Wyatt: U.S. Out To Get Me

New York Post ^ | September 2, 2007 | RICHARD WILNER

[CutePuppy]

WYATT: U.S. OUT TO GET ME

By RICHARD WILNER

September 2, 2007 - Oscar Wyatt, the last of the Texas oil wildcatters, is a self-made billionaire, World War II fighter pilot and an outspoken critic of Gulf War I and Gulf War II. But this week, federal prosecutors intend on painting the 83-year-old tycoon as one of the most unpatriotic lowlifes of recent history.

The government alleges Wyatt's Coastal Corp. paid millions of dollars in bribes to Saddam Hussein in order to get oil under the botched United Nations oil-for-food program. Prosecutors last week won the right to show jurors notes from an Iraqi official that appear to show that Wyatt tipped off Hussein to when the 2003 invasion would take place and how many troops would be involved.

The trial, set to open Sept. 5 in Manhattan federal court and expected to last four-to-six weeks, could get ugly and give Wyatt, a vocal critic of the Bush administration, and his socialite wife, Lynn, plenty of agita.

.....

[CutePuppy]

This case has been a long time coming...

[LegendHasIt]

I dunno...
Doesn’t sound quite like Ayn Rand’s Wyatt Oil.
I don’t think Ellis Wyatt would be dealing with Saddam.

[BipolarBob]

They gonna dig up Sadaam and make him testify?

[CutePuppy]

Supposedly, Atlas Shrugged events take place in the politically altered 1930’s before UN existed... though, you are right - Ellis would have burned his wells if he thought they could be used for doing any business with the likes of UN or Saddam.

[LegendHasIt]

Really?
I read Atlas Shrugged at least once a year. and always felt it could be set just about any time in the 20th or 21st Century. While there is indeed SOME ‘feeling’ of the’30s in the book, There is also a feeling of ‘about 3 years in the future’ every time I read it. Sorta timeless in many ways.

I never really heard that it was set in the 30s though.

But you are quite right.... I’d be able to see the flames of ‘Wyatt’s Torch’ from my north window before ELLIS Wyatt would be giving (or taking) bribes to the likes of Saddam.

[battlegearboat]

River Oaks Country Club news.

[PGalt]

But this week, federal prosecutors intend on painting the 83-year-old tycoon as one of the most unpatriotic lowlifes of recent history.

Thanks for posting. GRRRREAT news!

[OpusatFR]

Didn’t Kitty Kelley (yeah, I know) write about Wyatt’s use of Fergie’s royal connections to impress Saddam and use her celebrity to provide an entre to some lucrative oil deals?

I think it was in her book, The Royals.

[lonestar]

I didn't know Lynn was still married to the old womanizer.

My brother's first job out of college was with Coastal. (Accounting) His next job was with ???? and he was a witness in the Marc Rich trial.

[Flintlock]

Wow.
The first ‘Murrican implicated in Hussain’s oil bribery.
Wanna bet he’s not the only one?

[Rte66]

Thanks. Hadn’t gotten to read my ROCC newsletter yet - just back from the south of France for all of August and Lynn’s parties. LOL

[Ditter]

LOL! Yeah, right! Me too!

I see Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt ever so often and she looks down her nose at me like I am trash. Of course I look at her the same way. LOL!

[Rte66]

Oh, gosh - none of my comments are postable! Perhaps a FReepmail later, if I can contain my giggles.

[CutePuppy]

It’s a subject of rare not-so-intense friendly debates, hence “supposedly” and “politically altered”. Generally, whatever can be accepted as a “consensus” comes down to events politically taking place ‘about 3 years in the future’ (which was also hinted by Ayn Rand in later interviews) combined with the ‘feeling’ of characters’ day-to-day life and technologies being closest to the period of 1930s (when, apparently, the ideas for the book began to develop) with the rise of the Communism in 1920s and later, Nazism - at least that’s the best way I can explain it adopting your excellent terminology.

http://nostalgia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged

I somehow didn’t make the “Wyatt connection” at the time of posting the article. Thanks for reminding me of one of my favorite books, it is indeed timeless.

[Viking Ski Bum]

Have you seen this one?

Oscar S. Wyatt

[CutePuppy]

No, but besides being a nice self-serving resume there is not much very useful information, except a couple of interesting things about www.oscarswyatt.com website itself.

Domain Name: oscarswyatt.com Created on..............: Thu, Jul 26, 2007 Record last updated on..: Sat, Aug 25, 2007

Administrative Contact: Domain Discreet

Website was created very recently, apparently as part of PR effort and preparation for trial, and whoever created it doesn't want to be known. Doesn't inspire a lot of credibility.

If you are interested, here's more detailed information (though dated October 22 2005, when he was indicted), along with social network diagram : http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2005/Oscar-S-Wyatt-Jr22oct05.htm

Also a lot of interesting info on Coastal Corporation (before company was sold to El Paso) and Wyatt himself here http://www.answers.com/topic/the-coastal-corporation?cat=biz-fin. It doesn't mention it but company was incorporated in Bermuda, but does mention how Wyatt used legal loopholes on foreign subsidiaries to trade with Libya through Germany in 1980s, despite the sanctions.

He reminds me somewhat of Armand Hammer who made a lot of money trading oil and furs and art with his Soviet comrades.