Reuters reports that the independent Baghdad newspaper Al Mada has published a list of 46 individuals, companies, and organizations, drawn from Oil Ministry records,  which it says were illegally given millions of barrels of oil, in return for providing support to Saddam Hussein. Countries with implicated recipients include Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sudan, China, Austria, France and other countries. The Governing Council plans to investigate:

'"I think the list is true. I will demand an investigation. These people must be prosecuted," Naseer Chaderji, a Governing Council member told Reuters....

Assem Jihad, an oil ministry spokesman, said thousands of documents which were looted from the State Oil Marketing Organization after Baghdad fell to U.S. forces on April 9 may prove that Saddam used bribery to gain support. Anyone involved in stealing Iraqi wealth will be prosecuted," Jihad said.

Reuters helpfully identifies some of the organizations named by the newspaper as the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Communist Party, India's Congress Party and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. When it came to naming the French party or parties cited, Reuters demurred. Hmmm....

Posted by Thomas   01 27 04