posted on January 29, 2004 07:50:13 PM newAND WHO ON THIS LIST OPPOSED THE WAR?
Saddam’s Gifts - Who
Document: Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts
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
posted on January 30, 2004 05:42:27 AM new
""The revenue that is generated from the work that these companies are doing, we believe, helps to underwrite and support terrorism,” says William Thompson, the New York City comptroller who oversees the $80 billion in pension funds for all city workers.
He says he wants everyone with a retirement or investment portfolio to know what these companies are up to: “We're going to increase the public visibility on this issue until these companies change their practices.”
He’s actually identified specific companies that have invested in these rogue countries, including Halliburton, Conoco-Phillips and General Electric. And he points out that New York's pension funds own nearly a billion dollars worth of stock in these three Fortune 500 companies, which have operations in Iran and Syria.
What was Thompson’s reaction when he found out about this? “Anger that there were companies that could be contributing to attacks on our nation,” he says. “You’d think to yourself, well, why would they do that? … I didn't think they could. And more than anything it was, you thought, that the law prevented them from doing this.” In fact, U.S. law does ban virtually all commerce with the rogue nations, but there's a loophole that G.E., Conoco-Phillips and Halliburton have exploited: The law does not apply to any foreign or offshore subsidiary so long as it is run by non-Americans.
“These three companies, as far as we were concerned, appear to have violated the spirit of the law,” says Thompson. “In the case of Halliburton, as an example, they have an offshore subsidiary in the Cayman Islands. That subsidiary is doing business with Iran.”
"
posted on January 30, 2004 08:00:59 AM new
Thanks Helen, Mr.P posted it elsewhere and I found it an interesting read. Corporacracy is certainly amoral, isn't it?
My cat tried to edit my post with a bunch of 6s. Maybe I should change his name from Oxymoron to Haliburton!
You have the right to an informed opinion -Harlan Ellison
posted on January 30, 2004 10:51:05 AM new
After rereading my original post, I still don't see Halliburton, Conoco/Phillips or GE on Saddams personal list of oil contract listee's..
"If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go. Not all of us are sheep....."
posted on January 30, 2004 12:13:24 PM new
And now on to who's really profiting from these latest wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:
High-flying venture capital firm Carlyle Group cashes in when the tanks roll...
It is hard to imagine an address closer to the heart of American power. The offices of the Carlyle Group are on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC, midway between the White House and the Capitol building, and within a stone's throw of the headquarters of the FBI and numerous government departments. The address reflects Carlyle's position at the very center of the Washington establishment, but amid the frenetic politicking that has occupied the higher reaches of that world in recent weeks, few have paid it much attention.
Perhaps Carlyle's most famous acquisition was United Defense in 1997. The company had developed a huge 40-ton howitzer, the Crusader, which, despite widespread opposition from the army, was commissioned by the Pentagon. The $665,000,000 contract was signed just two weeks after the attacks on the twin towers and less than a month later Carlyle decided to take the company public in a move that was to earn the group nearly $240,000,000. Months later the Crusader programme was scrapped while United Defense was handed a new contract to build a lighter gun.
In the wake of September 11 came a fear of anthrax attack. One company that benefited was Pittsburgh- based IT Group, which won a number of contracts to clean up anthrax-infected buildings, including the Hart Senate Office Building.
Carlyle owned 25 per cent of the firm, which it subsequently sold. Likewise its investment in US Investigation Services, a company that specializes in checking the background of employees, saw business improve dramatically.
'I do not exaggerate when I say that Carlyle is taking over the world in government contract work, particularly defense work,' one employee told Briody.
Other Carlyle companies also benefited, including EC&G which makes X-ray scanners; Composite Structures, a maker of metal-bond structures in fighter jets and missiles; and Lier Siegler Services Inc, a major military contractor, providing logistics support.
It recently bought CSX Lines, an ocean carrier firm that specializes in shipping heavy equipment. One of its biggest customers is the US military. Late last year it bought Firth Rixson, a specialist engineering firm that makes aerospace parts. It also has a 33 percent stake in Qinetiq, the government's Defense Evaluation and Research Agency.
Who's Who at Carlyle Group
George H.W. Bush: former US President and Vice President and former Director
of the CIA
Frank Carlucci: former Secretary of Defense
James Baker III: former Secretary of State
Richard Darman: former White House budget director
Fidel Ramos: former President of the Philippines
John Major: former Prime Minister of England
The information posted above was compiled from Dan Briody's book, "The Iron Triangle" . I've purposely left out the bin Laden family's ties to Carlyle Group; that's old news, right?
