As war loomed in September 2002, Mr. al-Khafaji escorted Mr. Bonior on a high-profile trip to Baghdad, along with Washington Rep. Jim McDermott and California Rep. Mike Thompson. Mr. Bonior, whose office handled the arrangements, told me last month that Mr. al-Khafaji "was part of the trip and he obviously knew people, and he was connected quite well so we could get the meetings that we wanted." Mr. McDermott's spokesman likewise recalls that Mr. al-Khafaji played a central role, adding that a Michigan-based charity called Life for Relief and Development organized and paid everything. Mr. al-Khafaji told me that he'd been a financial supporter of that organization, too, though he said he couldn't remember how much--not even ballpark--he'd given over the years.
The trip proved something of a propaganda coup for Saddam, with Mr. McDermott suggesting in a televised interview from Baghdad that President Bush "would mislead the American people" while saying "I think you have to take the Iraqis at face value." Mr. al-Khafaji seems to have taken a particular shine to Mr. McDermott, resulting in another contribution--$5,000--to a legal defense fund that had been set up for the congressman in an unrelated case. "He's a friend and he gives me money," Mr. McDermott told Roll Call in February 2003.
Oh, boy...
Members of Congress Call For an End to Sanctions on Iraq
WASHINGTON - January 25 - News Advisory: The following was released today by Life for Relief and Development:
House Democratic Whip David Bonior (D-Mich.), Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) and other members of Congress will join with American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice and major Muslim and Arab American organizations to call for an end to the devastating embargo on Iraq....
Check out the laundry list of pols who signed that letter. Some of the names stand out. Hope they all rate a visit from the Feds.
FYI ping Post #163
Re: Your comments on "Hubris (Responding to Corn Responding to Me) - Victoria Toensing" thread