This is genuine, says Saddam's ex-aide (GALLOWAY ALERT)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 24, 2003 | Nicole Martin

[MadIvan]

Nicole Martin shows a confidential handwritten memo found in the rubble of the looted Iraqi foreign ministry to the man who used to arrange the dictator's schedule

Saddam Hussein's former head of protocol said yesterday that the document found by The Daily Telegraph saying that George Galloway received substantial payments from the Iraqi regime was "100 per cent genuine".

Haitham Rashid Wihaib, who fled to Britain with his family eight years ago after death threats, said he had no doubt that the handwritten confidential memorandum addressed to the dictator's office apparently detailing how the Labour MP benefited from Iraq's oil sales was authentic.

Sitting in a cafe in central London, a world away from Saddam's palace where he spent 13 years arranging the dictator's daily schedule, he carefully studied the letter discovered in the looted foreign ministry in Baghdad.

As Mr Galloway continued to denounce the letter as a forgery, Mr Wihaib said he recognised the "clear and distinctive" handwriting as that of Tahir Jalil Habbush Al-Tikriti, head of the Iraqi intelligence service, who is number 14 - the jack of diamonds - on America's "most wanted" list.

"I am 100 per cent certain that this document is genuine," he said, his eyes still fixed on the letter. "As soon as I saw the document I knew it was Habbush's handwriting because it is so distinctive and unusual. This is not ordinary writing. The words are very big, just like sculptures. He writes very well."

As Saddam's head of protocol between 1980 and 1993, Mr Wihaib, 53, was among a coterie of individuals who had regular contact with the dictator.

He said he was responsible for arranging the dictator's daily appointments and meetings, and was required to open and deliver some of his personal mail.

Mr Wihaib said that in 13 years he received about "25 or 26" letters from Habbush, who during this period occupied several roles including the head of both the interior intelligence service and the Republican Guard. He was appointed head of the Iraqi intelligence service in the late 1990s.

"I knew him personally. He was a very violent and brutal man," said Mr Wihaib, who since arriving in Britain has written several books on Iraq. "I recognised his handwriting immediately because he used to send letters to Saddam which I opened and delivered to him.

"As head of protocol, I saw a lot of personal letters to Saddam - from the intelligence force, the head of the party and the army. I would open them and deliver them personally to Saddam in his office."

Asked whether he believed the documents could have been forged and planted as part of smear campaign against Mr Galloway, Mr Wihaib shook his head in disbelief: "I do not believe that anybody in Iraq would play around with Mr Galloway's name or Mr Galloway's money. They are afraid to do this."

Mr Wihaib, who lives in Shepherd's Bush, west London, has first-hand experience of the terror at the heart of the former regime. He fled Iraq in 1993 with his wife and two children, and arrived in Britain in 1995 after travelling through 17 different countries.

Mr Wihaib also said he recognised the room in the Iraqi foreign ministry where the documents were found by David Blair, The Daily Telegraph's correspondent in Baghdad.

"I used to visit the building a lot, sometimes twice a week, to take messages or orders from Saddam to the minister of foreign affairs," he said. "The big orange boxes that were shown on television used to contain important documents which the regime wanted to keep as references.

"They were kept in a room, known as the safe room, which was attached to the right of the private office of the minister of foreign affairs."

Mr Wihaib said it was not unusual for Saddam to court political figures such as Mr Galloway who publicly attacked their government's stance towards Iraq.

"He was the type of person that Saddam wanted. He was not only an MP but more importantly part of the Labour Party. He thought it was a huge achievement for him to have someone like Galloway stand up in the Commons and attack the sanctions and accuse the British government of killing Iraqi children.

"His aim was always to get people like MPs, journalists and heads of state - people who he believed had influence in society."

[MadIvan]

Robert Fisk? Scott Ritter? Who else is on the list, I wonder.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[So Cal Rocket]

Are there capital offenses in the UK? Is treason one of them?

[mvpel]

I admire the Daily Telegraph's methodical demolition of Galloway's claims - the press equivalent of a 1-ton JDAM, looks like.

[MadIvan]

Treason, I believe, is the sole remaining capital offense. In my view, this qualifies. Hang the bastard.

Regards, Ivan

[So Cal Rocket]

I agree... hang him... but only after liquidating all of his assets and sending the proceeds to the people of Iraq.

[Calpernia]

>>>>"His aim was always to get people like MPs, journalists and heads of state - people who he believed had influence in society."

So is Anthrax mailings to the Baath Party as Horse Heads were to the Italian Mafia?

[MEG33]

You have a rope..I have a tree Can the government arrest him,try him and convict him?

[Grampa Dave]

If Galloway had a shred of decency, he would swallow the business end of a 12 gauge and fire off a round.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Treason, I believe, is the sole remaining capital offense. In my view, this qualifies. Hang the bastard.

I guess I'll do it before anybody else has to.

IT'S THE GALLOWS FOR GALLOWAY!!!

[johniegrad]

Good post Ivan. Roast this sunnofabitch.

[Malesherbes]

Was this Al-Tikriti not one of the four cards captured today? If so, we may soon a lot more about Galloway.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

The plot thickens!

How is this playing over the pond?

[MadIvan]

How it's playing is very simple: Galloway is in big, big trouble. And people are wondering aloud about questions that were silent before - how does an MP, with no inherited wealth, afford so many properties?

Regards, Ivan

[McGavin999]

I'm dying to know what names are in those other boxes. Both france and the US. I'd be willing to bet there are a couple of congressmen in there.

[MadIvan]

I wager Peter Arnett's name is in there.

Unless he was so pitifully stupid as to not be paid for the nonsense he was spouting. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[ez]

Was this Al-Tikriti not one of the four cards captured today?

This fooled me a couple of times, too. Apparently, al-Tikriti means "from Tikrit" so A LOT of people have that "last name." This guy is supposedly a Jack and the guy we got today was a seven in the deck.

[BOBTHENAILER]

I'm dying to know what names are in those other boxes. Both france and the US. I'd be willing to bet there are a couple of congressmen in there.

I'd take that bet but it would be like betting the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.

[UB355]

Pardon this stupid question. What ia a MP.

[MaeWest]

Robert Fisk? Scott Ritter? Who else is on the list, I wonder

Who was the big name journlist who did an interview with Saddam?

[MadIvan]

Dan Rather? Oh my.... ;)

Regards, Ivan

[cake_crumb]

I hear Galloway is married to Yasser's neice. Money and sex. No wonder the sicko was so desperate to protect the dictator who funded Pali homocide bombers.

Fawaz Zureikat, named in the documents as Galloway's contact with Saddam's regime, is in jail in Jordan. The Arab press wrote a quiveringly hystrionic, 'FREE PADILLA!!!' type piece about it. It seems that Islamakazis love Galloway. Britain may be in for some rough times. Money from Saddam was probably being laundered though Galloways charity or something before distribution to terrorist cells.

[Bush2000]

MP=Member of Parliament

[MadIvan]

MP = Member of Parliament. Sort of like your Congressmen.

Regards, Ivan

[doug from upland]

SING FOR YOUR FRIEND GALLOWAY

[lilylangtree]

This is good! Good-by Georgie Porgie! Good-by to araRAT's link to the British govt.

[piasa]

I wonder if the Baghdad trio of US congressmen- McDermott, Bonior and Thompson- were on Iraq's payroll...

[InterceptPoint]

Treason, I believe, is the sole remaining capital offense. In my view, this qualifies. Hang the bastard.

It seems to me that the UK press is not treating this as an act of treason. I am pretty sure that if a Congressman in this country was taking a half a million a year under the table from Saddam and acting in favor of Iraq that this would be considered an act of treason. I suspect that in merry old England it falls far short of this. Somewhere between "business as usual" and "getting caught with your pants down". I was told by a British friend that there is no law in England prohibiting the bribary of a foreign government for the purpose of making a commercial sale. Could be that goes both ways. As long as Galloway didn't give away (I am a poet or what?) any state secrets it could be he has not actually committed a crime.

[MadIvan]

I was told by a British friend that there is no law in England prohibiting the bribary of a foreign government for the purpose of making a commercial sale

Absolute nonsense. Even if it were true, the press would flay alive the person who tried it.

Regards, Ivan

[kylaka]

Does Britan have the equivalent of income tax evasion Ivan?
That ought to stick pretty well.

[lavrenti]

There was a lot of weird behavior going on in the run-up to this operation. Wouldn't be at all surprised if a number of Democrook politicos were taking money under the table.

Remember, the Baathists are guys who worked strictly in cash and had multiple means of secure delivery due to the fact that they were controlling a state, had international contacts and had diplomatic immunity.

Oh yeah, baby. There's going to be an orange jumpsuit parade before the homecoming on Broadway.

[UB355]

Thanks, so obvious. I guess I should be watching more of the Minister's Questions on C-Span

[MadIvan]

Does Britan have the equivalent of income tax evasion Ivan?

Absolutely.

Regards, Ivan

[backhoe]

Dear God, Ivan- I'm getting cross-eyed looking at all this rot... cross-link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898108/posts
MP George Galloway- voice cries "peace," hand in Saddam's till...
various FR links | 04-22-03 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[InterceptPoint]

Absolute nonsense.

Are you sure, or just guessing? My British friend was quite serious when he made the statement.

The Europeans in general have a different view of how you do business in the Middle East. If it were a crime in France to offer a bribe then half the CEOs would be in jail. Can the UK be much different?

[MadIvan]

I am sure, people were prosecuted in the Pergau dam affair, in which companies tried to bribe Indonesia's government.

Regards, Ivan

[cake_crumb]

"Was this Al-Tikriti not one of the four cards captured today?"

Nah...that was Muzahim Sa'b Hasan al-Tikriti, the Air Defense Commander (**what air defence??**) Anyhow, 'al Takriti' just means he's from Tikrit, which is Saddam's home town.

[Happygal]

Ye know what?

This upsets me a little.

If Galloway, off up in Glasgow is in the pocket of a sick dictator, how man other incidental politicians are corrupt to the core?

[Happygal]

Are you sure, or just guessing? My British friend was quite serious when he made the statement.

Absolutely sure. Care to cite your 'British friends' credentials? I'm sure the Home Office would be interested.

[WOSG]

MadIvan, this man is a traitor.

"He was the type of person that Saddam wanted. He was not only an MP but more importantly part of the Labour Party. He thought it was a huge achievement for him to have someone like Galloway stand up in the Commons and attack the sanctions and accuse the British government of killing Iraqi children.

On the secret payroll of Saddam with the goal of influencing British foreign policy violates a host of laws. If he gave information to Iraqi regime add treason to the list.

Will he be arrested, tried and jailed for this?

[WOSG]

Nah, Petah was and is a "useful idiot" imho.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Is "Albion's Fatal Tree" still available at Tyburn?

[harpo11]

MadIvan, I wonder too, how far reaching was Saddam's corruption and the people who received such ill-gotten largesse either directly or indirectly.

[Bellflower]

"I'm dying to know what names are in those other boxes. Both france and the US. I'd be willing to bet there are a couple of congressmen in there."

The name William Jefferson Clinton VERY possibly.

[GailA]

Me too Master link for Useless Nation's Oil for Food + galloway

[Howlin]

Could we possibly get that lucky?

I'd love to see the name "Scott Ritter" pop up there somewhere.

[McGavin999]

Oh, I'm sure we'll find Ritter and more, lots more.

[kylaka]

Good. You know here in the US, thats eventually what they got Al Capone on. If Al had only reported all that ill gotten cash everything would have been hunkey dorey. Thieves gotta stick together ya' know.