Of course. They didn't have a clue.
Posted on 03/26/2008 3:07:47 PM PDT by bad company
WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors say Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion.
An indictment in Detroit accuses Muthanna Al-Hanooti of arranging for three members of Congress to travel to Iraq in October 2002 at the behest of Saddam's regime. Prosecutors say Iraqi intelligence officials paid for the trip through an intermediary.
In exchange, Al-Hanooti allegedly received 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
The lawmakers are not mentioned but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. There was no indication the three lawmakers knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.
In another time this would be shocking news.
I want treason charges filed.
Look, they identified their party. Wow.
This guy should be facing severe jail time. But I'll not hold my breath.
“I want treason charges filed.”
Yep, and we all know what the penalty for that is.
Who has the where-with-all to do anything about these fine Congressmen? NOBODY!! As usual. The inmates control now the asylum. This is the direct result of our dear President Bush wasting time and energy playing footsie with his “loyal opposition”. It worked when he was Govnah of Texas but not in DC. Under the Bush administration, most Republican lawmakers simply morphed into liberal democrats.
Treason, ho-hum. That’s hard to spell.
Of course. They didn't have a clue.
Of course! You "found" the tickets and it was to "save the children." And the guy who "found" those tickets for you got 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
MOVE ALONG FOLKS... NOTHING TO SEE HERE.
Keep in mind that they said 500,000 kids died due to sanctions. The report a few days ago said 300,000 had died in the 5 years of the war. So using their own numbers, we saved 200,000 lives by going to war rather than continuing sanctions like the left wanted.
Are any of these seats being contested in November?
“And the guy who “found” those tickets for you got 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.”
2 million X $100/barrel=??????? Not bad for an innocent little visit.
Ping
“Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California.”
America is full of stupid people and they need representing too.
love it
excerpt from Seattle Times article
Congressman Jim McDermott this week returned a $5,000 contribution made to his legal defense fund by an Iraqi-American businessman who has admitted to financial ties with Saddam Hussein's regime.
Shakir al-Khafaji, a Detroit-area businessman who had been active in the anti-Iraq-war movement and who accompanied McDermott, D-Seattle, on his highly publicized trip to Iraq in 2002, acknowledged to the Financial Times of London this week that he received lucrative vouchers for Iraqi oil from Saddam's government.
The oil-voucher story surfaced in January, when a Baghdad newspaper published what it said was an Iraqi government document naming 270 recipients of oil vouchers from around the world. Al-Khafaji was one of two Americans on the list, which included French, British and Russian political and business leaders and many prominent opponents of the war.
In 2002, Al-Khafaji accompanied McDermott and Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and David Bonior, D-Mich., on a trip to Iraq, during which McDermott gained national attention for criticizing President Bush and calling for an alternative to war.
Aide says McDermott wasn't aware of Saddam link
McDermott should have been aware of the Iraqi connection.
Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
An indictment unsealed in Detroit accuses Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a member of a Michigan nonprofit group, of arranging for three members of Congress to travel to Iraq in October 2002 at the behest of Saddam's regime. Prosecutors say Iraqi intelligence officials paid for the trip through an intermediary.
At the time, the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq.
The lawmakers are not named in the indictment but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. There was no indication the three lawmakers knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam. "Obviously we didn't know it at the time," McDermott spokesman Michael DeCesare said Wednesday. "The trip was to see the plight of the Iraqi children. That's the only reason we went."
During the trip, the lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Bush administration's claims that Saddam was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. Though such weapons ultimately were never found, the lawmakers drew criticism for their trip at the time. Oklahoma Sen. Don Nickles, the second-ranking Senate Republican at the time, said the Democrats "sound somewhat like spokespersons for the Iraqi government."
In exchange for coordinating the trip, Al-Hanooti allegedly received 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
DeCesare said McDermott was invited to go to Iraq by a Seattle church group and was unaware of any other funding for the trip.
They didn't know...it was for the children.
What horse manure.
This sure hasn’t been a very good month for the democrats has it? Anybody keeping track of this “Culture of Corruption”? Let’s hope April is even better!
Well, lookey here.
Seems to me this makes these three congresscritters traitors, and they ought to be treated accordingly.
Tell Pelosi.... Cricket...cricket.
So is this Muthanna Al-Hanooti living in Detroit today?
When I tried to get the link up the second time it didn’t work.
Here’s the Google link to page and the listing.
The Seattle Times: Local News: Aide says McDermott wasn’t aware of ...Shakir al-Khafaji, a Detroit-area businessman who had been active in the ... DeCesare said McDermott decided to return the contribution immediately upon ...
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001905911_mcdermott17m.html - 38k - Cached - Similar pages
There was no indication the three lawmakers knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.
Who did they think was paying?!?!
Charge them NOW!!!
Too bad the President seems to have lost his testicles somewhere in the last four years. Otherwise these treasonous pieces of sh!t would be in the prison cells they so richly deserve.
Nah, oil was in the $60s back then.
Bonior retired from Congress several years ago; McDermott is a commie America-hater, so I’m sure his Seattle district is safe for him. Don’t know about Thompson.
The term “useful idiot” was invented and spurned with people like McDermott in mind. He’s not very bright and a flaming jackass, thus an easy mark, even for a heinous, murderous criminal such as Saddam.
No blood for oil, right? I think I heard that once.
Though, this story frosts my butt also, it's pretty hard to bring up these three ass clowns on treason charges since they didn't know who funded the trip.
Congress certainly can have an investigation since the "seriousness of the charges" warrant it.
Hey why not, it's the standard they use for pubbies
Democrat hampered FBI
terror probe in Detroit
Ex-Congressman Bonior pressured
agents to stop Arab interviews
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31497
There should be an investigation into how they reported this trip on their office accounts. I'd be interested to know if they submitted vouchers for reimbursement for a trip paid for by Saddam. How do you take a trip overseas, supposedly on official US Congressional business, and not know how it is being paid for? Lying sacks of $hit!
This will be considered a Red Badge of Courage for the Jim McDermott and the Baghdad Boys.
I can’t believe that Jim McDermott, a Vietnam Veteran, would do such a thing. *snicker*
... conservative columnist George F. Will termed Bonior and his two Democratic colleagues "useful idiots"--useful to Saddam Hussein, that is. Pundit Christopher Caldwell termed the Baghdad visit a "treason tour."
I am 100% positive that the Bush Justice Department is working on that indictment right this very second.
I used to call him “McDimwitt”. Guess it’s time to crank that one up again.
From politics1.com:
Mike Thompson (D)*
Mitch Clogg (D) - Ex-Newspaper Reporter & Army Veteran
Doug Pharr (R) - Attorney & USMC Veteran
Zane Starkewolf (R) - Businessman
Pam Elizondo (Green) - Marijuana Legalization Activist, Ex-Psychiatric Hospital Worker & Frequent Candidate
Carol Wolman (Green) - Psychiatrist & Peace Activist
A challenger in the primary and then 2 on the R side.
Is it common for U.S. Representatives to accept trips from people they know nothing about?
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