MEMRI, The Middle East Media Research Institute, today supplies further details about the bribes paid by Saddam Hussein to overseas 'friends' able to help him in various ways. The actual mechanism whereby allocations of oil led to cash commissions is presented, along with background information on various recipients of Saddam's largess.

Equally interesting are summaries of comments made in the Arab press in various locales, about the scandal. There are clearly some who want the matter to receive no publicity, while others are pointing accusing fingers at Saddam's agents as betrayers of Arab interests. In other words, a long—needed debate within the Arab world is rumbling along, and possibly gaining speed, propelled by scandal details.

MEMRI also notes that the original report of the scandal in the Baghdad newspaper Al—Mada is being confirmed by sources familiar with the documentation in the Oil Ministry's records. In other words, proof seems to be available.

The single name probably most familiar to Americans is George Galloway, Member of Parliament in Britain, and former member of the Labour Party, now—expelled. The future actions of the U.K. authorities regarding their own laws on treason could provide further news of interest to many.

The country with the largest number of apparent bribe recipients is Russia. This could prove most interesting in the future, given the turmoil that vast nuclear—armed nation is experiencing. On the oine hand, facing its own militant Islamic terror threat, Russia came down hard on the wrong side of the Iraq liberation.

The most interesting American recipient on the list is Shaker Al—Khaffaji, recipient of a 7 million barrels allocation. This is the man who advanced $400,000 to Scott Ritter, the former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. Ritter produced a documentary film purporting to tell the true story of the weapons inspections, which in his telling were corrupted by sinister U.S. manipulation.

Meanwhile, the role of the United Nations in facilitating Saddam's bribes and other nefarious activities, via the cover provided by the 'Oil—for—Food' program remains to be fully explicated. There has been no audit of this program, which generated well over a billion dollars in funds for the UN itself, giving that organization a vested interest in the continuation of Saddam's regime. We highly recommend following the ongoing coverage of this element of the mega—scandal of Saddam's helpers by the always—interesting Roger L. Simon.

Posted by Thomas   02 20 04