United States Samir Vincent: 7 million Shakir Alkhalaji: 10.5 million

United Kingdom George Galloway, member of Parliament: 19 million Mujaheddin Khalq: 36.5 million

South Africa Tokyo Saxwale: 4 million

Jordan Shaker bin Zaid: 6.5 million The Jordanian Ministry of Energy: 5 million Fawaz Zureikat: 6 million Toujan Al Faisal, former member of Parliament: 3 million

Lebanon The son of President Lahoud: 5.5 million

Egypt Khaled Abdel Nasser: 16.5 million Emad Al Galda, businessman and Parliament member: 14 million

Palestinian Territories The Palestinian Liberation Organization: 4 million Abu Al Abbas: 11.5 million

Qatar Hamad bin Ali Al Thany: 14 million

Libya Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem: 1 million

Chad Foreign minister of Chad: 3 million

Brazil The October 8th Movement: 4.5 million

Myanmar (Burma) The minister of the Forests of Myanmar: 5 million

Ukraine The Social Democratic Party: 8.5 million The Communist Party: 6 million The Socialist Party: 2 million The FTD oil company: 2 million

[VOA]

Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts

who'd a thunk it?

[martin_fierro]

Galloway articles on FR

[martin_fierro]

United States

• Samir Vincent: 7 million
• Shakir Alkhalaji: 10.5 million

This will bear some looking into.

[martin_fierro]

A little more on Samir Vincent here:

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.

[feedback doctor]

Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts

It was all about oil!!!! The opposition to freeing Iraq WAS/IS all about oil!

[pfflier]

This speaks volumes about President Bush's inability to get Russian or French support, the backstabbing ba$tards..

[cwb]

While many people will excuse this as being irrelevant for the reasons we went to war, I hope people realize that what these people were doing was making it possible for Saddam to get the sanctions removed. And as Kay has even mentioned, this would've been the first step for Saddam to reconsititute his WMD program as he would no longer be under the watchful eye of the UN. It isn't a coincidence that these people were not only against the war, but they were the leading proponents in getting Saddam a clean bill of health to resume his tyranny. These people need to pay.

[BARLF]

No Germany?

[Republican Wildcat]

The big news of this thread is that the source is ABC News.

[Republican Wildcat]

Chirac's office said it was unaware of Maugein's deals

Sure.

[Loyal Buckeye]

ABC conveniently omitted the reference to Jimmy Cartah, Nobel Peace Prize winner, didn't they?

[DJtex]

This speaks volumes about President Bush's inability to get Russian or French support, the backstabbing ba$tards..

And yet, the 'Rats will keep hammering away at Pres. Bush over nothing, the media will parrot their spin, and the sheeple will listen to them both.

The insanity of asking France and Germany to honor historic alliances with us when they are all being bought off--and forget about Russia. There are two story lines running for the people of America. One is an endless soap opera staged by the libs and the media, the other--almost as strong--played out on FreeRepublic, Rush's radio show, and Fox News.

[Jackson Brown]

Thus:

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

[ellery]

Yes, but this article by ABC News mysteriously omitted one of the more interesting beneficiaries mentioned by other sources: a company in Switzerland run by Marc Rich.

[ellery]

see post 15...

[tracer]

"...137 million barrels of oil were given to the Russian Communist Party, and 5 million barrels were contracted to the Russian Orthodox Church."

The Russian Orthodox Church, eh? Aren't they the guys who have been fighting the good fight against all of the satanic churches invading Mother Russia from American shores?

But it's probably not as bad as it might appear. After all, it is quite likely that the RO Church had to pay a tribute of 4.9 million barrels of oil to the Communist Party, its nemesis throughout the ages (cough, cough)...

[spyone]

REALLLLLY???!!!! where was this reported?

[Jackson Brown]

While many people will excuse this as being irrelevant for the reasons we went to war, I hope people realize that what these people were doing was making it possible for Saddam to get the sanctions removed. And as Kay has even mentioned, this would've been the first step for Saddam to reconstitute his WMD program as he would no longer be under the watchful eye of the UN. It isn't a coincidence that these people were not only against the war, but they were the leading proponents in getting Saddam a clean bill of health to resume his tyranny. These people need to pay.

I don't see it as irrelevant, and the point can be made that IF France and Russia had helped form a united front in the security council instead of telling Saddam that they would stop the US, then it is VERY likely that the Saddam would have backed down -- IF -- the security council had given a "date certain" ultimatum for him to prove once and for all that no WMDs existed....or else!

Something that had to be done given the terms after Desert Storm...that there was a cease fire, buy STILL a state of war, until Saddam complied.

I still support the decision to go in with just the US and the UK, but France and Russia (along with Germany) where who really made it necessary.

Saddam believed that -- with the help of France and Russia -- that he could play the give a little and then delay game forever....believing that the US would be afraid to go it alone, against permanent members of the security council.

ALSO, if properly presented, this (along with the well known debt owed to these countries) could help shut the dems up about the US alienating "long time allies" since they were NOT allies, but partners in crime with Saddam...this was in no way a political disagreement, the US was facing a conspiracy of greed.

The context of this, and how it came to the point of the invasion, has been lost by the narrow focus on what people claim were the only reason they went along...i.e. the Bush statements they now are parsing.

[Ben Hecks]

Bump!