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Arabia
Fresh hope for Islam's 'suffragettes' in Kuwait
While universal suffrage has been the norm in the West for decades, in the Middle East it remains a flashpoint between modernisers and Islamic fundamentalists. But women's rights in the region will receive a major boost later this month if Kuwait's parliament decides to grant females the vote, following in the footsteps of the other Gulf states, Bahrain and Qatar, which have already enfranchised women, although neither has yet elected a female member of parliament.

The battle for the female franchise in Kuwait has been going on for decades. The emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, approved the move in 1999 only for parliament to turn it down by two votes after the stormiest debate in its history. Afterwards hundreds of men cheered in the streets. However, earlier this year Kuwait's Council of Ministers approved a draft bill to amend the 1962 constitution and give women both the right to vote and to stand for parliament. Women's campaigners say they are confident this time. "We will win, not with a landslide, but with enough votes," said Rola Dashti, one of the campaign leaders, who four years ago failed in [her bid] to secure the vote through court action.

Haya Abdulrahman Al-Mughni, a Kuwaiti sociologist and author of Women in Kuwait: The Politics of Gender, backs the move, but doubts whether the result will be as radical as some are expecting. She said: "As the current legislation has provoked relatively little public opposition so far, its prospects appear more favourable."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Bulldog || 10/17/2004 8:37:57 AM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Britain
England is the country that 'dare not speak its name'
Dr David Starkey, the historian and broadcaster, is calling for a revival of English patriotism that recognises the country's unique role in shaping the modern world. Dr Starkey, 59, believes that the reluctance of the English to champion their own homeland means that England "is now the country that dare not speak its name". He also claims that English national identity is in danger of "going down the pan" because of a post-war obsession with the idea of being "British".

Dr Starkey's patriotic rallying cry coincides with his new 24-part television series on the nation's kings and queens, which begins on Channel 4 tomorrow night and will continue over four years. Monarchy will profile every English monarch from the year 400 to today at the rate of six a year. The series is as much a defence of the English and Anglo-Saxon culture as a series of personality portraits. "This series is about the history of England," said Dr Starkey. "Yes, England - the country that dare not speak its name. In England we have this dreadful inhibition about talking about ourselves. England is a historic country which has shaped the world we are in. It is arguably the very origins of modernity. That is something we should celebrate, not be ashamed of." Dr Starkey believes that the English need to celebrate their national identity in the same way that the Scots celebrate theirs. England, he argues, is much more important than Scotland, which is a "tiny" country that "does not much matter".

"English identity and culture may be at the point of going down the pan. We are at a crossroads and which fork in the road we are going to take is not clear. If you go to Scotland you will notice there are two new buildings. There is the parliament building, which is loudly advertising that Scotland is an independent nation. The second is a museum of Scotland. We do not have an equivalent in England."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: tipper || 10/17/2004 10:55:17 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Coming to the US? DVD?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 11:07 Comments || Top||

#2  Well at last someone is starting to say it. Whatever the hyper-leftists say, England is *not* multicultural and is one of the few countries in the world that can loudly proclaim that we have influenced the world *for the better*. (can you guess one of the others?)

I get very wary of people spouting of about 'Britishness', and I do think there is something of a backlash against it - there was a literal sea of England flags when the Rugby world cup was on and when England were playing in Euro 2004.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 10/17/2004 11:36 Comments || Top||

#3  I'd be very interested in this, our cousins accross the pond shoud be very proud of their history. An island nation that had one of the greatest empires of all time & a navy that was second to none -extremely impressive. Without their enterprise and willingness to fight the Spaniards and French over the new world there would be no U.S. ...Now get the fuck out of Northern Ireland you limey bastards. Sorry, as a known Irishter - had to throw that in.
Posted by: Jarhead || 10/17/2004 11:44 Comments || Top||

#4  Speaking personally, I feel about as British as I do English. Having spent a few years living in Scotland, that's been tested to the extreme, and I've seen at first hand there what petty nationalistic negativism can do to a people. I think the Scots got the 'victimhood' thing down pat long before the Arabs embraced its destructive tribal comforts. That said, we've got a whole lot more in common with the Scots and Welsh than many people recognise. The Scots have contributed to England just as the English have contributed to Scotland, and Wales, and vice versa all round. Competition between the nations is healthy, but throwing insults and baiting each other isn't.

As for the series - it should be good, and I'll be watching, but it seems as though Starkey will have trouble classing monarchs after (the Scot) James I as 'English'. Under him the two nations' thrones were unified, all the way back in 1603.
Posted by: Bulldog || 10/17/2004 12:05 Comments || Top||

#5  There is something about a British historical documentary that screams look at it. I hope to see this series over in the US at some time when available.
Posted by: Bill Nelson || 10/17/2004 12:35 Comments || Top||

#6  While I'm encouraged to see the St. George's flag instead of the Union Jack (a naval banner?), it should be pointed out that there are more Irish in England than there are English. Perhaps it would be better to reanimate the English "zeitgeist" of power through superb diplomacy--diplomacy that created empire as much as the British navy. In other words, England could be as influential as it was, by re-creating a competant foreign service, not one corrupted with internationalist-leftist sentiments.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 12:55 Comments || Top||

#7  "England is *not* multicultural and is one of the few countries in the world that can loudly proclaim that we have influenced the world *for the better*. (can you guess one of the others?)"

I do hope you're not talking about France...

Anyhow, England... Britain... whatever; I salute the whole lot of you.
Posted by: Dave D. || 10/17/2004 13:11 Comments || Top||

#8  ...it should be pointed out that there are more Irish in England than there are English...

Um, yes, riiiight...
Posted by: Bulldog || 10/17/2004 13:33 Comments || Top||

#9  I'll finally believe it when somebody pens a song called, "England, F*ck Yeah!" ;)
Posted by: BH || 10/17/2004 13:35 Comments || Top||

#10  Dave Dave Dave, read some of my other posts on RB. Ok, I'll come clean, certainly one of the others is America ;)

Anonymoose, what Bulldog said.

BH, there are plenty of football songs that do that...with plenty of swearwords...
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 10/17/2004 15:38 Comments || Top||

#11  I was just kidding, Tony...
Posted by: Dave D. || 10/17/2004 15:47 Comments || Top||


Blair 'in Son of Star Wars deal'
PRIME Minister Tony Blair had secretly agreed to let the United States station interceptor missiles on British soil for the so-called "Son of Star Wars" defence system, it was reported today. Britain had agreed "in principle" to a US request to site the missiles at an existing early warning radar centre in Fylingdales, Yorkshire, northern England, the Independent on Sunday said. According to the paper, agreement was reached at a meeting last May in Washington attended by senior officials from the British embassy and the US State Department. However, the British diplomats asked that no official announcement be made until after Mr Blair faced a general election likely in the middle of next year, the newspaper said, without citing its sources.

It was already known that the United States would use the early warning radar at Fylingdales for the new defence system, but nothing has been said publicly about missiles being stationed there. Britain's Ministry of Defence said no decisions had been made. "The UK has not yet decided whether we need our own missile defence. This is a decision for the future when the US system has further evolved," a spokesman said.

If Britain does accommodate the missiles, it could prompt difficulties for Mr Blair within his ruling Labour Party. With many of his MPs already angry at the his backing for the US-led war in Iraq they might blanch at closer military ties with Washington. "Son of Star Wars", designed to detect and then destroy incoming missiles through interceptor missiles, has been devised by the administration of US President George W. Bush. It got its name from former president Ronald Reagan's planned Strategic Defence Initiative anti-missile system, dubbed "Star Wars" at the time. The system has long been highly controversial, with critics warning it is both impractical and unfeasibly expensive, while the Bush administration remains strongly committed to the project.
Posted by: tipper || 10/17/2004 2:19:06 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Oh boy! The UK Loonies will have a new excuse to march and make banners and giant puppets! And get laid, the real reason the myn show up.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 2:27 Comments || Top||

#2  Yea and a huge row over how evil protecting yourself from Balistic Missles is.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 2:52 Comments || Top||

#3  Lol! It's what they live for: begging someone to come take them over. Personally, I'm pretty sure they'd prefer little green men, but I guess Soros will do in a pinch for most of the LLL, heh.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 3:11 Comments || Top||

#4  Freeking Sorros is the antichrist.

This don't defend yourself crap is loony. Thats why the LLL and Moonbats can't understand it.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 3:36 Comments || Top||

#5  made me very happy this, anyone got any idea of the timescale involved as to when the first interceptors will arrive, the Alaska station already has 6 or so interceptors dosn't it? We must though make sure that none of the missles stationed here would ever launch to kill a nuke thats predicted to land on France for that'd be interfering with another countrys affairs! perhaps a interceptor self didtruct system as soon as it enters in or above French airspace.
Posted by: Shep UK || 10/17/2004 5:00 Comments || Top||

#6  Shep, The closer to the source the missile is intercepted, the better. Thus, your self-destruct above France is a bad idea.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 6:20 Comments || Top||

#7  Maybe these are boost-phase interceptors, meant to kill nuclear missiles launched from France once it loses its own struggle against the jihadis and becomes an Islamic state.

I'm just being mischievous here, but still...
Posted by: Dave D. || 10/17/2004 10:29 Comments || Top||

#8  Good news. Bring 'em on in. Once Iran has it's nuclear tipped missiles that can reach London we'll need it.

Of course, if they then launch them, and we take 'em out, then it's our turn to fire back...
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 10/17/2004 11:49 Comments || Top||

#9  Kinda makes you wonder if the papier mache companies are the true secret masters of the world, doesn't it?
Posted by: BH || 10/17/2004 13:37 Comments || Top||

#10  Shep---The Alaska units are coming on line, one by one. It is quite a project getting the parts in place. The software component is enormous! I have a friend who works there. It is a major project. I was up there going by Ft. Greely last week, but I didn't see nothin'. Heh heh.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 13:58 Comments || Top||

#11  I have never understood the rational about how having defensive systems such as SDI (I loath the term "Star Wars") Causes the United States to become ready to launch a first strike. But I really think what drives the moonbats nuts is they fundementally understood that SDI drove the their god on earth, the USSR into abject poverty. And once France becomes Franjastan the Trafalgars and Los Angeles class boats will have new targets to follow
Posted by: Cheaderhead || 10/17/2004 17:53 Comments || Top||

#12  "highly controversial" I didn't study missile interception, but while a lowly post-doc I spent a few months researching a proposed (not by me) satellite-borne detection system. (No, it would not have worked.) Short conclusion: If you have enough boosters you can fake out or overwhelm any detection system.
Boost phase interceptors are nice--the target is nice and bright--but unfortunately the interceptors have to be very close: you have less than two minutes.
If you have only a handful of missile headed your way you might be able to stop them--and I think it would be worthwhile. With detection arrays in Iraq and Turkey it might be doable. But Star Wars could not have stopped enough Soviet missiles to be any use. Suppose they lob 20 missiles at every one of a hundred targets. Suppose half the missiles fail :-) (even though the Soviets made pretty decent rockets). Suppose they soften up our detection with an ionosphere burst--make our radar pretty useless. Now: you try to spot each cold payload (some of them brighter than others--which is fake?) and hit it with a solid boosted interceptor of your own, doing course correction for wind and for better estimates (if any) of the incoming payload's trajectory. Hairy indeed.
Posted by: James || 10/17/2004 18:18 Comments || Top||

#13  James thats all fine. This system is not meant to counter a Russian threats. It's to counter an Irainian or other terrorist state threat. Do you honestly think Iran can build 1000's of missles before we just vaporise them? This system is designed to counter the NORKS and IRAN not China or Russia. MAD is still the status with Russia and China and will continue to be.

I doubt the UK will deploy. As soon as the defeatist nutwingers get wind of it the BBC and UK press will make sure not one interceptor will be deployed. There will be huge protest marches. Moonbats will be chaining themselves to gates and laying in the road to stop it. This is just slightly less evil than fox hunting and the back benchers will have none of it. The UK has nothing to worry about they will be quite able to be nuked at will by anyone via balistic missle.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 18:43 Comments || Top||


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Hundreds still missing in Beslan
Nearly 400 people who were held hostage in the Beslan school siege are still unaccounted for, according to a website run by teachers who were there. The list of killed, injured or missing on the www.beslan.ru website has 1,338 names - while the prosecutor-general's office gave a total of 1,156. Three local police officers have been charged with negligence over the siege, in which at least 338 people died. A Russian parliamentary commission has started investigating the tragedy. Russian Ekho Moskvy radio reports that more than 80 bodies remain unidentified. Nearly half of the people who died in Beslan in early September were children. The school in North Ossetia, in Russia's North Caucasus, was attacked by a group of heavily armed pro-Chechen militants, who fought a fierce gunbattle with Russian security forces as explosions wrecked the school.

The radio said victims' representatives were not included on the commission - they would be confined to the role of eyewitnesses. Eleven senators from the Russian Federation Council - the upper house of parliament - are on the commission. Five of them previously worked for security bodies, such as the FSB or defence ministry, and the other six are civilians with civil service experience. Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov said he expected the commission's work to last no longer than six months. "Not one question will go unanswered," he pledged, vowing that the commission would get to the bottom of "the reasons and circumstances of the terrorist act in Beslan". Much controversy still surrounds the exact circumstances of the siege and of the violence in which it ended. President Vladimir Putin has vowed to take tough action, including pre-emptive strikes against Chechen separatists, who claimed responsibility for the school hostage-taking and other recent terror attacks.
Posted by: ed || 10/17/2004 6:59:17 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Secret Mission to Recover Highly Enriched Uranium in Uzbekistan Successful
Eleven kilograms of enriched uranium fuel, including highly enriched uranium (HEU) that could be used for nuclear weapons, were safely returned to Russia from Uzbekistan in a secret mission conducted by the United States, Uzbekistan, and Russia, U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced today...This is the fifth successful shipment of uranium being returned to Russia. In the past year, DOE has repatriated a total of 48 kg of HEU fuel to Russia from Romania, Bulgaria and Libya. And, in August 2002, 48 kg of Russian-origin HEU were repatriated from a research reactor near Belgrade, Serbia.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 8:09:13 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Knocks me out on how Uzbekistan has to help in it's own secret mission to ferry out "unwanted" HEU! That uranium must be sqealing like a pig on the drag and take out!!
Posted by: smn || 10/17/2004 0:06 Comments || Top||

#2  I thought the Bush administration wasn't doing anything about HEU in the former soviet states, and that only John Kerry would pay attention to this issue. Go figure.
Posted by: Anonymous4777 || 10/17/2004 2:30 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
DPRK Observes World Food Day
Must've been a short ceremony..
Various events have taken place in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to mark the World Food Day, October 16. On this occasion the DPRK government has conducted activities to make all the people aware of the importance of food in human life and encourage them to pay deep concern to solving the food problem.
That's good they've got a program to stress that. Too bad they don't have any food to illustrate the point..
In an interview with KCNA Jong Sun Won, secretary general of the DPRK National Committee of FAO, said: Various lecture meetings and seminars on the theme of "Biodiversity for Food Security" put forth by FAO this year have taken place in the country's major rice and potato producers, universities of agriculture and other agriculture-related institutions.
Mass media, too, will observe the day.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm...anything...
Such FAO cooperation projects as the Paekma-Cholsan Waterway project, conservation farms, sea culture modernization projects and food security projects have been visited by working people of various social strata and students. The material and technical aid of the FAO, World Food Program, International Fund for Agricultural Development, etc. has helped solve the food problem in the country.
They've got a food problem there in the Workers Pardise? Do tell...
Posted by: tu3031 || 10/17/2004 11:55:47 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Maybe they observed food? Or pictures of food?
Posted by: Desert Blondie || 10/17/2004 12:04 Comments || Top||

#2  Mointy Python can't top Kimmie.
Posted by: Tom || 10/17/2004 12:17 Comments || Top||

#3  I bet they'd love to graduate from observer status to participant.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 12:56 Comments || Top||

#4  They might even be willing to consider some of the genetically modified crops. Nah, probably not.
Posted by: RWV || 10/17/2004 14:24 Comments || Top||

#5  DB-
No, they just observed that they'd like some food.*S*

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 10/17/2004 17:40 Comments || Top||

#6  My understanding was that in order to increase the number of working days they were going to merge it with Arbor Day.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 17:43 Comments || Top||

#7  We are hungry and there is no God.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 20:17 Comments || Top||


NK Defectors Living in Poverty in South
Most North Korean defectors in South Korea are experiencing economic hardship due mainly to their lack of understanding of capitalist culture, despite the efforts by the Seoul government to help them adjust. According to a report compiled by the Unification Ministry, some 70 percent of North Korean defectors were living on government allowances for the poor as of September. Another government report, released in June, shows 2,689 of 3,559 defectors have the capability to work, but only 39 people, or 1.45 percent, are actually employed.

This puts the government in a quagmire as more and more North Korean defectors are trying to escape their impoverished hometowns and enter South Korea to begin a new life. Experts expect the number of North Korean defectors in the South may surpass the 10,000 mark as early as next year with more than 300,000 defectors estimated to be living in China.

South Korea is a major destination for North Koreans fleeing their country, and the Seoul government has generally welcomed their entry. All the defectors must receive education for several months at a Unification Ministry institution called Hanawon before entering Korean society, but the education has as yet failed to provide enough skills and knowledge for the defectors to settle in properly, critics say. The programs in Hanawon focus more on South Korean culture and capitalist systems rather than teaching practical skills such as how they can make a living in South Korea, according to defectors. ``North Korean defectors are not prepared to jump into a jungle of capitalists. They are used to the rationing system for food and necessities,'' a defector told The Korea Times. ``After spending months at the Hanawon, we are forced to go out and compete with South Korean people.''
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: tipper || 10/17/2004 11:00:15 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  How does South Korean poverty compare to North Korean starvation, I wonder? On the other hand, it is good that these people want to be self-supporting, unlike some welfare recipients we won't talk about just now.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 12:19 Comments || Top||

#2  Major disincentive for the South to push reunification.

Many Republic of Ireland pols would quietly admit in the 1980's and earlier that they didn't want to assume paying for dole payments to the unemployed of Ulster even as they publicly paid lip service to the "Brits Out" line.

The East Germans were a mess too after 12 years of National Socialism followed by 45 years of International Socialism.
Posted by: JDB || 10/17/2004 19:33 Comments || Top||


Europe
France Was Ready to Send Troops to Iraq, Book Says
Yeah. They were that close!
French officials were prepared to provide as many as 15,000 troops for an invasion of Iraq before relations soured between the Bush administration and the French government over the timing of an attack, according to a new book published in France this week. The book, "Chirac Contre Bush: L'Autre Guerre" ("Chirac vs. Bush: The Other War"), reports that a French general, Jean Patrick Gaviard, visited the Pentagon to meet with Central Command staff on Dec. 16, 2002 -- three months before the war began -- to discuss a French contribution of 10,000 to 15,000 troops and to negotiate landing and docking rights for French jets and ships. French military officials were especially interested in joining in an attack, because they felt that not participating with the United States in a major war would leave French forces unprepared for future conflicts, according to Thomas Cantaloube, one of the authors.

But the negotiations did not progress far before French President Jacques Chirac decided that the Americans were pushing too fast to short-circuit inspections by U.N. weapons inspectors. Chirac, the book says, was prepared to join in an attack if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had not allowed inspectors into Iraq. "Up until December 2002, what everyone told us is that France thought Saddam Hussein was going to make a mistake and not allow inspections," Cantaloube said in an interview. After inspectors appeared to make progress in Iraq, Chirac's thinking changed, especially after polls in France showed vast opposition to an attack. White House officials declined to comment.
Which I will leave up to you fine people.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 5:13:13 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What would they have done? Supported the Brits? With our IFF gear turned on, the battlefield would have been a very dangerous place for the frogs.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 20:53 Comments || Top||

#2  IFF stands for Identify Friend or French?
Posted by: SteveS || 10/17/2004 21:03 Comments || Top||

#3  The French do not have 10-15k well-trained and equipped soldiers that they can field in a distant war theater. They can send a few hundred soldiers at a time, usually Legionnaires at that.
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) || 10/17/2004 21:20 Comments || Top||

#4  Would you complain about the Legionnaires?
Posted by: Edward Yee || 10/17/2004 21:25 Comments || Top||

#5  I call "bullshit"
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 21:29 Comments || Top||

#6  hey! Where is the bull on the toilet graphic?
Posted by: 2b || 10/17/2004 21:31 Comments || Top||

#7  SPoD, spot on!

Pure, unadulterated fecal matter.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/17/2004 21:33 Comments || Top||

#8  "Ooh, ooh, we were going to help, but Mssr. deVillepin's little poodle ate our deployment plans. Tres tragique!"
Posted by: Matt || 10/17/2004 22:15 Comments || Top||

#9  Should'a, would'a if they could'a, can't so they ain't. I doubt the Euro-weenie blo-fish could field 1.5k, much less than 15k, lol.
Posted by: Atropanthe || 10/17/2004 22:34 Comments || Top||

#10  Yes, I'd complain about the not-so-French Legionnaires.

Have they done anything decent in combat over the last 25 years? do they speak proper English? are they equipped to fight alongside with anglo-saxon forces?
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) || 10/17/2004 22:35 Comments || Top||

#11  The French do have a Rapid Deployment element, an airborne regiment and an armored corp (division) Their level of readiness is another matter, but they do maintain such a force.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 22:39 Comments || Top||

#12  Remember how various French generals went public before the liberation of Iraq, claiming that the Coalition did not have enough troops and would certainly suffer terrible losses at the hands of Saddam's mighty army. Would you want such "soldiers" on your side?
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) || 10/17/2004 22:42 Comments || Top||

#13  I am not taking issue with anything except to say France does maintain a rapid reaction force. Not talking about the quality of the troops but pointing out that the level of readiness is unknown.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 22:50 Comments || Top||

#14  I'll believe it when they wrap up the turmoil in the Sudan; or did they take back their offer to help?
Posted by: smn || 10/17/2004 22:53 Comments || Top||

#15  Oopsie!

I guess the French did disband their rapid deployment force in 1996 and just maintain headquarters for maintenence of those forces.

Sorry for the error.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 22:58 Comments || Top||

#16  I concour, 10-15k is almost all French operational combat army , and after 1 month in field from where it will came the refresh troops and equipment? If this was true a brigade was more likely. They have send the Daguet division in 1991 streching all their forces even without cold war cuts.
Posted by: Anonymous6361 || 10/17/2004 22:58 Comments || Top||

#17  The US Army was attacking through a sandstorm as things were.
Posted by: Phil Fraering || 10/17/2004 23:16 Comments || Top||

#18  France was ready to send troops to Iraq?

But for which side?
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/17/2004 23:43 Comments || Top||

#19  Have they done anything decent in combat over the last 25 years?

Various operations in Africa and Gulf War I. They did quite well in the latter.

do they speak proper English?

Probably no worse than any other non-English speaking country. They're supposed to be able to work with NATO units.

are they equipped to fight alongside with anglo-saxon forces?

It used to be that they were like the USMC in that they got the cast-off stuff. I gather they are pretty much equipped as any other French Infantry or Paratrooper unit. They're certainly more hard-core than any other French unit.
Posted by: Pappy || 10/17/2004 23:55 Comments || Top||

#20  The french army is modern, well equipped and well trained.

It consists of several branches; Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (including naval air), Air Force (including Air Defense) and they spend 45 thousand million Euros on it a year. So yes, i think they could easily have fielded the troops.

And before the uber patriots kick in its not because the US gives them money (they don't) and its not because they are worse equipped or trained than US forces (they aren't).
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 0:09 Comments || Top||

#21  Whether France actually intended to send troops is less relevant to where, when and in what capacity. Mitterrand also sent a token French force to the Gulf in 1991. It remained far from the front and provided no real tactical help whatsoever. Purely a political stunt.

I recall France sending its only aircraft carrier from the mediterranean base at Toulon (it's next to a big nudist colony) on maneuvers suddenly in early 2003. Don't know whether it ever came close to Suez, though.
Posted by: lex || 10/18/2004 12:02 Comments || Top||

#22  Impossible. Recall that Chirac stated on camera that war is never justified. If war is never justified, why would they have sent troops?

Where is Voltaire when you need him?
Posted by: Jules 187 || 10/18/2004 12:13 Comments || Top||

#23  Do you mean this aircraft carrier, Lex?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/18/2004 12:16 Comments || Top||

#24  The very one. As Mrs D's link points out, aside from a few commandoes parachuting into central or west Africa, the prospect of French military assistance is a joke. The potential help of the Turks is/was far more valuable in Iraq than anything France could have offered.
Posted by: lex || 10/18/2004 12:21 Comments || Top||

#25  Lex-Do you recall how the Turks pulled the rug out from under us at the beginning of Operations Iraqi Freedom? One more false ally-we need them like we need the bubonic plague.
Posted by: Jules 187 || 10/18/2004 12:35 Comments || Top||


European Ministers Meet for Terror Talks
Posted by: Fred || 10/17/2004 12:26:30 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Oops! Looks like Zappie will create a hole in the net...
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 12:32 Comments || Top||

#2  It sounds like fun! But, we all know that most of the migrants would stay home if they could make a living in a safe environment. Why are the ministers not addressing the root causes of the situation that is such a nuisance to their governments?
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 13:04 Comments || Top||

#3  Right on , trailing wife. The root causes are the poverty, corruption, and dangerous conditions in the migrants' home countries. The EU like the US does not have the gumption or political will to seriously halt the inflow, so the migrants will bring the corruption and instability of their home countries to the EU. You can have only so many immigrants a year or the system can't handle it and things start breaking down.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 13:13 Comments || Top||

#4  How best to promote?
Posted by: Anonymous6092 || 10/17/2004 14:33 Comments || Top||

#5  Gee, if they need some help, I'll gladly go back over there and do some live demonstrations, so they'll know what to expect. Paris is so lovely this time of year...
Posted by: Old Patriot || 10/17/2004 19:12 Comments || Top||

#6  OP, Paris is horrid this time of year: cold and grey and drizzly. So, really, they need your demonstration to brighten things up ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 19:57 Comments || Top||

#7  One issue topping the agenda was Germany's idea for transit camps in North Africa to process would-be asylum seekers before they reach Europe.

Heh! I wouldn't be taking any showers in those camps. But..that's just me.
Posted by: 2b || 10/17/2004 21:35 Comments || Top||


Anti-Racist Activists Demand Freedom of Dress for School Girls
From Khilafah, which credits the article to AFP.
France stood accused of racism on Saturday at a gathering of left-wing and counter-culture groups in London as speakers slammed the country's new law outlawing Islamic headscarves in state schools. Amid the general "rise of racism and Islamophobia" around Europe, the French ban was simply "the most visible way in which it is taking place", one speaker from a British anti-racist group said. "We see this ban as a direct attack on the women's right to choose the way they dress," said Milena Buyum, from the National Assembly Against Racism. Buyum's group was co-sponsoring the debate, one of hundreds taking place in north London under the umbrella of the European Social Forum, which has attracted 19,000 activists to the British capital this weekend. ....

"Is it to protect secular value? No, it's about state dictatorship," said Arlene Rodrigues from the British-based Assembly for the Protection of Hijab, who was herself wearing one.
Of course it's about state dictatorship. This is France.

A French activist, Christine Delphy, from the Collectif Ecole Pour Toutes et Tous (Collective School for All), slammed An "exceptional treatment for Islamic insignia".

A representative of the Stop the War Coalition, which has organized opposition in Britain to occupation of Iraq, was equally scathing about left-wing groups in France that backed the ban. "In France, the left, to its shame, has joined in the hysteria of the ban of the hijab," Salma Yaqoob said. ....
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 11:42:31 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  J'accuse...INFIDEL!!!
Posted by: tu3031 || 10/17/2004 11:56 Comments || Top||

#2  "... ban of the hijab," Salma Yaqoob said. ...."
"More colorful metaphors captain?"

The left doesn't know whether to s__ or go blind. At least the US is more honest in our foreign policy. Kill the bastards.
Posted by: Bill Nelson || 10/17/2004 12:20 Comments || Top||


"Der Ewige Jude", part 2
Last Thursday and Friday - Oct. 7 and 8, 2004 - the Franco-German channel Arte, mostly paid for by the taxpayer, broadcast a very bad French-Egyptian movie by Yousri Nasrallah called "Les portes du soleil". The fact that it was very bad was actually a blessing, for the main purpose of the movie was to show the founders of the state of Israel as moral equivalent to the Nazis. The movie begins with a scene in a Palestinian school in 1943 where a teacher tells children about "our country, Palestine" and the "Jewish colonisation" going on. 1-9-4-3. Was nothing else happening at that time in Jewish history? Apparently not, according to Arte.

It goes on: the 1948 war, when Israel barely survived a coordinated attack on the day of her birth by Arab states openly calling for genocide, is described slightly differently. Jews in green-grey uniforms come with tanks and commit mass murders of innocent women and children, burn the villages, pile the clothes of the dead according to size in order to send them to Israel. The Palestinian hero tattoos the date of the slaughter on his own wrist. This is nauseating. This is unbelievable. Of course the 1948 Jews had neither tanks nor real uniforms - they almost didn't have two rifles of the similar kind, for God's sake! Arabs were brutalised, some were expelled in militarily important areas just as Jews were expelled from their homes in Arab countries - but indiscriminate slaughter by Tsahal? When, where? And what kind of person could dream up the Nazi analogies, apparent from the color of the uniform, the clothes piled on and the tattoo on the wrist? My God, which side actually had tattooed wrists in this war? This is nauseating. This is unbelievable. But this is where we are.
Hat tip to Eursoc.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 8:17:45 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I have actually lodged a protest over this.
Posted by: True German Ally || 10/17/2004 1:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Good for you TGA.

For me France and Germany show that WW2 didn't reform them. The old Jew hate is still there. What else is new? The Protocols of Zion are available freely in French and German. Anti-jewish and anti-us propaganda is a daily staple in the "news" of EUrope. The very few EUopeans that know what is going on may too few to redeem them. They are even more sheep like than your typical US citizen.

Apparently EUrope thought Bush was only speaking for himself when he said that you are with us or with our foes. EUrope it's time to buy a clue. Their is no middle ground. You can't blame the US for the mess you left in Africa and the middle east in your abandonded colonies. Either you take your responsibilities for them or shut the hell up when we do using our own methods.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 2:18 Comments || Top||

#3  SPo'D - Plz see my comment #18 on this RB story from yesterday. I believe the notion of writing off 2 countries, especially Germany, is, how should I put it, a bit hasty. In 3 weeks WE could be on our way to being in worse shape, and the return trip will take years, IMHO, so let's take some care. And please take this in the friendly manner meant, bro.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 2:26 Comments || Top||

#4  SPoD

The "Protocols" are banned in Germany. What you find on amazon.de is a bunch of books exposing them for what they are.
Posted by: True German Ally || 10/17/2004 2:26 Comments || Top||

#5  .com Thanks for the flowers, I missed out yesterday :-)

And yes, we might have some interesting discussions should Kerry be president and Stoiber be elected German chancellor.

A bit like Carter and Schmidt. It was Schmidt who hammered it into Carter that NATO needed to respond to the Soviet missiles SS20. I remember those discussions, oh boy.

And Schmidt went against the majoritarian beliefs of Germans back then.
Posted by: True German Ally || 10/17/2004 2:30 Comments || Top||

#6  TGA - Oops - got distracted helping a guy online with the file-trading software I play around with. People seem to like my pix and movies, heh.

We may soon be in deep shit, again. Carter. Sigh. Skeery. Hyperventilate. Pass out.

The stakes just keep getting bigger, so we can't really afford to repeat such mistakes, but things are not looking good, poll-wise. I hope there's some large "silent majority" lurking out there ready to vote for Bush.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 3:09 Comments || Top||

#7  .com weeks before the last German elections all pollsters gave the opposition a comfortable majority win.

You see it was true every time...
Posted by: True German Ally || 10/17/2004 3:51 Comments || Top||

#8  *fingers crossed - but hitting the ATM for the max amount every day*

Lol!
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 4:06 Comments || Top||

#9  TGA I have been thinking about it and how would writing off Germany and France be bad for the US?
They oppose us at every juncture it appears. The German goverment and the mass of german people would rather be good friends with Iran and Syria than the US. France simply hates the US and it's people for being something France is not. France will oppose if not outright sabotage the US every chance it gets. I am under the impresion that a few Germans like the US. The rest of the Germans hate us thinking we are worse then Hitler or the NAZIs because we support Israel. Germany didn't want to fight the Soviets on German soil if the USSR attacked. We in the US don't want to fight in the US and we have been attacked.

Perhaps it's that I have little access to German news in english. I have to make do with the BBC and AFP. What I read there forms my opinion. What I have read makes me pretty bitter and not too charitable.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 7:34 Comments || Top||

#10  SPOD, France is definitely angling for an alliance with China. Do we really want to push Germany in with them? Distinguish between Schroeder and the Germans. Sure, plenty of Germans like Schroeder, but that is rapidly descending to some Germans. And plenty of Americans like Kerry. None the less, let's not give Germany up. As Patton said, I don't like to fight for the same piece of ground twice.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 8:06 Comments || Top||

#11  "As Patton said, I don't like to fight for the same piece of ground twice."

Already done (WWI & WWII), so I would be inclined to give it up. Either they swim when the slam hordes invade, or they sink. Darwin Akbar.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/17/2004 8:19 Comments || Top||

#12  Darwin Akbar, indeed, Memesis. If western civilization does not learn from our mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them.

We collectively can get the governments we deserve, but I think of individuals, and especially children suffering and I feel outrage. 3000 people were sacrificed on 9-11. The trauma reaches out to thousands, if not millions more of family, friends, colleagues still bearing the scars. Do we need some more hits to collectively wake us up. I certainly hope not.

I come from a background of preventative maintenance. That is what this country is doing. I see a relatively few doing this. I hope we all on both sides of the pond wake up from sleeping on sentry duty.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 13:22 Comments || Top||

#13  Mrs Davis, Schroeder only said what the German public wanted to hear. The drone of anti-US propaganda against us is pretty steady in the German press it seems. This guy seems to have a good handle on it. I don't think it's us giving up on Germany. I think Germany prefers the French to the US in all things. France has pronounced the US it's foe by it's actions and words. Germany has announced it's support of France. Again I am forced to focus on the thought that "you are with us or against us." I say we start up the factories and start building tanks and planes and a huge military perhaps this will get their attention. We need to get the attention of those who prefer fundi Islam and the nations that export terror and oil over the US of A.

France and China in an alliance? LOL China is looking for markets. The French don't buy anything from China. China wants export markets. The Worm is farting in the wind. China is China's ally.

As for fighting for the same ground twice. NATO is dead. The French block every move to make NATO an effective military alliance. EUrope is building it's own rapid reaction force. Does that sound like Germany and France want NATO to be a functioning organization? I am not for fighting at all. Let Germany and France be over run by their stupidity. If they want to be slaves to islamic masters or some other external threat let them. If they want to continue to throw their economy away on failed socilist nanny statism let them. When they are unable to defend themselves let the wolves eat them. They already lack the ability to effectively project any military forces. We might be able to save the UK but that is looking a poor bet.

Germany and France are no longer our friends. They have made that choice. We didn't force them to. They practiced free will. Cut them loose and be done with them.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 16:29 Comments || Top||

#14  I may not agree with everything that SPOD has said in this thread, but he is very much on the mark about NATO. France's participation (or lack thereof) has rendered that organization rather useless.
Posted by: Crusader || 10/17/2004 18:45 Comments || Top||

#15  SPOD,

Let's start with what we agree on. France is an enemy. So is China. I am looking years down the pike. Do we really want them to find that they have more than this in common and enter an active above board alliance? Just because they enter an alliance doesn't mean we will close our markets to either. As LBJ said, better to have them in the tent pissing out than outside pissing in.

As for Germany, they are in a rough patch. Kohl thoroughly botched up reunification. And the demographic problem and the socialist social model are rearing their ugly heads as well, demanding major changes that the Germans are understandibly reluctant to accept. The last time the Germans got in a bind like this they took it out on the Poles and the Jews. At least this time they are picking only verbally on somebody their own size. Germany has been a prety good ally for the last 50 years unlike the French who have ben our enemy every one of those years. We shouldn't walk out on Germany just because they elected a wimp who doesn't know how to lead. After all, we elected Jimmah Cahtah, and if it weren't for Schmidt, Europe might still be looking at SS-20s. So let's show a little patience with the Germans as they work their way through their problems.

As to NATO, I couldn't disagree more. NATO has never been an offensive alliance and we have made a mistake trying to turn it into one. It still has an important function to perform, defending New Europe from external threats. This is best done by keeping Germany active in NATO and drawing Russia in as well so that Central Europe is no longer a doormat for invading powers that wish to go elsewhere.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 19:25 Comments || Top||

#16  I think even as a defensive pact NATO has had it. Only half joking is say Belgium and France would try and block even a denfense if they thought it would make the US look bad.
I am not all that convinced that France wouldn't have nuked Germany (and US troops) to stop a Russian advance. If you think it's just a weak leader in Germany fine. Being of German exraction I don't think so. I think it's the majority of the country feeling like telling the US to get screwed. The former East blames us for their poverty while the former west would rather party with their new found EU friends the French. As the price of Oil goes up look for the blame the USofA crowd to get louder and the French to make the most of it.
Unlike Germany the US is a reliable ally. Ask Israel ask the UK.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 21:53 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Iraqis take on US election
Sometimes the view is a little clearer when you step back. This is an Iraqi blogger's view on the importance of our election.

Actually, the American elections are rather more crucial for us at the moment than our own ....President Bush now represents a symbol of defiance against the terrorists and it is a fact, that all the enemies of America, with the terrorists foremost, are hoping for him to be deposed in the upcoming elections. .... In case President Bush loses the election there would be a massive upsurge of violence, in the belief, rightly or wrongly, by the enemy, that the new leadership is more likely to "cut and run".... And they would try to inflict as heavy casualties as possible on the American forces to bring about a retreat and withdrawal. It is crucial for them to remove this insurmountable obstacle which stands in their way. They fully realize that with continued American and allies' commitment, they have no hope of achieving anything.

On the other hand if President Bush is reelected, this will prove to them that the American people are not intimidated despite all their brutality, and that their cause is quite futile. Yes there is little doubt that an election victory by President Bush would be a severe blow and a great disappointment for all the terrorists in the World and all the enemies of America. I believe that such an outcome would result in despair and demoralization of the "insurgent elements" here in Iraq, and would lead to the pro-democracy forces gaining the upper hand eventually. Note that we are not saying that President Bush is perfect, nor even that he is better than the Senator, just that the present situation is such that a change of leadership at this crucial point is going to send an entirely wrong message to all the enemies. Unfortunately, it seems to me that many in the U.S. don't quite appreciate how high the stakes are. The challenge is mortal, and you and we are locked in a War, a National Emergency; and in such circumstances partisan considerations must be of secondary importance. If you lose this war, you are no more, and you will have to withdraw within you boundaries cringing and waiting for terror to strike you in your homeland, afraid to move around, afraid to travel, afraid to do business abroad. You will have to see all your friends abroad annihilated and intimidated and nobody will have any confidence or trust in you anymore. And you will have to watch from far with bitterness the forces of darkness and evil taking over in many parts of this earth, with feelings of impotence and inability to do anything about it. In other words you would lose all credibility, and the fiends of terror and obscurantism would go triumphantly dancing the macabre dance of mayhem and death, and darkness would descend and obliterate the light and the hope.
Posted by: RWV || 10/17/2004 4:12:44 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


International-UN-NGOs
UN oil for food chief faces inquiry into property deals
BY Damien McElroy and Charles Laurence in New York
(Filed: 17/10/2004)


American prosecutors are preparing charges against Benon Sevan, the former head of the United Nations oil for food programme, who has been accused of accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks from Saddam Hussein's regime.

Congressional investigators examining alleged corruption in the programme disclosed that Mr Sevan's diplomatic immunity would not prevent an indictment being issued. Mr Sevan has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Benon Sevan: Denial, denial, denial....

"We have tried to find out what part he had and we've been working to lift the lid on what he did," said one official on the US Congress International Relations committee. "My understanding is that we can indict him without lifting diplomatic immunity. That's what we did with Noriega."

Gen Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian leader, was indicted in 1988 by a federal grand jury in Miami for drug trafficking. He had allowed the Medellin cartel to launder money and build cocaine laboratories in Panama.

Former officials in Iraq's state oil company, Somo, have alleged to investigators reporting to the International Relations committee that Mr Sevan was "sacked" on Saddam's orders in 2001 for failing to keep promises to campaign on ending sanctions.

"The basic understanding of these officials is that Saddam felt short-changed by this guy who took the money but did not deliver," said one committee staffer.

Mr Sevan had been due to retire this year until a committee was appointed to investigate allegations that he had taken kickbacks from Saddam's regime. In his native Cyprus last week, he denied that he was running away from his accusers.

"These people are digging, digging. That's nothing to do with me," he said from his five-star hotel. "Cyprus is my home. I'm here because I want to be here. I've made my statement and stand by it. It's not for me to comment on anything else."

A spokesman for the Southern district of Manhattan's federal prosecutor's office said it was "too early" to comment on its indictment efforts over Mr Sevan. Officials are, however, examining the diplomat's extensive property portfolio in the United States.

According to records, properties registered in his name include a flat in Manhattan, a house in the Hamptons on Long Island, a house in the nearby district of Rye, and a house on New Jersey's "Gold Coast". The Congressional official said: "It's an issue that he has property in the Hamptons and Manhattan."

A second Congressional official said that the US hoped to recover some of the funds allegedly siphoned off from the now-defunct oil sales programme, which was designed to alleviate shortages of basic goods in Iraq as a result of sanctions.

He said: "Our priority is to recover as much money as we can for Iraq, for various reasons, because they need the money and every dollar they have is a dollar we don't have to put in there."

A CIA report published earlier this month claimed that Mr Sevan was allocated vouchers by Saddam to sell 7.3 million barrels of Iraqi oil through a Panamanian-registered company. Quoting "high-level sources", the report said: "Sevan never received his oil allocation in person. Sevan's vouchers were always picked up by Fakhir Abdul Noor, an Egyptian now residing in Switzerland and connected to the African Middle East Petroleum Co, who would sign documents on Sevan's behalf and pick up his allocation."

Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 4:01:28 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Muhahaha, great next after Sevan lets go get Kojo and Kofi, whos gonna stop us - the French? Ghanan's? Iraqi's. Let the hunting begin!
Posted by: Shep UK || 10/17/2004 16:11 Comments || Top||

#2  Mike Sylwester will find the evidence "unconvincing"
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 16:24 Comments || Top||

#3  lol :))
Posted by: Shep UK || 10/17/2004 16:26 Comments || Top||

#4 
Hey, something's wrong with my computer. I searched this article several times for the word "Annan" and didn't get a hit.

Also, if Ms. Sevan was "sacked" by Saddam Hussein or by Iraq's state oil company Somo, then that indicates to me that he was selected for his position by Hussein and Somo, not by Kofi (or Kojo) Annan.
.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 17:13 Comments || Top||

#5  "My understanding is that we can indict him without lifting diplomatic immunity. That’s what we did with Noriega."

Of course, we had to invade Panama to get Noriega. What's Cyprus like this time of year?
Posted by: BH || 10/17/2004 17:18 Comments || Top||

#6  Mike, I too find it strange that Kofi's middle name of "Atta" is not mentioned at all in those UN websites. It's mention in Wikipedia though. But we can guess why, can't we? Haha.
Posted by: wits0 || 10/17/2004 17:29 Comments || Top||

#7  Thank God for Kofi Kofi, we are indeed indeed indebted to him him.

I am Jimmuahman
and I drooled on this message.
Posted by: Butros Butros Catuah || 10/17/2004 19:23 Comments || Top||

#8  Once again, through internal auditing the UN is unable to uncover any trace of wrongdoing that external investigators are able to establish.

Mike, do you not find it at all curious that Annan's son was employed by Cotecna during the critical contract issuance phases?

Aren't all political and diplomatic figures supposed to avoid, not only any direct conflict of interest, but even the appearance of a conflict of interest?

Kojo's proximity to such a significant cash conduit presents a most definite conflict of interest and one that should have raised significant warning flags for Annan from the outset. How were those flags ignored?
Posted by: Zenster || 10/17/2004 22:42 Comments || Top||

#9 
Annan's son was employed by Cotecna 13 months before the contract was issued. Then he left Cotecna to work for a consulting firm that did some consulting for Cotecna.

Before I form an opinion about whether there is a conflict of interest, I would want to know the following information:

* What did he do while he was employed on the Cotecna staff?

* What did the consulting firm do?

* What did he do while he was employed in the consulting firm?

* Dis his work in the consulting firm have anything to do with the oil-for-food program?

So far, I don't know the answers to those questions, so I don't know enough to say there's a conflict of interest -- or even an apparent conflict of interest.

+++++++++++++++

I suppose that Cotecna is a well-established firm that has been and is involved in many projects over the past years. The food-for-oil program, I suppose, is only one of many programs that Cotecna conducts.

I suppose that Cotecna frequently hires consulting firms for all kinds of reasons.

I suppose that Cotecna staff members often leave to work for consulting firms -- and vice-versa.

+++++++++++++++

Based on the information that is publicly available so far, it is ludicrous to conclude that Kofi or Kojo Annan have personally profited from the food-for-program.

Many formerly secret documents in Iraq have now been seized, and many Iraqi officials have been questioned. So far, to my knowledge, none of those sources of information has provided any evidence at all that Kofi or Kojo Annan personally profited from the vouchers -- directly or indirectly.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 23:48 Comments || Top||

#10  Very funny. A hardworking, modestly-compensated UN official, eh? His NYC-area properties alone would probably fetch $4M on the market today:

-- a flat in Manhattan: ca. $900k.

-- a house in the Hamptons on Long Island: ca. $1.5M

-- a house in the nearby district of Rye: ca. $750k.

-- and a house on New Jersey’s "Gold Coast": ca. $850k.

Tell Paribas to open up their accounts to the investigators, or else lose their NYS banking license. And tell us how much is in Sevan's numbered accounts.
Posted by: lex || 10/18/2004 12:52 Comments || Top||

#11  Mike S-Even if Sevan is not proven to have made illegal dealings under Oil For Food, will you go so far as to assert that the UN is ethical and incorruptible? That it is a peace-promoting organization that we both benefit from and contribute to?

Misplaced loyalty.
Posted by: Jules 187 || 10/18/2004 13:02 Comments || Top||

#12  ...he said from his five-star hotel.

Does a UN hack know any other way?
Posted by: tu3031 || 10/18/2004 13:07 Comments || Top||


Annan: Iraq War Done Little to Halt Terrorism
The Iraq war has done little to increase security across the world or halt the activities of international terrorists, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Sunday. Annan said in a British television interview that the international community now had a lot to do to improve security. "I cannot not say the world is safer when you consider the violence around us, when you look around you and see the terrorist attacks around the world and you see what is going on in Iraq," he told the Dimbleby program on ITV television. "We have a lot of work to do as an international community to try and make the world safer."

A transcript of Annan's interview, due to be broadcast later Sunday, was made available to media. Annan also dismissed suggestions that France, Russia and China had, before the recent Iraq war, been prepared to ease sanctions on Iraq in return for oil contracts. Disputing claims made in the final report of the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group which suggested Saddam Hussein had manipulated the U.N.'s oil-for-food program in an attempt to win Security Council support for lifting sanctions, Annan said it was "inconceivable" the three countries were influenced. "I don't think the Russian or the French or the Chinese government would allow itself to be bought because some of his companies are getting relative contracts of the Iraqi authorities. I don't believe that at all," he said. "It's inconceivable. These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics." Annan said he believed Iraq was now on track to hold elections at the end of January, but stressed that he would speak out if they were not conducted satisfactorily. "If that sort of judgment or any decision which is made which we think detracts from the credibility and viability of the elections, we will be duty bound to say so," he said.

Asked about Iran, which the United States has accused of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, Annan warned against considering any kind of military action. "To undertake an operation of that kind would not be helpful at all. I don't even want to contemplate it because I think it would be very unwise." He said if Washington were to decide to go for military action against Iran, it would probably be illegal under the U.N. charter. "I think that would be the view of the members of the council," he said.
Posted by: Destro || 10/17/2004 8:22:01 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Annan:"We have a lot of work to do as an international community to try and make the world safer."
You could start by doing something other than talking about the genocide in the Dafur province of Sudan, Kofi. Maybe you could use some of the money you and your son skimmed off the Iraqi oil for food program.
Posted by: GK || 10/17/2004 10:20 Comments || Top||

#2  "The Iraq war has done little to increase security across the world or halt the activities of international terrorists, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Sunday."

Pardon me for posing what might be construed as an awkward-- or even insensitive-- question, but WHAT THE HELL HAS THE U.N. EVER DONE ABOUT TERRORISM????????

"He said if Washington were to decide to go for military action against Iran, it would probably be illegal under the U.N. charter. "I think that would be the view of the members of the council," he said."

In that case, bye-bye U.N.

And good riddance.
Posted by: Dave D. || 10/17/2004 10:37 Comments || Top||

#3  At this point, I think it could be fairly said that the War on Terrorism, *more* than stopping terrorism, has stopped at least half a dozen WARS, with one or more of them being nuclear.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 10:41 Comments || Top||

#4 
Re #1 (GK)): Maybe you could use some of the money you and your son skimmed off the Iraqi oil for food program.

Please explain how much money they skimmed off and how they did it. I can find no evidence at all for either of these allegations.

I already know that Kojo Annan worked for Cotecna 13 months before Cotecna won the UN contract for submitting the lowest bid. And I know that Kojo Annan worked for a consulting company that provided consulting services for Cotecna.

But what is your evidence that the two Annans skimmed money off the food-for-oil program? And can you say approximately how much money they skimmed?

Thank you in advance for your evidence.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 10:50 Comments || Top||

#5  not surprised that you wrote that, Mike S. - useful defender of the UN. Kojo's name has already been implicated in Iraqi docs. Think Dad didn't know or share in the ill-gotten wealth?
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 11:15 Comments || Top||

#6  "We have a lot of work to do as an international community to try and make the world safer."

Packing your sh*t up so it can be moved to Paris will be hard work, Kori.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 11:17 Comments || Top||

#7  The Iraqi war has done quite a bit to halt terrorists......we killed about a hundred of them there last week, and about a hundred a week before that, and so forth....do the math Kofi. The more we pull these assholes into Iraq the less they do in other countries while we slowly suffocate their financial backings, pretty simple process, I'm not surprised he doesn't get it.
Posted by: Jarhead || 10/17/2004 11:27 Comments || Top||

#8 
Re: (Frank G): Kojo's name has already been implicated in Iraqi docs.

Thanks for the heads-up about the evidence, Frank G. Please provide a link and explain briefly how it implicates Kofi (or even Kojo) Annan.

Thanks in advance for your evidence!!
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 11:59 Comments || Top||

#9  "It’s inconceivable. These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics."

You know, like... Ghana?
Or the UN?
Posted by: tu3031 || 10/17/2004 12:01 Comments || Top||

#10  Gee, Mike, didn't you once tell me to do my own research when I asked you just for a link to something you claimed?

Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, now would we?
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 12:13 Comments || Top||

#11  how about Saybolt getting a Oil-for-dictator's-whores contract after they hired Kojo? How qualified was he for that, Mikey? That took 1 google hit
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 12:18 Comments || Top||

#12  WHAT THE HELL HAS THE U.N. EVER DONE ABOUT TERRORISM

Encouraged it, of course. Giving the PLO observer status as if they were a proto-government instead of a terrorist organization ejected from two countries; voting to sanction the only nation that prior to 9/11 was actively engaged in fighting terrorists; voting to put terror-sponsoring nations on human rights issue committees; appointing inspectors who are constitutionally incapable of effectively inpecting (IAEA and Iraq weapons inspectors); putting on the ground Blue Helmet troops who are inadequate for the task of protecting an embattled populace, and not permitted to interfere in any case; and this latest, Kofi Annan insisting that the bribees don't even have the honor to remain bribed.

Kofi Annan is a diplomat, not a lawyer. He is not qualified to comment on the [il]legality of an invasion of Iran -- that is a matter between two States in an undeclared state of war since Ayatollah Khomeini started playing his little games.

I'm sure Mr. Annan is correct though, that the UNSC would take a negative view of invading Iran. I think Secretary Powell should make a presentation explaining our actions, but not submit it to a vote.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 12:46 Comments || Top||

#13  Has Kofi & his son hidden all of those Saddam Oil-for-Food 'profits'..yet?
Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 13:04 Comments || Top||

#14 
The Iraq war has done little to increase security across the world or halt the activities of international terrorists, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
That might be because the leftist tranzi wankers UN and Annan have been so busy supporting and even encouraging the activities of international terrorists.

Explain to me why anyone with even an ounce of common sense thinks it's a good idea to give any kind of legitimized voice to dictators and thugs.

Fuck the UN. And the limousines they rode in on.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 10/17/2004 13:10 Comments || Top||

#15  ...You know, I'm starting to get a sneaking suspicion that our buddies in the UN might be trying to set us up for a showdown they think they're going to win. First, I believe they believe that despite the best efforts of the Left, GWB will be re-elected, so they're laying the groundwork now for a try at stopping the Iran action that will almost certainly come soon afterwards. Second, I think you are going to see a STRONG attempt at a Muslim Secretary General when Annan leaves. That will almost certainly set off the final showdown - but the kleptocracies that unfortunately make up the bulk of UN membership will be betting we'll cave, and even if we don't, they can still beat us. The real problem there is that President Kerry would be on his knees in NYC within 30 seconds to kiss the new SG's ring.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 10/17/2004 13:36 Comments || Top||

#16  You have many nations in the UN that support or allow terrorists to use their territory for their activities. Then you ask the same UN to help fight terrorism. Ask the fox to take care of the chicken coop. It is insane.

The first step to a solution to the problem is to get a Jean Kirkpatrick type of person to rub their noses in it and hold up a mirror.

The next step is to start drying up the funding that is enabling this behavior. That will do more to solve the problem than anything.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 13:42 Comments || Top||

#17  At least we all have sufficient common sense not to wonder why Annan's eyes are brown.

"I cannot not say the world is safer when you consider the violence around us, when you look around you and see the terrorist attacks around the world and you see what is going on in Iraq ..."

One simple equation: Compare the fatalities in Darfur with those involved in the entire global war on terror.

End of story, period.

What's the ratio: 5:1? 10:1?

Anna's impotent meddling and dithering has killed far more people than America's world-wide efforts to halt Islam's psychotic murdering thugs. Regardless of how Annan meets his end, I can only hope it is extremely slow and exceptionally painful. He is a silk-shirted killer making a pretense of diplomacy while he knowingly condemns thousands to their grueling deaths. May he rot in Hell.
Posted by: Zenster || 10/17/2004 14:19 Comments || Top||

#18 
Re: (#11, Frank G) how about "Saybolt getting a Oil-for-dictator's-whores contract after they hired Kojo?" How qualified was he for that, Mikey?

The article is titled, "UN inspector 'took £60,000 Iraq bribes". The article does not name the UN inspector, but says he was contracted through a Dutch company called Saybolt. The article doesn't indicate that Kojo Annan had any relationship at all to Saybolt.

The article says another company, a Swiss company called Cotecna, employed Kojo Annan as a consultant. The article says the UN looked into that relationship and found no conflict of interest.

The article says Saybolt and Cotecna deny any wrongdoing. The article provides no evidence that Saybolt and Cotecna did anything wrong, except that one person contracted by Saybolt is accused of taking bribes.

That's your evidence? I'm, well, kind of disappointed. I kind of expected something more substantial.

Oh, well. I supposed there's some evidence out there somewhere. Thank you in advance to whoever points it out.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 14:33 Comments || Top||

#19  1st google hit and I find a contract for Kofi's son = contract for the oil program for the hiring company. If you believe the UN's word, then do your own research....try UN.org, they'll say I'm wrong, of course
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 14:42 Comments || Top||

#20 
There is no evidence that Kojo Annan's employment or consulting for Cotecna had anything at all to do with the food-for-oil program. None. That applies to your article too, Frank G.

The only reason that I mentioned the UN's review of the matter was that there was so little about Kojo Annan in the article, just a couple of sentences, that I pointed out that sentence too.

Well, everyone is so sure that the Annans skimmed money from the oil-for-food program, that I'm sure there's some good evidence out there. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Thanks in advance to whoever points out the evidence. I'll be looking for it. I'm very sure it'll be really good evidence, since everybody knows these accusations are well founded and true.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 14:50 Comments || Top||

#21 
OK, let's summarize the evidence that Kojo Annan skimmed money off the oil-for-food program:

1. Kojo Annan worked on the staff of Cotecna. He left Cotecna 13 months before Cotecna won a UN contract to monitor the food-for-oil program. Cotecna won the contract by submitting the lowest bid.

2. Kojo Annan subsequently worked for a consulting firm that did some consulting work for Cotecna.

That's a good start! Let's all work together to gather some more evidence!! Ladies and gentlemen, start your Google engines!!!

We'll meet back here to compare our findings through the rest of the day, on the hour. So, our next meeting here will be at 4 p.m. EST. See you then!!
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 15:20 Comments || Top||

#22  I'll wait for Volker's report. If Kofi didn't get $, then he's just an anti-American no-morals/ethics POS, not a corrupt one. Not surprisingly, you're in his corner, Mikey
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 15:29 Comments || Top||

#23 
OK. It's 4 p.m. I didn't find anything yet, but I'm still looking. Anybody have any progress to report?

GK, I'm especially counting on you, buddy. I know you've got some evidence somewhere up your sleeve. Don't tease us by making us wait all day.
.
Posted by: Clavith Ebbereling2475 || 10/17/2004 16:01 Comments || Top||

#24  As I see it, with all the Oil For Food bribe money floating around either

a) Kofi &/or Son were too ethical to take any, but not ethical enough to stop it;
b) criminally oblivious
c) on the take, but the paperwork hasn't been found yet

Remember Mike: (absence of evidence) != (evidence of absence) The various investigations are early days, yet. Mr. Annan was revealed to have reminded all contractors of the no-revelation clause, which is one reason why Volker's in-house investigation is going so slowly. On the other side, there are truckloads of Iraqi papers to be translated from Arabic before they can be analyzed. Although, what's been revealed so far appears pretty damning to me. Certainly, the French are up in arms about it!
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 16:04 Comments || Top||

#25 
#23 was posted by me, Mike Sylwester. I kind of like the ring of Clavith Ebbereling, though.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 16:08 Comments || Top||

#26 
Re #24 (Trailing Wife): Kofi &/or Son were .... criminally oblivious

Thanks for your input, Trailing Wife. I'm intrigues by your suggestion that Kojo Annan was "criminally oblivious." Does this mean that you have some evidence that Kojo Annan's employment or consulting had anything at all to do with the food-for-oil program?

Give us a hint about where your research today is leading you. Was Kojo criminally oblivious while he was employed at Cotecna 13 months before Cotecna got the contract, or was he criminally oblivious while he was working for a consulting firm that did some consulting work for Cotecna?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 16:13 Comments || Top||

#27 
Re #24 (Trailing Wife): Kofi &/or Son were .... criminally oblivious

I want to stay focused on our research topic today, Trailing Wife, but let me ask an unrelated question:

Would you say that George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfield were "criminally oblivious" about the mistreatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 16:19 Comments || Top||

#28  Mikey - if your beloved UN (were you high school pres. of the model UN club?) is innocent, why the "no discussions with news orgs" prohibition?
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 16:21 Comments || Top||

#29 
Re #28 (Frank G): why the "no discussions with news orgs" prohibition?

You might be onto something there, Frank G. I'm gonna go look for some evidence that this prohibition originated with and is unique to the food-for-oil program.

See you all at 5 p.m. EST !!
.

Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 16:24 Comments || Top||

#30  if the Kofi and the UN are so innocent then answer why there spending 17million dollers (i think) announced the other day to look into this huge global SCAM!
Posted by: Shep UK || 10/17/2004 16:24 Comments || Top||

#31  Mike, Bush and Rumsfeld didn't need to be criminally oblivious to the Abu Ghraib situation. The misbehaviour only lasted a few days before the actors were turned in by a comrade, and the Court Martial system immediately investigated and punished the perpetrators. In the case of Oil For Food, Kofi Annan is still denying any wrongdoing took place, and still stonewalling both internal and external investigations. Why are you defending Koji Annan anyway? Is he a personal friend or something? I don't have any new evidence for you -- I've got home stuff that needs to be taken care of.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 16:29 Comments || Top||

#32  Mike, I agree. If Kerry wins then there certainly will be a muslim Secretary General -- and Kerry will be right there with his pants to his knees bending over. "A reach around is not necessary..".

The U.N. has outlived its usefulness and its time that we replace that den of theves with something better. Let the kleptomanics have it - they can steal from each other - dont give the UN another dime.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/17/2004 16:40 Comments || Top||

#33  CF - you don't agree with Mike
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 16:44 Comments || Top||

#34  But it has done lots to halt flux of money into Annan's pockets.
Posted by: JFM || 10/17/2004 16:49 Comments || Top||

#35 
Re #31 (Trailing Wife) In the case of Oil For Food, Kofi Annan is still denying any wrongdoing took place, and still stonewalling both internal and external investigations.

You might be onto something, Trailing Wife. Do you have a link to a statement by Kofi Annan denying that any wrongdoing took place?

Also, a link to an article with evidence that he is stonewalling internal and external investigations?

It looks to me like you're well informed about this, with the info at your fingertips. I expect to see these links by the 5 pm meeting.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 16:50 Comments || Top||

#36 
Re #28 (Frank G): why the "no discussions with news orgs" prohibition?

Frank G, I pursued this lead you suggested, but I haven't come up with any evidence that Kofi Annan declared this policy as new or unique for the food-for-oil program. It seems to be an old, standard policy that applies to all investigations.

(Also, it seems that Donald Rumsfield had a similar policy in effect for the investigation about Abu Ghraib. Kind of disturbing, but I suppose that is another issue.)

Trailing Wife, do you have those links about Kofi Annan 1) denying wrongdoing and 2) stonewalling? Do you need some help finding them? Can anyone help out Trailing Wife with this?

See you all again at 6 p.m. EST.
.

Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 17:04 Comments || Top||

#37  I don't think so, UN-Boy. Do your own research, if Kofi will let you without a subpoena by congress (that's what it takes, now)
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 17:12 Comments || Top||

#38 
Hey, where was everybody at 6 pm?! I assume you all were busy collecting evidence. I'm anticipating some good evidence at our 7 pm meeting!!
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 18:14 Comments || Top||

#39  Frank, your right I dont...
Posted by: CrazyFool || 10/17/2004 18:21 Comments || Top||

#40  "Cash this check ONLY in my Swiss back, okay Kofi?"

"Okay, mum's the word."
Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 18:52 Comments || Top||

#41  Mike S.
1. Kojo Annan worked on the staff of Cotecna. He left Cotecna 13 months before Cotecna won a UN contract to monitor the food-for-oil program. Cotecna won the contract by submitting the lowest bid.

Just skimmed the comments, so I may be repeating what someone already wrote. The problem is that Kojo went back to consult with Cotecna a few months before the contract was awarded. But that was also the time when contract bids were being put together. That is the critical time when inside UN info on competitors will do the most damage. Then he left just before the contact award was announced, but the results were already known within the UN.

This would be like Rumsfeld's son going to consult with Lockheed while they are putting together the final bids on the JSF.
Posted by: ed || 10/17/2004 18:55 Comments || Top||

#42 
Thanks, Ed. I'd appreciate a link, when you have time to find one. I'd like to look at the details.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 19:02 Comments || Top||

#43  Mike Sylwester:

I'm late to the party for this thread, but in a nutshell, do you seriously believe that the UN has any redeeming qualities?
Posted by: Crusader || 10/17/2004 19:04 Comments || Top||

#44  I will look it up. I think it was a Laurie Mylorie(sp?) article. I included the link in a similar comment a few days ago.
Posted by: ed || 10/17/2004 19:05 Comments || Top||

#45 
I'm looking for details about what Kojo Annan did at the consulting firm and about what the consulting firm had to do with the food-for-oil program. I read somewhere that Kojo Annan was involved in consulting about some project in Subsaharan Africa that had nothing at all to do with the food-for-oil program.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 19:06 Comments || Top||

#46  Title should read:
Annan Done Little to Halt Terrorism.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 19:08 Comments || Top||

#47  It was Claudia Rosett. Here is one link.
Turtle Bay’s Carnival of Corruption
According to Annan's spokesman, Kojo held a staff job at Cotecna in a junior position from December 1995 through February 1998. Just two months later, Kojo reappeared on Cotecna's payroll as a consultant, via a firm called Sutton Investments, from April 1998 to December 1998, resigning from that consultancy just before Cotecna clinched the U.N. contract on December 31, 1998.

In addition, I like this punch line:
Ultimately, the big questions here are not just who profited from graft under Oil-for-Food, but the extent to which the U.N. setup of secrecy, warped incentives, and lack of accountability allowed it to supervise the transformation of Oil-for-Food into a program of theft-from-Iraqis, cash-for-Saddam, and grease-for-the-U.N.
Posted by: ed || 10/17/2004 19:12 Comments || Top||

#48 
Re #43 (Crusader) do you seriously believe that the UN has any redeeming qualities?

Sure. Do you really believe it has none?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 19:13 Comments || Top||

#49  Mike Sylwester..
Start here with this search of translations of the Oil For Food documents on Memri.


MEMRI Search: Vouchers


This was the first tranlation published on Jan 29



The Beneficiaries of Saddam's Oil Vouchers: The List of 270

The following report from MEMRI's Baghdad office is a translation of an article which appeared in the Iraqi daily Al-Mada, [1] whichobtained lists of 270 companies, organizations, and individuals awarded allocations (vouchers) of crude oil by Saddam Hussein's regime. The beneficiaries reside in 50 countries: 16 Arab, 17 European, 9 Asian, and the rest from sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.Only a portion of the 270 recipients are listed and identified.

Background

The following points should be taken into consideration:

First, MEMRI is not responsible for the accuracy of the details with regard to the names listed or the amount of oil granted.

Second, all names listed in the original were in Arabic. Some of those are transliterated into English phonetically, and may not be precise.

Third, denials by those whose names appear in this dispatch are footnoted.

Fourth, the issuing of vouchers by Saddam's regime may have served two primary purposes:

A: Payments in the form of bribes to individuals and organizations for their support of the regime.

B: Vouchers may have been issued to pay for goods and services that fell under U.N. Security Council sanctions and could not be financed under the "Oil for Food" program. Goods may have included military equipment or military parts, luxury automobiles that Saddam distributed as gifts inside and outside Iraq, and general luxury goods for the benefit of high-ranking officials in the Ba'ath party and government.

Fifth, the voucher recipients sold the vouchers to oil traders, who then collected the oil against the vouchers from the Kirkuk-Banias (Syria) pipeline terminal, which was operating in contravention of the Security Council sanctions. The pipeline carried 200,000 barrels per day of Iraqi oil, which benefited Syria greatly.


Al-Mada's Article

The following are excerpts from the article:

"Under this professional and electrifying title, there are names that have nothing to do with oil companies, or the distribution, storage, and marketing of oil. They are not known for having any interest in oil or any links to oil companies, such as the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Communist Party.

"As far as the individuals, the situation is even more puzzling. We can understand that the journalist Hameeda Na'Na',who defended the former regime, was trying to perpetuate her independent journalistic endeavor through an oil deal, but it is strange to find the names of Khaled,son of the late Gamal Abd Al-Nasser,in those lists, or Toujan Al-Faisal, former member of the Jordanian parliament, or the present Indonesian president, or the son of the Syrian defense minister, or the son of the Lebanese president."

Saddam's Exploitation of U.N. Sanctions

"Since the deposed regime endorsed the 'Memorandum of Understanding,' also known as 'oil for food [program],' it turned it into a despicable political and commercial game, and used it to finance its clandestine acquisitions of arms, expensive construction materials for the presidential palaces and mosques, and frivolous luxury items. It turned the oil sales agreements into the greatest bribery operation in history, buying souls and pens, and squandering the nation's resources.

"Since then, rumors were abound about vouchers that Saddam gave to certain Arab and foreign dignitaries, providing them with crude oil in exchange for their support to the regime in a period of international isolation, and as a way to finance the campaign to lift the economic sanctions against it and to whitewash its image.

"However, the regime itself tarnished the moral and humane ethics of the international campaign to lift the unjust sanctions, because by the end of the day the sanctions did not harm it [the regime], but harmed our poor people and the middle class. We saw that whenever the international campaign to lift the sanctions got closer to its goals, the regime – by its behavior and insolence – shoved it again into a dark tunnel, and at the same time turned our country into a free-for-all richly loaded dining table, awaiting a stream of hearty eaters and obedient servants.

"One of the traits of our country's fascist regime is that it lacked decency and was always in need to use others in order to feel superior. Therefore, it corrupted even those who had good intentions and noble goals when defending the Iraqi people and trying to lift the siege imposed on it. The regime was versed only in the politics of the 'open wallet,' and therefore surrounded itself with people that it could co-opt and people who would panhandle for it, so that it could feel moral superiority over them.

"And if one happened to know some of the official Ba'athists, who did not hesitate - because of their rural values - to boast and to [assume] moral superiority, one would have heard a lot from them about the ever-increasing number of visitors to Iraq in recent years, and would have understood from them that those visitors who came to defend us also came to cash in the price for that. We can confirm this information because the Ba'athists themselves, in a moment of 'rural pompousness,' propagated the rumors about the Arab and foreign visitors. They mentioned some of the names listed here, among them George Galloway, member of the [British] Labor party.

"The case of Mr. Galloway is truly distressing. This man, who defended just Arab causes, became a loser as he got closer to the Iraqi regime. Galloway, who was banished from the party for this reason and who defended himself vehemently, and even attacked Tony Blair's and Bush's policies, will not be able - in my opinion - to refute Iraqi documents that incriminate him conclusively.

"In addition to the lists mentioned above, Al-Mada also obtained six requests from the executive director and the associate executive director of the Oil Marketing Company to the Oil Minister 'to approve the crude oil agreements.' All of them mentioned the name of Mr. Galloway, not as a party in the agreement, but as a recipient, since Mr. Galloway hides behind a company that does not carry his name nor his nationality.

"The manner by which these agreements were struck sheds light on the process of awarding the vouchers and the goodwill of the President of the Republic [Saddam]. That is why we wish to decipher it, especially since the lists include some individual names such as 'Samir,' and no one knows whether it belongs to an individual or to a company."

The List

The following is a partial list and description of individuals and organizations that MEMRI has been able to identify: [2]

Canada: Arthur Millholland, president and CEO of the Calgary-based Oilexco company, received 1 million barrels of oil.

United States: Samir Vincent received 10.5 million barrels. In 2000, Vincent, an Iraqi-born American citizen who has lived in the U.S. since 1958, organized a delegation of Iraqi religious leaders to visit the U.S. and meet with former president Jimmy Carter. Shaker Al-Khafaji,the pro-Saddam chairman of the 17th conference of Iraqi expatriates, received 1 million barrels.

Great Britain: George Galloway received 1 million barrels. Fawwaz Zreiqat received 1 million barrels. Zreiqat also appears in the Jordanian section as having received 6 million barrels. The Mujahideen Khalq [3] in Britain received 1 million barrels.

France: The French-Arab Friendship Association received 15.1 million barrels. Former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua received 12 million barrels. [4] Patrick Maugein of the Trafigura company received 25 million barrels. Michel Grimard, founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club, received 17.1 million barrels.

Switzerland: Glenco Re, the largest commodity trader in Switzerland, received 12 million barrels. Taurus, which has been associated with Iraq for 20 years and was the first company to renew its business with Iraq after the fall of Saddam, received 1 million barrels. Petrogas, which is listed under three sub-companies – Petrogas Services, Petrogas Distribution, and Petrogas Resources - and is associated withthe Russian company Rosneftegazetroy, received 1 million barrels. Alcon, listed in Lichtenstein and associated with larger oil companies, received 1 million barrels. Finar Holdings, which is listed in Lugano, Switzerland, and is under liquidation, received 1 million barrels.

Italy: The Italian Petrol Union received 1 million barrels.West Petrol, an Italian company that trades crude oil and oil products, received 1 million barrels. Roberto Formigoni, possibly the president of Lombardia, received 1 million barrels. Salvatore Nicotra, a former NATO pilot who became an oil merchant, received 1 million barrels.

Spain: Basem Qaqish, a member of the Spanish Committee for the Defense of the Arab Cause, received 1 million barrels. Ali Ballout, a pro-Saddam Lebanese journalist, received 1 million barrels. Javier Robert received 1 million barrels.

Yugoslavia: Four Yugoslav political parties received vouchers: the Yugoslav Left party received 9.5 million barrels. The Socialist Party received 1 million barrels. The Italian Party received 1 million barrels. A nother party, whose name in exact transliteration is "kokstuntsha" – possibly Kostunica's party – received 1 million barrels.

Other political parties: The Romanian Labor Party received 5.5 million barrels. The Party of the Hungarian Interest received 4.7 million barrels. The Bulgarian Socialist Party received 1 2 million barrels. The Slovakian Communist Party received 1 million barrels.

Austria: The Arab-Austrian Society received 1 million barrels.

Brazil: The 8th of October Movement, a Brazilian Communist group, received 4.5 million barrels. Fuwad Sirhan received 10 million barrels.

Egypt: Khaled Gamal Abd Al-Nasser, son of the late Egyptian president, received 16.6 million barrels. 'Imad Al-Galda, a businessman and a member of the Egyptian parliament from President Mubarak's National Democratic Party, received 14 million barrels. Abd Al-Azim Mannaf, [5] editor of the Sout Al-Arab newspaper, received 6 million barrels. Muhammad Hilmi, editor of the Egyptian paper Sahwat Misr, [6] received an undisclosed number of barrels. The United Arab Company received 6 million barrels. The Nile and Euphrates Company received 3 million barrels. The Al-Multaqa Foundation for Press and Publication received 1 million barrels. [7]

Libya: Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem received 1 million barrels.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Chad's foreign minister received 1 million barrels. [8] Four South Africans are listed: Tokyo Saxville received 4 million barrels. Montega received 4 million barrels. Both are associated with the African National Party.

Palestinians: The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) received 4 million barrels. The PLO Political Bureau received 5 million barrels. Abu Al-Abbas received 11.5 million barrels. Abdallah Al-Horani received 8 million barrels. The PFLP received 5 million barrels. Wafa Tawfiq Al-Sayegh received 4 million barrels.

Oman: The Al-Shanfari group received 5 million barrels.

Syria: Farras Mustafa Tlass, the son of Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, received 6 million barrels. 'Audh Amourah received18 million barrels. Ghassan Zakariya received 6 million barrels. Anwar Al-Aqqad received 2 million barrels. Hamida Na'Na', the owner of the Al-Wafaq Al-Arabi periodical, received 1 million barrels.

Lebanon: The son of Lebanese President Emil Lahoud received 4.5 million barrels. Former MP Najjah Wakim received 3 million barrels. Nasserist Party head Osama M'arouf received 3 million barrels. National Arabic Club Chairman Faisal Darnika received 3 million barrels.

Jordan: Former Islamist MP and head of the Engineers Union Leith Shbeilat [9] received 15.5 million barrels. Former MP and Jordanian Writers Union head Fakhri Qi'war received 6 million barrels. [10] Former Jordanian chief of staff Mashhour Haditha received 1 million barrels. Former MP Toujan Al-Faisal received 3 million barrels. [11] The Jordanian Ministry of Energy received 5 million barrels. Muhammad Saleh Al-Horani, the Amman Stock Exchange head and former Minister of Supplies, received 4 million barrels. Lawyer Wamidth Hussein Al-Majali received 6 million barrels. [12]

Qatar: Qatari Horseracing Association Chairman Hamad bin Ali Aal Thani received 14 million barrels. Gulf Petroleum received 2 million barrels.

The Indian Congress Party received 1 million barrels.

Indonesia: Indonesian President Megawati received 1 million barrels as "the daughter of President Sukarno," and 1 million barrels as Megawati.

Myanmar: Myanmar's Forestry Minister received 1 million barrels.

Ukraine: The Social Democratic Party received 1 million barrels. The Communist Party received 6 million barrels. The Socialist Party received 1 million barrels. The FTD oil company received 1 million barrels, as did other Ukrainian companies.

Belarus: The Liberal Party received 1 million barrels. The Communist Party received 1 ton [sic] of oil. The director of the Belarussian president's office received 1 million barrels.

Russia: The Russian state itself received 1,366,000,000 barrels. The list also included the following:

Companies belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party received 79.8 million barrels - t he list notes the name of party president Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The Russian Communist Party received 1 million barrels. The Lukoil company received 63 million barrels. The Russneft company received 35.5 million barrels. Vladimir Putin's Peace and Unity Party received 34 million barrels - the list notes the name of party chairwoman Saji Umalatova. The Gazprom company received 26 million barrels. The Soyuzneftgaz company received 25.5 million barrels - t he list notes the name Shafrannik. The Moscow Oil Company received 25.1 million barrels. The Onako company received 22.2 million barrels. The Sidanco company received 21.2 million barrels. The Russian Association for Solidarity with Iraq received 12.5 million barrels. The Ural Invest company received 8.5 million barrels. Russneft Gazexport received 12.5 million barrels. The Transneft company received 9 million barrels. The Sibneft company received 8.1 million barrels. The Stroyneftgaz company received 6 million barrels. The Russian Committee for Solidarity with the People of Iraq received 6.5 million barrels - the list notes the name of committee chairman Rudasev. The Russian Orthodox Church received 5 million barrels. The Moscow Science Academy received 3.5 million barrels. The Chechnya Administration received 2 million barrels. T he National Democratic Party received 2 million barrels. The Nordwest group received 2 million barrels. The Yukos company received 2 million barrels. One Russian company which phonetically reads as Zarabsneft received 174.5 million barrels. Vouchers were also granted to the Russian foreign ministry, one under the name of Al-Fayko for 1 million barrels, and one to Yetumin for 30.1 million barrels. T he Mashinoimport Company received 1 million barrels. The Slavneft Company received 1 million barrels. The Caspian Invest Company (Kalika) received 1 million barrels. The Tatneft Tatarstan company received 1 million barrels. The Surgutneft company received 1 million barrels. Siberia's oil and gas company received 1 million barrels.

In addition, the son of the former Russian Ambassador to Iraq received 19.7 million barrels. Nikolay Ryjkov, a former prime minister of the USSR, received 13 million barrels. The Russian President's office director received 5 million barrels.

Oil vouchers were also distributed to companies and individuals from the Sudan, Yemen, Cyprus, Turkey, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, the UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Panama, Thailand, Chad, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Ireland, Bahrain, and the Philippines. Two Saudi companies were also listed.

[1] Al-Mada (Baghdad), January 25, 2004. Al-Mada is an independent daily, published in Baghdad. Fakhri Karim is the Editor-in-Chief.

[2] More details about sources of organizations and individuals listed will appear in a forthcoming report.

[3] The Mujahideen Khalq is an organization which opposes the Iranian regime. The U.S. government has classified it as a terrorist group.

[4] Mr. Pasqua denied receiving anything from Saddam. Radio France Internationale (RFI), January 27, 2004.

[5] Mr. Manaf states that he has documents which show that he was made an offer but that he declined. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[6] Muhammad Hilmi also has a son named "Saddam."

[7] An anonymous official of the Al-Multaqa Foundation stated that the foundation's relations with Iraq were limited to the distribution of its newspaper in Iraq. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[8] Chad was mentioned at one time as a possible source of uranium for Iraq.

[9] Shbeilat issued a statement denouncing the publication of the names as an attempt to harm the reputations of nationalists who opposed the invasion of Iraq. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2004.

[10] Qi'war said: "This has no base in truth. They are merely accusations whose reasons I do not know." Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[11] Ms. Faisal maintains that the vouchers were meant for her political friend, Abd Al-Rahman Al-Qatarna, on whose behalf she intervened with the Iraqi authorities. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2004.

[12] Mr. Majali said the publication about him is false. He said he was a member of a popular committee for the support of Iraq, which provided medicines to Iraq paid for by the members of the committee "from their own pockets." Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

Posted by: 3dc || 10/17/2004 19:24 Comments || Top||

#50  Mike:

To be brief, I believe the UN's best days are long past. It has devolved into an organization that allows the uneducated of the world to believe that "international law" exists. That *myth* then makes it that much harder for countries to take out despots and tyrants.

It would be a different matter entirely if the UN were composed of nations truly interested in democratic principles and the eradication of terror. Its plain to see however that the UN has no stomach for such ideals (or the hard work that is required to achieve them).
Posted by: Crusader || 10/17/2004 19:24 Comments || Top||

#51  That's too long, it needs to be shorter and make me happier. The UN Cafeteria is an excellent value isn't it Mike?

Show us the axe Mike.
What's your pure dime?
Posted by: Butros Butros Catuah || 10/17/2004 19:28 Comments || Top||

#52  Number 164 runs as follows:


Introduction

On January 25, 2004, the Iraqi independent daily Al-Mada published a list of approximately 270 individuals and entities who were beneficiaries of Saddam Hussein's oil vouchers. [1] The report evoked reactions from many of those included in the list as well as from the Arab media, among them apologists for Saddam's regime. The fact that so many have opted for silence may give credence to the list's authenticity.

A former undersecretary in the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum, Abd Al-Saheb Salman Qutb, said that the ministry possesses documents proving the authenticity of the list published by Al-Mada. The list was originally the property of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which was responsible for marketing Iraqi petroleum. [2] Mr. Qutb also said that the ministry was collecting the information for submission to Interpol, which could then pursue the voucher beneficiaries. [3]

The Iraqi Governing Council has focused on 46 foreign individuals and organizations included on the lists, primarily from neighboring countries, to determine appropriate action. [4] Council member Muwwafaq Al-Rabi'i said during a visit to Beirut that the council has "tons of documents" but emphasized that the publication of these documents will be handled in a constructive way and not "for the sake of vengeance and revenge." [5]

In describing what it called "the curse of the Iraqi vouchers," the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat said that it expects more names and details to be made public in the near future and anticipates the revelation of a scandal of vast dimensions transcending countries and continents, implicating many prominent individuals and organizations. [6]

How It Worked: The Voucher Transactions Method

In a subsequent article, Al-Mada provides details on the allocation and sale of oil vouchers. In general, the vouchers were given either as gifts or as payment for goods imported into Iraq in violation of the U.N. sanctions. The voucher holder would normally tender the voucher to any one of the specialized companies operating in the United Arab Emirates for a commission which initially ranged from $0.25 to $0.30 per barrel, though it may have declined in later years to as little as $0.10 or even $0.05 per barrel because of oil surplus on the market. [7] In other words, a voucher for 1 million barrels would have translated into a quick profit of $250,000-300,000 on the high side and $50,000-100,000 on the low side – all paid in cash. According to Al-Mada, Jordan will seek to tax the illicit profits of citizens who benefited from the sale of the vouchers.

One of the common arguments by recipients of vouchers was that the vouchers paid for goods provided in the framework of the U.N.-administered Oil for Food program. However, under the Memorandum of Understanding governing the program, oil allocations were intended for "end users," meaning those with refineries. Most of the voucher recipients would be considered "non-end users." Moreover, if vouchers were used to pay for goods, it would suggest that these were not authorized by the program and should be considered illicit since all contracts approved by the U.N. were reimbursed from the trust account where the oil revenues were kept, at a French bank, at Iraq's insistence. According to the United Nations: "The oil buyer had to pay the price approved by the Security Council Sanctions Committee into a U.N. escrow account, and the U.N. had to verify that the goods purchased by Iraq were indeed those allowed under the program. But the U.N. had no way of knowing what other transactions might be going on directly between the Iraqi government and the buyers and sellers." [8]

This report reviews the Saddam oil vouchers affair, in two parts:

Part I: (A) the list of oil vouchers recipients; and (B) reactions by implicated individuals and organizations.

Part II: Arab media reactions.

The Saddam Oil Vouchers Affair, Part I:

A. Complete List of Recipients of Oil Vouchers (in alphabetical order by country)

(All numbers for barrels of oil unless indicated otherwise)

All names on the list were transliterated from the Arabic. Although every effort was made to be precise, some inaccuracy is inevitable.


Algeria
1. Abd Al-Majid Al-Attar 6 million
2. Abd Al-Qadr bin Mussa 6 million

Austria
1. Hans Kogler 2 million
2. Arab-Austrian Committee 1 million

Bangladesh
1. Mawlana Abd Al-Manan 43.2 million

Bahrain
1. Kadhem Al-Darazi Company 2 million
2. Ali Al-Muslim Company 3 million
3. Concrete Contracting Company 2 million

Belarus
1. Liberal Party 6 million
2. Belarus Communist Party 7 tons
3. Belminal Company 14.2 million
4. Belfarm Company 4 million
5. Chief of the President's Bureau 6 million
6. Lada Company 2 million

Brazil
1. Fuad Sirhan 10 million
2. October 8 Movement (Chavez) 4.5 million

Canada
1. Arthur Millholland 9.6 million

Bulgaria
1. The Socialist Party of Bulgaria 12 million
2. Arak Paul 2 million

Chad
1.Chad Foreign Minister 3 million

China
1. Mr. Juan 39.1 million
2. Noresco 17.5 million
3. Zank Ronk 13 million
4. Biorg 13.5 million
5. South Holken 1 million

Cyprus
1. Muhammad Al-Hawny 17 million
2. Nefta Petroleum 13.2 million
3. Continental 1 million

Egypt
1. Ancom Co. (Muhammad Shatta)14 million
2. Abd Al-Adham Manaf 6 million
3. Khaled Gamal Abd Al-Nasser 16.5 million
4. Imad Al-Jilda 14 million
5. Muhammad Salah 7 million
6. Muhammad Hilmi 4.5 million
7. Arab Company limited 6 million
8. Nile & Euphrates Co. 3 million
9. Mahmoud Mahdi Al-Ma'sarawi 7 million
10. Al-Hami Bashanti Foundation 2 million
11.International MultaqaFoundation 2 million

France
1. ADDAX 8.3 million
2. Trafigura Patrick Maugein 25 million
3. Michel Grimard 17 million
4. Franco-Iraqi Friendship 15.1 million
5. Ayix 47.2 million
6. Charles Pasqua 12 million
7. Alias Al-Gharzali 14.6 million
8. IOTC (Claude Caspert) 4 million
9. Jean-Bernard Merimee 3 million
10. Jean-Bernard Merimee 8 million
11. de Souza 11 million

Hungary
1. Hungarian Interest Party 4.7 million

India
1. Biham Singh 5.5 million
2. Indian Congress Party 4 million

Indonesia
1. Daughter of President Sukarno 2 million
2. Hawa Atlantic 2 million
3. Makram Hakim 3 million
4. Megawati 8 million
5. Muhammad Amin Rayyis 4 million
6. Natuna Oil 2 million

Ireland
1. Riyadh Al-Taher 11 million
2. Afro-Eastern 2 million

Italy
1. Roberto Formigoni 24.5 million
2. Salvatore Nicotra 20 million
3. Mr. Feloni 6.5 million
4. Father Benjamin 4.5 million
5. West Petrol 2 tons
6. Hetralk 2 tons
7. IPS (Italian Petroleum Assoc.) 1 million

Jordan
1. Leith Shbeilat 15.5 million
2. Fakhri Qa'war 6 million
3. Grand Resource 2 million
4. Al-Rashid International (Ahmad Al-Bashir) 9 million
5. Fawwaz Zuraiqat 6 million
6. Salem Al-Na'ass 3 million
7. Zayyad Al-Ragheb 7 million
8. Mashhur Haditha 4 million
9. Shaker bin Zayd 6.5 million
10. Muhammad Saleh Al-Hourani 4 million
11. Tojan Faisal 3 million
12. Ministry of Energy (Jordan) 5 million
13. Zayyad Yaghmour 2 million
14. Wamidh Hussein 1 million

Kenya
1. Muhammad Othman Sa'id 10.5 million

Lebanon
1. B.B. Energy 2 million
2. Fadi Al-Alamiyya (International)2 million
3. Haitham Seidani 2 million
4. Plant [Blunt?] Petroleum 1 million
5. George Tarkhaynan 7 million
6. President Lehoud's son 4.5 million
7. Ali To'ma 1 million
8. Al-Hilal Co. (Adnan Al-Hanani) 1 million
9. International Company for Trade and Investment 3 million
10. Faisal Darniqa 3 million
11. Fim Oil Company 1 million
12. Najah Wakim 3 million
13. Osama Ma'rouf 3 million
14. Zuhair Al-Khatib 3.5 million

Libya
1. Shukri Ghanem 6 million

Malaysia
1. Fa'iq Ahmad Sharif 12.5 million
2. Pitmall Company 4 million
3. Trader Babar 4 million
4. Mastek (Fa'iq Ahmad Sharif0 57 million
5. Hawala 7 million

Myanmar Federation [Burma]
1. Minister of Forestry 5 million

Morocco
1. Abdallah Al-Sallawi 7.2 million
2. Nadhel Al-Hashemi 5.7 million
3. Muhammad Al-Basri 4.5 million

Netherlands
1. Sy Bolt 3 million

Nigeria
1. Hayson 7.2 million
2. Raz Company 7.5 million
3. A.A.G. Company (Nigerian Ambassador) 1 million
4. Comeback 4 million

Oman
1. Shanfari Group 5 million

Palestine
1. Abu Al-Abbas 11.5 million
2. Abdullah Al-Hourani 8 million
3. Wafa Tawfiq Sa'igh 3.5 million
4. Liberation Organization 4 million
5. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine 5 million
6. Liberation Organization (Political Bureau) 5 million

Pakistan
1. Oil & Gas Group 10 tons
2. Abu Abd Al-Rahman 11.5 tons
3. Sayyed Azzaz 1 ton

Panama
1. Sevan 11.5 million

Philippines
1. Philippines Production Group 3 million

Qatar
1. Hamad bin Ali Al-Thani 14 million
2. The Duleimy Group 4 million
3. Gulf Petroleum 2 million
4. Petrolina Oil 2 million
5. Petroleum Wells Maintenance 2 million

Romania
1. Delf Aderlink 1 million
2. Romanian Labor Party 5.5 million

Russia
1. The Russian State 1.366 billion
2. Zarubesneft 174.5 million
3. Russneft Ampex 86.9 million (for the office of the president, including 1 million to Mr. Tetzenko, Russian Ambassador to Baghdad)
4. Communist Party Companies 137 million
5. Amircom (Unity Party/ Ministry for Emergencies) 57 million
6. Mishinoimport 1 million
7. Al-Fayco (Russian Foreign Ministry) 128.8 million
8. Yatumin (Russian Foreign Ministry) 30.1 million
9. Slavneft 25.5 million
10. Zan Gaz 49.1 million
11. Rosneft Company 35.5 million
12. Caspian Investment 8.5 million
13. Kamaneft Company 7.5 million
14. Gasprom 26 million
15. Tatneft 1 million
16. LUKoil 63 million
17. Surgut Neftegas 4 million
18. Siberia Oil & Gas company 1 million
19. Nafta Moscow Company 25.1 million
20. Onaco Company 22.2 million
21. Sidanco Company 21.2 million
22. Sibneft 8.1 million
23. Transneft 9 million
24. Yukos 2 million
25. Liberal Democratic Party (Zhirinovsky) 79.8 million
26. Peace and Unity Party 34 million (the list mentions party chairwoman Sazhi Umalatova)
27. Russian Committee of Solidarity with the People of Iraq 6.5 million (its chair, Sergei Rudasev is mentioned)
28. Russian Association for Solidarity with Iraq 12.5 million (its chair, [Zhorafilon] is listed)
29. Russneft-Gazexport 12.5 million
30. Uralinvest (Stroyev) 8.5 million
31. Moscow Science Academy 3.5 million
32. Romain (son of former ambassador to Baghdad) 19.7 million
33. Zarabsneft (Gobkin University) 3.5 million
34. Nordvest Group) 2 million
35. Zarbshneft & Gas (Mr. Hassan) 3 million (only one million delivered)
36. Soyuzneftgaz (Yuri Shafrannik) 25.5 million
37. Nikolayi Ryzhkov 13 million
38. Stroyneftgas 6 million
39. Akht Neft Company 4.5 million
40. Chechna Administration 2 million
41. 'Adel Al-Jablawi (I.N.M. Airways) 6 million
42. Khrozolit 5 million
43. Trader Nafta 3 million
44. Chief of the President's Bureau 5 million
45. Russian Orthodox Church 5 million
46. Russian National Democratic Party 3 million

Saudi Arabia
1. Najah Company 3 million
2. Asiss Company 2 million

Slovakia
1. Slovak Communist Party 1 million

South Africa
1. Imvume Management (Sandy Majali) 9 million
2. Tokyo Saxwele Holdings (MVL) 4 million
3. Montega 4 million
4. Omni Oil 4 million

Spain
1. Bassim Qaqish 17.5 million
2. Javier Robert 9.8 million
3. Ali Balutt 8.8 million

Sudan
1. Samasu 8 million
2. Petroleum Products Co. 2 tons
3. Oil Plus 2 tons

Switzerland
1. Media 2 million
2. Delta Service 2 million
3. Iblom 1 million
4. Sipol 1 million
5. Glencore 12 million
6. Lakia 2 million
7. Elkon [or Elcon] 23 million
8. Taurus 8 million
9. Petrogas 5 million
10. Finar [Holdings] 21 million
11. Napex Company 3 million

Syria
1. Awadh Ammura 18 million+
2. Beshara Nuri 12 million+
3. Ghassan Shallah 11 million
4. Muhammad Amar Nofel 3.5 million
5. Tamam Shehab 1 million
6. Hamida Na'na' 9 million+
7. Farras Mustapha Tlass 6 million
8. Salim Al-Toon 3.5 million
9. Lutfi Fawzi 2.5 million
10. Lid Guarantees 3.5 million
11. Ghassan Zacharia 6 million
12. Muhammad Ma'moun Al-Sab'i 4 million
13. Hassan Al-Kayal 2 million
14. Anwar Al-Aqqad 2 million

Thailand
1. Thai Rice Trader Jaiporn 1 million

Tunisia
1. Madex Petroleum 6.7 million
2. Farnaco 3.7 million
3. Maydor 4 million

Turkey
1. Zayn Al-Abideen Ardam 27 million+
2. Lutfi Dughan 1 million+
3. Muhammad Aslan 13 million
4. Techfen 15.5 million
5. KCK Company 1.5 million
6. Delta Petroleum 1 million
7. Sita 1 million
8. Ozia 2.5 million
9. Samir 2 million
10. Muhtashem 2 million
11. Maqdar Sarjeen 2 million

Ukraine
1. Social Democratic Party 8.5 million
2. Ukraine Communist Party 6 million
3. Energy Resources 2 million
4. Fazmash Ampex 2 million
5. Neftogas 8 million
6. Hugh Company (Sokolov) 5 million
7. Orshansky 4.5 million
8. Fideralty Torkovy 1 million
9. Trans Isko 1 million
10. The Ukranian House 1 million
11. F.T.D. 2 million
12. Socialist Party of Ukraine 2 million

United Arab Emirates
1. Fal Petrol 1.8 million
2. Ahmad Mani' Sa'id Al-Utaiba 11 million
3. Jewan Oil 7.5 million
4. Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan 4 million
5. Al-Huda 22.9 million
6. Issa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan 5 million
7. Millenium 2 tons
8. Bony Fiol 1 ton

United Kingdom
1. George Galloway/Nawwaf Zuraiqat 19 million
2. Mujahideen Khalq 36.5 million

U.S.A.
1. Shaker Al-Khaffaji 7 million
2. Samir Vincent 10.5 million

Vietnam
1. Vinapco 1.2 million
2. Darlink Med 2 million
3. Vinafod 6 million
4. O.S.C. 2 tons

Yemen
1. Abd Al-Karim Al-Aryani 7.8 million
2. Tawfiq Abd Al-Raheem 1.5 million
3. Shaher Abd Al-Haq 7 million+

Yugoslavia
1. Socialist Party 22 million
2. Left Party 9.5 million
3. Italian Party 16 million
4. Kokostancha Party 9 million

B. Reactions of Implicated Individuals and Organizations

It is hardly surprising that most of those interviewed or those who reacted otherwise denied receiving such vouchers or claimed that the vouchers were received in the framework of the Oil for Food program. This latter argument is somewhat disingenuous because legitimate suppliers of goods and services under the program were paid from a trust account administered by the United Nations, and with vouchers from Saddam. Some may have made statements to newspapers not readily available to MEMRI, and others may have opted to remain silent.

Algeria

Abd Al-Majid Al-Attar, a formerdirector-general of the Algerian national oil company SONATRAC (6 million barrels) wrote a long rebuttal in the London daily Al-Hayatstating that the 6 million barrels were marketed by Algerian companies. According to him, the profits were used for humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people. Al-Attar likes to remind the reader "that every airplane [carrying assistance] which landed in Baghdad cost hundreds of thousands of dollars without getting involved in details" [emphasis added]. [9] Radio Algiers announced that the state would investigate allegations of corruption. [10]

Bahrain

Ali Al-Muslim (3 million barrels) said he had visited Iraq 22 times before the war but his trips were primarily "humanitarian," and that he had sent food and cleaning materials within the framework of the Oil for Food program. As a sign of appreciation, the regime offered Al-Muslim the opportunity to sell, as a broker, 3 million barrels. Al-Muslim ran into difficulties selling the vouchers and hence he withdrew from the deal.

Hassan Al-Darazi, the son of businessman Kadhem Al-Darazi (2 million barrels), said his father had made a pilgrimage to Mecca but that all his activities were "purely commercial." [11]

Bulgaria

The Socialist Party of Bulgaria (12 million). President Georgi Parvanov, head of the Socialist Party, characterized the allegation as "ill-advised black humor," but ordered an inquiry into the accusation. [12] President Parvanov also met with the U.S. Ambassador in Sofia and sought his help to clarify the facts regarding the list. [13]

Canada

Arthur Millholland, CEO of the Calgary-based Oilexco(9.6 million barrels), denied he had received vouchers and criticized MEMRI, which he claimed "was critical of the recent U.S.-led war with Iraq and participated in the UN's Oil for Food program to help Iraqi children [sic]." "Obviously," he hinted, MEMRI "has some motives." [14]

Egypt

Abd Al-Adhim Manaf (6 million barrels), the owner and editor of The Voice of the Arabs (Sawt Al-Arab), and a member of parliament, offered to show evidence that he had been offered oil vouchers, but had refused them. [15]

Muhammad Shatta (14 million barrels) maintained that he served as an agent for two international petroleum companies and that all his transactions were under the Oil for Food Program. He said there was small-scale smuggling of oil of 3000 barrels at a time by small merchants, but did not explain how the smuggling was related to the vouchers he received.

Khaled Abd Al-Nasser, the son of the late Egyptian president Gamal Abd Al-Nasser, (16.5 million barrels), could not be reached by the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Youssef because all his phones "were out of order." However, the weekly cites a number of instances of Abd Al-Nasser's involvement in activities for solidarity with Iraq.

Egyptian MP Imad Al-Gilda (14 million barrels) denied receiving any vouchers. Roz Al-Youssefreported that there were rumors before the war that Al-Gilda was "part of the Iraqi propaganda machine."

Mahmoud Mahdi Al-Ma'sarawi (7 million barrels) attributes the inclusion of his and other names on the list to their stand against U.S. actions in Iraq.

Muhammad Hilmi (4.5 million barrels), who named his son Saddam, said he would be proud if his son would be another Saddam Hussein. [16] Otherwise, he denied the allegation.

It is noteworthy that Egyptian activist Mamdouh El-Sheikh filed suit in May 2003 against several Egyptian politicians and journalists, accusing them of accepting bribes from Saddam which violated Egyptian law. [17]

France

Former interior minister Charles Pasqua, (12 million barrels ) denied any involvement and suggested another, unnamed former French interior minister may have been the beneficiary. [18] According to The New York Post Mr. Pasqua, "a close friend and former colleague of Chirac … fought to allow visits by top Iraqi officials to France in 1993." [19]

Trafigura Patrick Maugein, CEO of the oil firm SOCO International (25 million barrels), was quoted as saying that he did a lot of business in Iraq under the Oil for Food program, "but none of it was illegal." [20] It was mentioned that the 55-year old businessman "appears to wield [influence] with President Jacques Chirac." [21]

Jean-Bernard Merimee, (3 million and another 8 million barrels) was the French Ambassador to the United Nations and France's representative in the Security Council.

Michel Grimard, (17 million barrels) is the founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club.

Gilles Munier, secretary general of the Franco-Iraqi Friendship Association, said his organization introduced numerous businesses, oil and otherwise, to contracts in Iraq, but that it was all perfectly legal. For each successful introduction, he said he "received a commission." [22]

Hungary

Hungarian Interest Party (MEP). Quoting from the Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag, the MEP was established by Izabella Kiraly B. in the fall of 1993 after her expulsion from the Hungarian Democratic Party. Ms. Kiraly refused to talk to the Hungarian newspaper but her website includes slogans such as: "Hands off Iraq!" "Peace Instead of War," and "America! Leave the World Alone in Peace!" On her site, President Bush in a Nazi uniform with the U.S. flag in hand repeats a famous statement by Hitler: "One People, One Empire, One Ruler" (ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer). [23]

Indonesia

President Megawati Sukarnoputri (2 million as "daughter of President Sukarno" plus 8 million barrels under her own name). A spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that President Megawati was "aware of the allegations." [24]

People's Consultative Assembly speaker Muhammad Amin Rayyis (4 million barrels) did not respond to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Italy

Roberto Formigoni (24.5 million) is the president of Lombardia.

Father Benjamin (4.5 million barrels) is a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the Pope and Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former deputy prime minister. [25]

Salvatore Nicotra (20 million) is a former NATO pilot who became an oil merchant.

Jordan

Leith Shbeilat (15.5 million barrels) is an Islamist with a pro-Saddam record. He stressed that the United Nations system was so stringent that it would not have allowed anyone to play with oil contracts and that the publication of the list was intended "to slander those who were defending the Iraqi people." [26] Ironically, he served as the chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Jordanian parliament. [27]

Fawwaz Zureiqat (6 million barrels) whose name was linked with the British MP George Galloway (see United Kingdom) said that the accusations are silly. He said that he had earned a commission of five cents per barrel, which had not been paid by the Iraqi government.

Tojan Faisal, a member of parliament (3 million barrels), said she acted to help a friend in need. She identified him as Abd Al-Rahman Al-Qatarna. [28]

Fakhri Qi'war (6 million barrels) is a former Jordanian MP and a journalist. He said the list "has no basis in truth and we do not know its reasons." He added that the accusation "is an attempt to slander those who stand against the American occupation of Iraq and stand with the Iraqi resistance and the Iraqi brethren and cooperate and support them." [29]

Wamidh Hussein (Majali) (1 million barrels) denied receiving oil. He said: "I was a member of the Popular Jordanian Committee for Solidarity with Iraq, and provided medicines. We paid for it from our own pockets." [30]

In response to a parliamentary question, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Halaiqa said: "The issue is under follow-up, and we are seeking to verify whether some people have acquired [Iraqi] graft." [31]

Lebanon

Emil Emil Lahoud (4.5 million barrels) is a Lebanese MP and the son of Lebanese President Emil Lahoud. In an interview with the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Lahoud maintained that his inclusion on the list was aimed at undermining the position taken by his father which "supports the [Palestinian] resistance, stands by Syria, rejects the occupation of Iraq, and demands the liberation of all the Palestinian lands." [32]

Osama Ma'rouf (3 million barrels), another MP and head of the Nasserite Popular Organization, admitted receiving a voucher to sell oil for commission. However, he added that the voucher had cost Iraq nothing and that he had in any event never exercised the option. [33]

Najah Wakim (3 million barrels), a former MP, denied the allegation, maintaining that Al-Mada editor Fakhri Kareem said on television, without specifying time or venue, that he received the list from the CIA without supporting evidence. [34] Kareem told the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar that he had never spoken with Wakim. [35]

Libya

Shukri Ghanem (6 million barrels) is the Libyan prime minister.

Morocco

Muhammad Al-Basri (4.5 million barrels) who has since died, was a former Moroccan Socialist leader. [36]

Panama

One surprise on the list was Mr. [Benon] Sevan (11.5 million barrels) who is the Executive Director of the Oil for Food program. A U.N. spokeswoman denied the charges and said that the U.N. secretary-general was completely satisfied with Sevan's integrity. [37] Mr. Sevan denied the allegations and stated that "it was incumbent on those who published these allegations to provide the necessary documents." [38]

Qatar

Abd Al-Aziz Mubarak Al-Duleimi (4 million barrels) said he had contracts to sell 10 million barrels as a broker under the U.N. supervision and had nothing to do with Saddam's coupons or bribes. [39]

Romania

Two entities are listed under Romania: Delf Aderlink ( 1 million barrels) and the Romanian Labor Party ( 5.5 million barrels). The following is a slightly edited version of an email to MEMRI from a Romanian journalist:

"The owner of Bulf Drilling, Cornel Bulf, is a pretty well known Romanian businessman, deeply involved in oil business. He has a lot of privileged businesses with the state-owned oil company Petrom. He claimed that all the Iraqi oil that he sold was with U.N. permission – and he showed me some approvals in this regard. Nevertheless, I take into consideration that he could have traded Iraqi oil both with and without approval, and that U.N. approvals were meant to cover his illicit trade.

"The son of the president of Labor Party, Ioan Cristian Nicolae, in connection with some politicians, has just bought a huge building in Bucharest for $1.5 million." [40]

Russia

Russia, which received the greatest number of oil vouchers, has said nothing.

Nikolay Ryzhkov (13 million barrels) was a U.S.S.R. prime minister.

South Africa

Tokyo Saxwele Mvelaphanda Holdings (MVL) reacted angrily to its inclusion in the list, but has not denied buying oil under the Oil for Food program. [41]

Spain

Ali Balutt or Balout (8.8 million barrels) is a Lebanese journalist. [42]

Switzerland

Glencore (12 million barrels) is the largest commodity trader in Switzerland.

Petrogas (5 million barrels) is listed in Switzerland under three sub-companies – Petrogas Services, Petrogas Distribution, and Petrogas Resources – and is associated with the Russian company Rosneftegazetroy (35.5 million barrels).

Syria

Hamida Na'na (over 9 million barrels) is the owner of Al-Wifaq Al-Arabi and the author of a biography of former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz. She is currently writing a biography of Iraqi general Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali. [43]

Farras Mustafa Tlass (6 million barrels) is the son of Mustafa Tlass, Syrian Defense Minister and one of the pillars of the Syrian Ba'ath party. He said his company had bought oil from Iraq under the Oil for Food program and denied receiving any oil outside the framework of that agreement. [44]

United Kingdom

1. There is a reference on the margin of the list to "a Mr. Burhan Al-Chelebi" and "Fortrum and Gas-Oy," a Finnish purchasing company, in an agreement on December 29, 1999. There is also another reference to former MP George Galloway, as beneficiary of 3 million barrels.
2. There is another reference to George Galloway's receiving 4 million barrels, through Jordanian Fawwaz Zureiqat, of Aredio Petroleum, in an agreement on July 10, 2001.
3. Similarly, Middle East Advance Semi-Conductor, a Jordanian company, referred to Galloway as receiving 3 million barrels in an agreement on June 8, 2001, also via Mr. Fawwaz Zureiqat.
4. Similarly, March 5, 2001 - 2 million barrels
5. Similarly, December 12, 2002 - 3 million barrels
6. Similarly, June 3, 2002 - 3 million barrels

Thus, "George Galloway as beneficiary is cited six times, twice in the name of Finnish and French companies and the rest Jordanian under the name of Fawwaz Zureiqat. All these requests were approved by the minister of oil, with his signature." [45]

When asked by ABC News about being on the list, Galloway replied: "Not one brass farthing. I've never seen a barrel of oil, owned one, bought one." [46]

The Mujahideen Khalq (36.5) is an organization which opposes the Iranian regime which had operated from within Iraq under the Saddam regime. The United States has classified it as a terrorist organization and it has recently been ordered to leave Iraq.

United States

Shaker Al-Khaffaji (7 million barrels) advanced $400,000 to Scott Ritter, former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. Ritter produced a documentary purporting to tell the true story of the weapons inspections, which in his telling were corrupted by sinister U.S. manipulation. [47]

Samir Vincent (10.5 million barrels): In 2000, Vincent, an Iraqi-born American who lived in the U.S. since 1958, organized a delegation of Iraqi religious leaders to the U.S., which met with former president Jimmy Carter.

The Saddam Oil Vouchers Affair, Part II: Arab Media Reactions

Arab Media Ignore the List

In an op-ed titled "Beautiful Masks over Ugly Faces" in the London daily Al-Hayat, Salama Na'mat criticizes Arab television and other media for showing little interest in the oil voucher scandal. Because releasing the list shows Saddam Hussein's bribery of hundreds of politicians and journalists from 50 Arab and foreign countries, the Arab media have neither pursued the issue nor investigated the matter. In fact, Na'mat says, the publication of the list has triggered even less interest in official circles than in the media. Na'mat continues:

"The reality is that some Arab governments perhaps do not object that politicians and media people benefit from Saddam's bribes either because they are also involved or see no harm in bribes since it is a normal practice by the Arab regimes in varying degrees. Perhaps the political agenda of the deposed Iraqi regime was [no different] than the agendas of these governments. It mattered not to those who were bribed and those who shut their eyes that the money they received from the deposed regime to sing its praise were taken away from the Iraqi people which was destroyed by Saddam's wars and his stupid policies. [48]

Ahmad Al-Rab'i, a columnist in the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, points out that much of the Arab press, with the exception of the Iraqi, Jordanian, and Lebanese press, has not dared to publish the lists because they included powerful political figures. The Iraqi and Kuwaiti press, in particular, have reason to do so because they have been making the point that Saddam's defenders were not driven by nationalist or Islamic principles, but were paid off. [49]

An op-ed by Mazen Hammad in the Qatari daily Al-Watanunder the title "Publish the Names, May Allah Have Mercy on You!" wrote:

"The scandal is growing, and its threads, hour after hour, are encircling the necks of many who allege pan-Arabism and nationalism as well as those traders of opportunities. While it is too early to point an accusing finger at anyone in particular, those who have 'received' from the Saddam regime, in both Arab and non-Arab countries, for aggrandizing and defending him, count in the hundreds, if not more.

"The scandal is growing because among the names are heads of political parties, parliamentarians and the children of heads of states and governments.

"The scandal is growing because it is no secret that hundreds of apartments, Mercedes automobiles, cash and various grants were distributed by Saddam's aides to ministers, under secretaries, journalists, writers and artists.

"… It is also important that no one be excluded [from punishment] if his name appeared on the list regardless of the amount of his influence and the level of his position…

"[The scandal] is a flagrant example of the duality of the life of the Arab politician: he lectures nationalism during the day and nurses oil at night." [50]

'Once Again, the Citizens Pay'

Writing in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa, columnist Shaker Al-Nabulsi says: "At the outset, it appears that the list … is valid and the evidence is that some of those whose names where mentioned have not denied it." Al-Nabulsi's column focuses on Jordanian Islamist Leith Shbeilat, one of the biggest beneficiaries of Saddam's oil vouchers and one of the most vocal supporters of the Saddam regime in its heyday. Al-Nabulsi expresses his astonishment at the relationship between an Islamist who advocates an Islamic state run according to Shari'a law and the secular regime of Saddam which despised the clerics and killed and tortured many of them. [51]

Jubran Tweiny, the editor of the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, wrote: "Once again, the country [Lebanon] and the citizens pay for the involvement of some officials in financial scandals and money laundering and oil 'vouchers,' the payment of bribes … without the authorities trying to put an end to them.

"It is incumbent on the state to respond clearly and forcefully to the sources of the news and prove the innocence of all those who were accused of receiving money from Saddam or smuggled money from the former Iraqi regime against commission." [52]

In the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa,in an article titled "The Barrels of the Ba'ath," Daoud Al-Basri writes that the voucher scandal was not so much about the millions of barrels of oil given to "the militants and their international partners" as "a scandal for the international and Arab conscience and the environment of silence and deceit which accompanied all the stages of bribing…" He continued: "We will not forget the bribing of those who forged contemporary Iraqi history and those who made Saddam the anticipated Messiah of the Ba'ath." [53]

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Samir Attallah wrote in 'The Mother of [All] Vouchers:' "[What is really repulsive] is the language of the total purchase [of supporters] or total hatred … [the regime] needed people who hate what it hated and offended what it offended… What interests me about the vouchers and the Oil for Food [program] … are the wailings of the former president displaying pictures of children dying from hunger and disease … and the million and one stories about the poverty and neediness that transformed Iraq from a rich country to a country celebrating the birthday of a president who basks in his presidential palaces amidst poverty, silence, oppression, and the processions of the dead." [54]

Pro-Saddam Al-Quds Al-Arabi: The List is Only Alleged; Kill the Messenger

In the pro-Saddam London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, the paper's Baghdad correspondent writes about "the alleged oil list:"

"The publication of the list by the newspaper Al-Mada … did not draw much attention in Iraq because Iraqis were already familiar with this fact. Many Iraqis and particularly those involved in the oil trade business…were aware that the regime was selling quantities of its oil to oil companies and individuals with which it was associated or had good relations to circumvent the UN sanctions which controlled Iraq for 13 years. The policy of the old regime was to support anyone who stood by it or was trying to export goods to Iraq outside the sanctions." [55]

In another report from its correspondent in Amman, Jordan, Al-Quds Al-Arabi tried to divert attention towards the purported source of the list (according to him, this source was Iraqi Governing Council member and Iraqi National Congress head Ahmad Chalabi) and to smear him:

"The lighting of fire recently under the vouchers by the central figures of the Iraqi National Congress against Jordanian intellectuals and journalists is nothing new for the Jordanian government, or for the intellectuals themselves whom the new rulers of Iraq are trying to 'hit.'" [56]

Al-Jazeera: Faisal Al-Qassim's Hidden Pro-Saddam Agenda

Faisal al Qassim, host of the popular Opposite Direction program on Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite television, chose to attack, on his program devoted to the vouchers affair, not the beneficiaries but their critics. He said:

"Do these bribed, swindlers and the traders of homelands have the right to discuss honesty? Aren't the records of many of them blotted with bribes, swindling and fraud? How many millions did the previous Iraqi opposition receive from the Central Intelligence Agency?

"Can those who sold Iraq wholesale to the occupier open the files of corruption and the purchase of consciences…? It is true that the deposed regime wasted millions to buy friends and supporters, but haven't the newcomers handed Iraqi oil in its entirety to the American occupier? [57]

On February 17, 2004, the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayatpublished Iraqi intelligence documents released by the Iraqi daily Al-Mu'tamar, the organ of the Iraqi National Congress, linking Faisal Al-Qassim to Iraqi intelligence. [58]

'They Must Be Published Morally'

Dr. Abd Al-Ghani Mahmoud, head of theinternational law department at Egypt's Al-Azhar University, provided a fitting epilogue to this affair. Dr. Mahmoud told the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Youssef:

"Those who have the instruments to influence their peoples – intellectuals, politicians, political parties or institutions – have become in some of these countries propaganda mouthpieces for a corrupt dictatorial regime which has dragged the whole region into oblivion. This problem calls for a firm stand. Those who collected money from this regime, which destroyed its people with chemical weapons while enjoying a life of luxury in palaces during the sanctions, are partners in wronging the [Iraqi] people through their silence about the corruption… They must be punished morally by publishing their names and what they have received, so they will serve as an example for others." [59]

* Nimrod Raphaeli is a Senior Analyst at MEMRI.

[1] See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 160, January 29, 2004, 'The Beneficiaries of Saddam's Oil Vouchers: The List of 270,' http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA16004.

[2] Al-Zaman (Baghdad), January 26, 2004.

[3] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[4] Al-Mashreq (Baghdad), January 30, 2004.

[5] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[6] Al-Hayat (London), January 31, 2004.

[7] Al-Mada (Baghdad), February 7, 2004.

[8] A letter to the Wall Street Journal, February 18, 2004.

[9] Al-Hayat (London) February 5, 2004.

[10] Al-Zaman (Baghdad), February 12, 2004.

[11] Al-Hayat ( London), January 30, 2004.

[12] The Associated Press, January 28, 2004.

[13] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 1, 2004.

[14] Calgary Sun (Canada), February 1, 2004.

[15] Al-Qahira (Egypt), February 3, 2004.

[16] Al-Ahram Al-Arabi (Egypt), May 24, 2003.

[17] Jamal Halaby, United Press International, January 28, 2004.

[18] Al-Zaman (Baghdad), January 28, 2004.

[19] The New York Post, January 28, 2004.

[20] The Daily Telegraph (London), January 28, 2004.

[21] Intelligence Online, #435 of August 29, 2002.

[22] The Daily Telegraph (London), January 28, 2004.

[23] BBC, January 29, 2004.

[24] Laksamana.Net (The Politics and Economics Portal), February 2, 2004.

[25] ABC News, January 29, 2004.

[26] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2004.

[27] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[28] Al-Anwar (Lebanon), February 6, 2004.

[29] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[30] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[31] United Press International, January 28, 2004.

[32] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 7, 2004.

[33] Al-Qassim Al-Mushtarak (Baghdad), February 11, 2004.

[34] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 10, 2004.

[35] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), February 10, 2004.

[36] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[37] Al-Hayat (London), January 30, 2004.

[38] Al-Zaman (Baghdad), February 11, 2004.

[39] Al-Sharq (Qatar), January 29, 2004.

[40] The email is dated February 2, 2004 and is in MEMRI's records.

[41] Sunday Times (Zambia), January 30, 2004.

[42] ABC News, January 29, 2004.

[43] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[44] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 26, 2004.

[45] Al-Mada (Iraq), January 25, 2004.

[46] ABC World News Tonight, January 29, 2004.

[47] http://slate.msn.com/id/2071502

[48] Al-Hayat (London), January 29, 2004.

[49] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 31. 2004.

[50] Al-Watan (Qatar), February 2, 2004.

[51] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[52] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 29, 2004.

[53] Al-Siyassah (Kuwait), February 4, 2004.

[54] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), February 6, 2004.

[55] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2004.

[56] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2004.

[57] Al Jazeera (Qatar), February 3, 2004.

[58] Al-Hayat (London), February 17, 2004. The liberal Web site www.elaph.com published photocopies of the originals, February 15, 2004.

[59] Roz Al-Youssef (Egypt), January 31-February 6, 2004.


Posted by: 3dc || 10/17/2004 19:28 Comments || Top||

#53  That's not evidence unless we all agree it's evidence 3dc...

See how it works?
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 19:29 Comments || Top||

#54  Mike here is #172:



MEMRI Analyst's Testimony Before Congress on the U.N. 'Oil for Food' Scandal

Today [1], MEMRI Senior Analyst Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli testified about the U.N. 'Oil for Food Program' before the House Committee on Government Reform's subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Affairs. The following is his testimony: [2]

The Testimony

Mr. Chairman: On January 25, 2004 the Iraqi daily Al-Mada published a list of 270 individuals and entities who were beneficiaries of Saddam Hussein's oil vouchers. The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, translated the list from Arabic and made it available to non-Arabic readers on January 29.

In my presentation I will address five questions that we have frequently been asked:

First, what are these oil vouchers and how were they used?

Second, who were the beneficiaries?

Third, is the list authentic?

Fourth, what other means did Saddam Hussein use to subvert the Oil for Food Program?

Fifth, could the administrators of the Oil for Food Program have been unaware of the regime's subversion of the Program?

I shall now answer the questions briefly and in that order.

The Nature and Use of the Oil Vouchers

In May 2002, or two years before the oil vouchers achieved their present notoriety, MEMRI issued a special dispatch titled "Iraq Buys and Smuggles its Way out of UN Sanctions." [3] That dispatch catalogued techniques that were being used to subvert the Oil for Food Program, including the use of vouchers to buy friends.

In brief, Saddam Hussein granted oil vouchers to various beneficiaries - individuals as well as public and governmental entities - who could then sell them to oil dealers or agents operating from the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad. The agents would then sell the vouchers to oil companies which, in turn, would submit them to the State Oil Marketing Company or SOMO, to collect the oil. Both the beneficiary and the agent collected quick and handsome profits. A one million barrel voucher surrendered against $0.25 per barrel earned $250,000.

The Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries were from 52 countries and included 19 political parties, and numerous politicians and journalists. Russia led the way among countries, with 46 recipients for a total of about 2.5 billion barrels. Significant individual recipients include the president of Indonesia, the prime minister of Libya, the former prime minister of Yemen, a former French minister of interior, and Mr. Patrick Maugein who, according to French sources, is a financial supporter of French President Chirac.

Finally, the beneficiaries included the sons of the former Egyptian leader Gamal Abdul Nasser, the President of Lebanon Emil Lehoud, and the perennial Syrian minister of defense Mustafa Tlass.

The Authenticity of the List

There is a propensity among totalitarian regimes to keep accurate records of their misdeeds. The first half of the last century provides several examples. Saddam's regime provides another.

What gives credence to the authenticity of the list is the statements by many of those implicated that they had received the vouchers for goods which they provided under the oil for food program. These statements are, at best, disingenuous. Under the program, contracts had to be approved by the U.N., and upon the delivery of goods, the U.N. would reimburse the suppliers from the escrow account held at the French bank BNP-Paribas. No official contracts were financed by oil vouchers. Hence, if vouchers were granted they were given either as bribes or as payment for illicit goods, which could not be purchased under the program itself.

The Subversion of the Program by the Saddam Regime

Despite the sanctions, the regime of Saddam Hussein perfected a number of methods to sell oil for personal gains.

1. By the admission of Saddam Hussein's own son, Uday, Iraq exported to Syria approximately 200,000-250,000 b/d through the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline. Syria never denied it.

2. Trucks carried diesel oil from Kirkuk to southern Turkey. The Kurds who controlled northern Iraq were happy to collect transition fees.

3. Small Iraqi ships carried crude oil across the Persian Gulf mainly to Qatar for transshipment elsewhere. Many were intercepted and quite a few sank causing environmental damage.

4. Grains and other food supplies imported under the program were re-exported.

5. Legal shipments of oil were topped up by varying quantities with the excess sold for the benefit of the regime.

6. Invoices were inflated - a practice commonly referred to as pricing transfer.

The Knowledge, if Not the Complicity, of the UN Managers of the Program

On February 18, a month after the list was first published by Al-Mada, Mr. Shashi Tharoor, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, wrote a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journalprofessing ignorance of wrong doing. That letter makes two curious assertions. First, it protests, "No one at the United Nations has yet seen the original list." Note, please, that Al-Mada had published the list one month earlier.

Second, it offers an elaborate explanation of procedure. "The oil buyer had to pay the price approved by the Security Council Sanctions Committee into a U.N. escrow account, and the U.N. had to verify that the goods purchased by Iraq were indeed those allowed under the program." Mr. Tharoor then introduces the caveat: "But the U.N. had no way of knowing what other transactions might be going on directly between the Iraqi government and the buyers and sellers." Now comes the shocker: Mr. Tharoor says, "The program itself was managed strictly within the mandate given to it by the Security Council and was subject to nearly 100 different audits, external and internal, [I repeat, Mr. Tharoor says, '100 different audits'] between 1998 and 2003 and, as the secretary-general has said, this produced no evidence of any wrongdoing by the U.N. Official."

It is odd, indeed, that all these audits, paid for from $1 billion collected by the UN to administer the program, could not find one of the several infringements of the program that had been noted two years earlier by MEMRI – which has no access to official records.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

[1] April 21, 2004.

[2] For the official transcript from the Hearing of the National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations subcommittee of the U.S. House Government Reform Committee, discussing the Iraq Oil for Food Program go to: http://memri.org/bin/media.cgi?ID=83004.

[3] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 382, May 20, 2002, "Iraq Buys and Smuggles Its Way Out of UN Sanctions."


Posted by: 3dc || 10/17/2004 19:30 Comments || Top||

#55  The punctuation on one citation is incorrect, therefore the argument is moot.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 19:31 Comments || Top||

#56  Hellllooo! Don't follow my steps - Let Mike S do his own homework. If I post and say "the world is flat - check back at 1PM PST to see if you refute it, please provide sources/links" ......? Let Mike S. "Annansucker" play by himself, as he usually does
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 19:31 Comments || Top||

#57  Fair enough.
I smell payrolla.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 19:33 Comments || Top||

#58  SHIPMAN: That's not evidence unless we all agree it's evidence 3dc...

See how it works?



We shoud make it clear that how it works is this:


Target identification. That's a good start for a target list in a target rich environment. For the individuals on the list we need to consider what sort of contracts should be let.

They should need to come clear and make amends to get off the target list.

Posted by: 3dc || 10/17/2004 19:35 Comments || Top||

#59  A quick Google Search turned up over 28,000 hits for "Oil for Food" +Annan. About 4/5 of them were not deferential to the current UN Secretary General. The general concensus is, he was either in on the take (most likely), or he's the most inept, brain-dead walking empty suit to have ever existed. Here are just a FEW of the links I checked:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2004/04-19-2004/un.htm

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/rosett200403212155.asp

Wikipedia Link

http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/bg1748.cfm

http://acepilots.com/unscam/

The best of the bunch:

http://www.krg.org/986/index.asp

Follow all the links.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,133371,00.html

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040513a.asp

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/436zhuju.asp?pg=2

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898433/posts

http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13140

http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/bg1772.cfm

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pdupont/?id=110004968
Posted by: Old Patriot || 10/17/2004 20:09 Comments || Top||

#60 
Re #47 (Ed): I already read Rosetts' article. You posted it for me once before. It doesn't have the details I want (see #45).

I assume that Cotecna is a long-established company that has done and continues to do a lot of business besides the food-for-oil program. I assume Cotecna occasionally hires consulting firms for all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with the food-for-oil program.

Really, Rosett's article has no evidence, except for a general smear, that incriminates Kofi or Kojo Annan.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 20:36 Comments || Top||

#61 
Re #50 (Crusader): Thanks for your opinion about the UN, Crusader.

I believe there is such things as 1) international law and 2) practical limitations on "taking out despots and tyrants". If the UN disappeared tomorrow, there would still be international law and there would still be such limitations.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 20:43 Comments || Top||

#62  We are at Priss Factor 4.
Posted by: Nelson || 10/17/2004 20:47 Comments || Top||

#63 
Re: ## 49, 52 and 54 (3dc)

Gee, thanks for the long posts, 3dc. I appreciate your enthusiasm! How do they show that Kofi and Kojo Annan personally skimmed money off the food-for-oil program? Help me out here, buddy.
.

Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 20:52 Comments || Top||

#64 
Re: #59 (Old Patriot) About 4/5 of them were not deferential to the current UN Secretary General. The general concensus is, he was either in on the take (most likely)

Maybe 4/5 of them are presumptuous, since so far I haven't seen any evidence that Kofi Annan is on the take. The only "evidence" I've seen is that his son Kojo 1) worked on the Cotecna staff 13 months before the UN contract and then 2) worked for a consulting firm that did consulting firm for Cotecna. That's all the evidence there is. There isn't one bit of evidence beyond those vague associations. So far, there isn't even the slightest bit of published evidence that Cotecna did anything wrong.

So, Saddam Hussein secretly gave out all these vouchers. Did he give them out through Cotecna? Did Cotecna know about these vouchers? Did Kofi or Kojo Annan know? I don't think so.

As I understand, Saddam's this voucher business was revealed after the USA invaded Iraq and seized Iraqi secret documents. Until then, practically nobody knew about this scheme.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 21:06 Comments || Top||

#65  It is odd, indeed, that all these audits, paid for from $1 billion collected by the UN to administer the program, could not find one of the several infringements of the program that had been noted two years earlier by MEMRI – which has no access to official records.

Sort of leaps out from the page at you. Mike, if you are seriously suggesting that the UN continues to deliver anything of the remotest value in return for however many untold BILLIONS of dollars it continues to suck out of the world economy, such an assertion casts suspicion upon either your rationality or intelligence. I'll permit you to choose which.
Posted by: Zenster || 10/17/2004 21:30 Comments || Top||

#66  65 posts! Acck..i can't read them all. I just wanted to note; Annan also dismissed suggestions that France, Russia and China had, before the recent Iraq war, been prepared to ease sanctions on Iraq in return for oil contracts. Disputing claims made in the final report of the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group which suggested Saddam Hussein had manipulated the U.N.’s oil-for-food program in an attempt to win Security Council support for lifting sanctions, Annan said it was "inconceivable" the three countries were influenced

HA!!! I can't believe I reading this from Reuters!! Even if it is because the are just trying to explain it away...it is veddy interesting, as Reuters would never peddal this thought unless they believed it was already CW that they felt obligated to debunk. *snicker*
Posted by: 2b || 10/17/2004 21:52 Comments || Top||

#67 
Re #65 (Zenster): The audits were paid out of $1 billion collected to administer the food-for-oil program. That doesn't mean the audits cost $1 billion.

If the audits cost one cent, then that one cent was paid out of $1 billion collected to adminster the program.

If the audits cost one dollar, then that one dollar was paid out of $1 billion collected to adminster the program. And so on and so forth.

In other words, the billion dollars in the sentence is totally meaningless as a measure of the expenditure for the audits.

Were the auditors negiligent in not knowing that Saddam Hussein was giving vouchers to individuals throughout the world? How were the auditors to know?

If you, Zenster, come and audit my personal finances, would you necessarily know that I am secretly giving out vouchers? I take a piece of paper and write an IOU on it, and I secretly give that piece of paper to my good friend Frank G. This voucher entitles Frank G to siphon some gas out of my gas tank sometime in the future.

How, Zenster, would your audit catch this subtrifuge? You might look in my gas tank, and it would be full. I didn't give Frank G any gasoline, I gave him only a voucher -- a piece of paper -- an IOU.

Also, keep in mind that these vouchers seem to represent a lot of petroleum to us mere mortals. In the scale of Iraq's petroleum output, though, they represented petty cash.
.



Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 22:04 Comments || Top||

#68 
Re #66 (2b) the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group which suggested Saddam Hussein had manipulated the U.N.’s oil-for-food program in an attempt to win Security Council support for lifting sanctions, [but] Annan said it was "inconceivable" the three countries were influenced

Saddam Hussein's vouchers did not significantly influence the UN votes of any Security Council members. If that's what Kofi Annan meant in this passage, then he is right about that.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 22:14 Comments || Top||

#69  In other words, the billion dollars in the sentence is totally meaningless as a measure of the expenditure for the audits.

The one billion dollar figure is not without merit. It is ample demonstration of just how awash with cash the UN's oil-for-palaces scam was. Without wishing to be too cynical, the UN's inability to find any mismanagement within their own extraordinarily inept executive structure is about as likely as a male inmate not being able to find his @ss with both hands in a Turkish prison.
Posted by: Zenster || 10/17/2004 22:29 Comments || Top||

#70  3Dc Thank you so much for posting the U.N./Saddam Oil-for-Food data!

Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 23:19 Comments || Top||

#71  . Without wishing to be too cynical, the UN's inability to find any mismanagement within their own extraordinarily inept executive structure is about as likely as a male inmate not being able to find his @ss with both hands in a Turkish prison.

You're assuming he still has hands.
Posted by: Charles || 10/17/2004 23:29 Comments || Top||

#72 
Re #69 (Zenster): The one billion dollar figure is .... ample demonstration of just how awash with cash the UN's oil-for-palaces scam was.

I don't know what the billion-dollar figure comprises. I am sure, though, that it's more than just auditing expenses.

Keep in mind that this oil-for-food program was part of the UN's sanctions on Iraq. Although the UN sanctions were not perfect, they also were not trivial. Ever since the first Gulf War, I think the USA has been much more satisfied than not that the UN imposed and maintained the sanctions on Iraq for so many years.

Keep in mind also that the UN didn't give out the oil vouchers. Saddam Hussein gave them out, and he did it secretly. He hid this voucher business from the world in general and from the UN in particular. Only the individual recipients were supposed to know about them.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 23:59 Comments || Top||

#73  You're assuming he still has hands.

We find only mouths! For greedy input and idiotarian output.
Posted by: wits0 || 10/18/2004 0:01 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Article on Thai insurgency
EFL
He is old—around 70—and frail, relying on a walking stick. But the imam's voice is strong, and the some 50 men, women and boys crammed into a dingy room sit enraptured as he talks for two hours, waving his hands for emphasis and making eye contact with his listeners.
... rolling his eyes, spewing equal amounts of vitriol and spittle, jumping up and down...
The subject matter is familiar: verses of the Koran spliced with denunciations of the war the U.S. and its allies are waging against Islam; the suffering of Muslims worldwide; the sacred duty to struggle against those who would deny Muslims the chance to worship in peace. The preacher's voice—he requested anonymity—rises as he issues a final, passionate appeal, a call for jihad against a cruel government that, he says, is oppressing the faithful. "Will you join hands with me to fight? Fight the army that tortures and kills our people? The army that has caused the disappearance of many Muslims?" The crowd cries out in assent, the younger men standing together, holding hands and shouting "Allahuakbar!" (God is great!) again and again.
Joining hands with Mr. Imam "to fight" means the young and stoopid lugging the arms and ammunition and explosives while he sits back in the mosque, writing sermons that'll eulogize them when they've been dismembered, so's to recruit yet more cannon fodder...
A scene like this, witnessed recently by a TIME reporter, would not be unusual in Indonesia, which, since the Bali atrocity two years ago this week, has been periodically rocked by bombings instigated and executed by Islamic extremists. But this assembly took place in Sungai Golok, a small town deep in the Thai south, a poor region that borders Malaysia and which is home to Thailand's 6 million-strong Muslim minority.
Whenever I read the words "poor region," I automatically think "strong Muslim minority"...

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Paul Moloney || 10/17/2004 5:04:21 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Once again, a candidate for "The Russia Program" of extermination. Somebody has got to start taking down the loudmouths, the instigators, or they will keep sending the endless supply of young idiots to the grave. Having this old sod torn apart by two vehicles would be a good start.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 10:37 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
The Unemployment Rate in Iran is 27%
From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
National Youth Organization head Rahim Ebadi told Sharq of 14 October that, "currently, the unemployment rate has reached 27 percent." He went on to say that the government is trying to reduce the unemployment rate to 15 percent and added that half of his organization's assets go toward creating work opportunities for young people. The World Bank's Country Brief on Iran states, "The rate of unemployment dropped in 2004 for the second year in a row, reaching 11.2 percent (from 14.7 percent in 2002)." Approximately 700,000 jobs must be created annually to account for new entrants in the work force, according to the World Bank, but only about 500,000 have been created.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 11:09:17 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  So that's why they gotta get that nuke program going!
All those high paying jobs will help jump start the Iranian economy, right???
Posted by: Desert Blondie || 10/17/2004 11:45 Comments || Top||

#2  Last jobs program: Now two mullahs on every streetcorner.
Posted by: ed || 10/17/2004 19:53 Comments || Top||

#3  Kerry might have better luck running there.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 19:54 Comments || Top||

#4  But I hear Home Starts are up...
Posted by: mojo || 10/18/2004 1:01 Comments || Top||


Iran - Land of Intrigues
A pitched political battle is raging in Iran over control of economic policy. Radical-conservative elements in the Iranian parliament are seeking to preserve the state's dominant role in the economy. They are opposed by prominent Iranian politician, Aliakbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Political analysts in Tehran say Rafsanjani wants to use the political dispute as a stepping stone to the presidency in 2005.

Rafsanjani is a pragmatist among Iranian conservatives and is one of giants of the Islamic republican era, having served as parliament speaker from 1980-89 and president from 1989-97. He has maintained a low political profile in recent years. However, Rafsanjani has continued to wield immense influence, operating in the shadows as the head of the Expediency Council, one of the country's unelected political oversight bodies. Over the past two weeks, the Expediency Council has become embroiled in a bitter dispute with parliament over the privatization of state-owned assets. A hard-line faction, which has seized control of parliament's agenda, has been pushing legislation that would drastically curtail executive power and effectively retain state control over the economy. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. On October 2, Rafsanjani engineered an Expediency Council decision that trumps the parliamentary effort to preserve much of Iran's current economic structure.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 8:34:41 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The greed is palpable.
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 2:17 Comments || Top||

#2  Rafsanjani for President? Rafsanjani, for God's sake?! The Hizbollah Godfather? This is the short of misleading reporting that one would expect from an organization that benefits from George Soros' Open Society Institute.
Posted by: Tancred || 10/17/2004 10:58 Comments || Top||

#3  He has maintained a low political profile in recent years

except for threatening Israel with nuke death
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 11:19 Comments || Top||

#4  rafsanjani is the bazarris mouthpiece in the leadership--his power comes from the rich moneychangers in the bazaar who are fundos and backed the revolution--his family controls the pistacchio monopoly--and he's and his family have their fingers in a lot of private businesses as he's the go to guy--this piece of shit is really the number 2 guy in the whole cuntry and should be strangled with pig intestines while being simultaneously disemboweled
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI || 10/17/2004 14:16 Comments || Top||


Iraq-Jordan
IRAQ'S OIL FOR TERROR
October 17th, New York Post, 2004 -- Saddam Hussein secretly bankrolled a notorious Palestinian terrorist group with $72 million worth of vouchers from the U.N.'s corrupt oil-for-food program, according to a bombshell new report.

The former dictator funded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine through a Syrian business front, the Scotsman newspaper reported, citing records uncovered by investigators in Iraq.

It could be one of the strongest links yet of Saddam's ties to known terrorists.

Thousands of documents handed over to authorities by a former Iraqi oil minister, include a paper trail showing that the scheme to give money from oil vouchers to the PFLP was carried out in full.

U.S. officials have long accused Saddam of financial dealings with the PFLP, but up until now they were unable to prove it.

Saddam used a Syrian company, Awad Ammora & Partners, as a conduit to give vouchers for two million barrels of oil — about $72 million worth — to the PFLP, the newspaper said.

The PLFP first made its mark during the 1970 "Black September" hijackings. Its members commandeered, evacuated, then blew up four planes bound for New York — three in Jordan and one in Cairo.

Two years later the PFLP hijacked a plane in Israel in a terror bid that left 24 people dead.

More recently, the shadowy group launched a rocket attack on an Israeli kibbutz and set off several car bombings aimed at Israeli officials.

The United Nations oil-for-food program, which ran from December 1996 until last November, allowed Saddam Hussein's regime to ease the burden of international sanctions by selling oil to buy humanitarian supplies.

The program is now being probed by a number of agencies, including Congress, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, and a special U.N. investigative team headed by former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker.

The scandal-scarred head of the oil-for-food program, Benon Sevan, is among the names that turned up on lists of officials who received the vouchers, according to published reports. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Saddam is also suspected of bribing politicians and officials in France and Russia, two key opponents of the war in Iraq.

Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 9:21:41 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Terror Networks & Islam
Released Gitmo hard boyz return to terrorism
Despite gaining their freedom by signing pledges to renounce violence, at least seven former prisoners of the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have returned to terrorism, at times with deadly consequences. At least two are believed to have died in fighting in Afghanistan, and a third was recaptured during a raid of a suspected training camp in Afghanistan, said Lt. Cmdr. Flex Plexico, a Pentagon spokesman. Others are at large. Additional former detainees have expressed a desire to rejoin the fight, be it against U.N. peacekeepers in Afghanistan, Americans in Iraq or Russian soldiers in Chechnya.
Thank you, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch...
Some 146 detainees have been released from Guantanamo, but only after U.S. officials had determined the prisoners no longer posed threats and had no remaining intelligence value. Pentagon officials acknowledged that the release process is imperfect, but they said most of the Guantanamo detainees released have steered clear of Islamic insurgent groups. The small number returning to the fight demonstrates the delicate balance the United States must strike between minimizing the appearance of holding people unjustly and keeping those who are legitimate long-term threats, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Dan Darling || 10/17/2004 2:26:46 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa: Horn
Radicalism takes root among Moroccan poor
In the aftermath of Morocco's worst-ever terrorist attacks in May 2003, King Mohammed VI lifted the hopes of his most impoverished subjects last year when he toured Casablanca's sprawling slums, home to a dozen suicide bombers who had blasted targets across the city. The monarch said he was appalled at the conditions and vowed to raze the shantytowns, promising new housing for an estimated 150,000 people.

Almost 18 months later, the tin-roofed shacks and squatters' colonies are still here. While a few families have been relocated, the most visible change is a freshly built police station that keeps a closer eye on the slums, part of an ongoing crackdown on alleged Islamic extremists that has resulted in more than 2,100 arrests across the North African nation. Moroccan government officials tout the arrests and the absence of additional attacks as evidence that they have neutralized the threat of terrorism. But officials in nearby European countries have expressed fears that Morocco, a country with a tradition of Islamic moderation, is becoming more radicalized.

There are numerous signs that Moroccans are playing a bigger role in global networks of Islamic militants, both at home and abroad. In recent months, authorities in Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have broken up apparent terrorist cells composed primarily of Moroccan immigrants. In Germany, two Moroccans are facing trial on charges of helping to carry out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and warrants in the case have been issued for two other people of Moroccan descent. Saudi Arabia's list of most-wanted terrorism suspects also names two Moroccans, the only ones on the list from outside the Arabian Peninsula. "We cannot exaggerate the threat," said Claude Moniquet, a terrorism researcher and president of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center in Brussels. "The terrorist threat in Morocco and the Moroccan community in Europe is real."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Dan Darling || 10/17/2004 3:21:59 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Culture Wars
Cable Channel Dumps Michael Moore's '9/11'
Postet: Saturday, Oct. 16th, 2004

The cable pay-per-view company iNDEMAND has backed away from a plan to show a three-hour election eve special with filmmaker Michael Moore that included the first television showing of his film "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The company said Friday it would not air "The Michael Moore Pre-Election Special" due to "legitimate business and legal concerns." A spokesman would not elaborate.

Moore has just released his movie on DVD and was seeking a TV outlet for the film, which sharply criticizes President Bush, as close to the election as possible.

Earlier this week, trade publications said Moore was close to a deal with iNDEMAND for the special, which also would include interviews with politically active celebrities and admonitions to vote. The Nov. 1 special was to be available for $9.95.

Moore said Friday he signed a contract with the company in early September and is considering legal action. He said he believes iNDEMAND decided not to air the film because of pressure from "top Republican people."

"Apparently people have put pressure on them and they've broken a contract," Moore told the Associated Press.

"We've informed them of their legal responsibility and we all informed them that every corporate executive that has attempted to prohibit Americans from seeing this film has failed," Moore said. "There's been one struggle or another over this, but we've always come out on top because you can't tell Americans they can't watch this."

The New York-based iNDEMAND, owned by the Time Warner, Cox and Comcast cable companies, makes pay-per-view programming available in 28 million homes, or about one-quarter of the nation's homes with television.

In a statement, iNDEMAND said any legal action Moore might take against the company would be "entirely baseless and groundless."

This spring, Moore did battle with the Walt Disney Co., which refused to release "Fahrenheit 9/11" through its Miramax Films because it was too politically partisan for the company's taste.

After that fight became public, Moore found other distributors. The movie, which attacks Bush's handling of the war on terrorism and war in Iraq and the Bush family's ties to Saudi royalty, earned more than $100 million at the box office.

In an interview with a Maine television station that aired this week, former President George H.W. Bush called Moore a "slimeball" and an expletive.

Also Friday, Moore offered to let Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. air the movie for free. Such a deal would likely get a chilly reception at Sinclair, a broadcaster with a reputation for conservative politics that plans to air a critical documentary about John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activities on dozens of TV stations two weeks before the election.

Editor's Note: Get your copy of "Stolen Honor" and find out how you can help millions of Americans see "Stolen Honor"


Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 3:44:41 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Neener, neener, neener!
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 16:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Yawn
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 16:43 Comments || Top||

#3  Be honest how many people would pay $9.95 to watch this on pay per view when it's already out on video? Aside from the LLL Howlywierd crowd who stupid enough to fork over the dough. I think the movie peaked and the LLL news is rolling Jabba foraward at this point.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge || 10/17/2004 17:32 Comments || Top||

#4  SPoD How'd you get a picture of Lizzie Borden?
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 19:19 Comments || Top||


Iraq-Jordan
AUSTRALIA refuses requests for troops to protect UN
AUSTRALIA has quietly rejected diplomatic overtures from the United Nations and the US to contribute to a military force to protect UN officials in Iraq.
Hat's off to Down Under!
The requests, made through Australia's diplomatic missions in New York and Washington, came as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was struggling to gain international support for a security force to protect UN officials working in Iraq.
Kofi should be able to foot the bill out of his own pocket, through Saddam's payoffs.
With only a handful of small nations, including Fiji, responding to the call for help, the UN has had to fall back on the fully stretched US military for protection. It has sought at least 500 military personnel or police as well as other specialist advisers to ensure the security of the UN mission in Baghdad.

The lack of adequately trained security forces has handicapped the UN in its determination to assume a wider role in Iraq and assist the Iraqi Government with planning for the January 2005 national election. The safety of its officials has been a fundamental concern since a massive truck bomb attack in Baghdad in August 2003 killed UN personnel, including special representative to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed the informal requests yesterday, saying that many countries had been approached to supply security forces for the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq. He denied that Australia had come under any overt pressure to lift its military contribution to Iraq.

Mr Downer stressed there were no plans to lift Australia's troop contribution there, which currently includes about 250 servicemen and women based in Baghdad. "We have done a fairly substantial job in Iraq," he said. "We don't have any intention of sending more troops."

The US-led multinational force in Iraq is struggling to contain a steadily growing insurgency across Iraq. Military experts concede there are simply not enough troops on the ground to properly stabilise the country in the lead-up to the January elections. Senior Australian military officers believe it is only a matter of time before a more formal US request is made for extra Australian military assistance in Iraq.

John Howard has said consistently that Australia would not send extra troops to Iraq, after having made a vital contribution at the "sharp end" of the war in March-April of 2003. Australia has about 920 servicemen and women in the Iraq theatre, including more than 200 in Baghdad.

The Government announced last week that Canberra would provide training and equipment to the Fijian army, which will provide a guard unit and a personal protection detachment to UNAMI. "Australia strongly supports UN efforts to establish a significant presence in Iraq, involving the full range of agencies and with appropriate security protection," the two ministers said.
Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 2:22:00 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The US and Australia have lots to do without diverting important manpower into protecting UN leeches.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 14:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Alaska, That's right, plus where was the U.N. when the Coalition needed troops at the beginning the Iraqi war? (standing in line in Baghdad with their hands out.)

Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 14:50 Comments || Top||

#3  Maybe it's just me, but Wo sind die deutschen Soldaten?Où sont les soldats français?

Kerry thinks he can get France and Germany's assistance in Iraq, and Kofi-cup can't even get help defending UN personnel????
Posted by: molokai_man || 10/17/2004 15:12 Comments || Top||

#4  Last year Coalition forces offered thier protection,the UN got boomed and ran.Know thet are begging for our troops to protect them.Screw'em.Mike S.sure does love the UN,maybe he should offer his services.
Posted by: raptor || 10/17/2004 15:32 Comments || Top||

#5  US out of the UN and the UN out of the US.
Posted by: SR71 || 10/17/2004 16:23 Comments || Top||

#6  The UN is hated in Iraq. No amount of protection will be enough for them. No US or Colation troops to protect these vile, corrupt assclowns.

"The US-led multinational force in Iraq is struggling to contain a steadily growing insurgency across Iraq." The facts don't support this. This is Kerry/SorrosEdwards "quagmire" propaganda. It's even been taken up by the BBC and now The Australian is repeating it. I bet thwy didn't back Howard in the recent election.

The US out of the UN and the UN out of the US. They are a lot of back stabbing cowards and appeasers.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/17/2004 17:01 Comments || Top||

#7  Heh-heh-heh. Serves the UN wankers right.

Ask the Phrogs, Coffee - they're not doing anything important or useful at present. (As usual.)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 10/17/2004 17:11 Comments || Top||

#8  Somehow it's gratifying to know that there's no free lunch. "UN wankers" is quite fitting.
Posted by: wits0 || 10/17/2004 17:35 Comments || Top||

#9  "rejected diplomatic overtures from...the United States"

US Ambassador to Australian PM at lunch,"Say,do you guys want to send some troops to guard those useless UN buggers in Iraq?Didn't think so.Another diplomatic overture shot down.You make some fine wine here,refill my glass and we'll toast your re-election."
Posted by: Stephen || 10/17/2004 18:47 Comments || Top||

#10  Do any of you have any links that'll I'll agree are proof? No? See? This is easy.
Posted by: Kofi Kofi Cattauh || 10/17/2004 19:42 Comments || Top||

#11  I can understand why Kofi wouldn't want US soldiers around for protection 'cause they're big and mean and they have guns and tanks and determination. Plus they're always shooting people and blowing stuff up.

Hey, wait a minute! That's exactly the kind of guys I'd want protecting me.
Posted by: SteveS || 10/17/2004 20:37 Comments || Top||


Africa: Horn
Sudan Denies U.N. Report on Darfur Toll
"Nope. Nope. Never happened. Trust us on this..."
Posted by: Fred || 10/17/2004 12:42:29 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan/South Asia
Karzai Rival Refuses to Concede Election
Hamid Karzai's closest rival in Afghanistan's landmark election insisted Sunday he has a chance for victory, saying Karzai's commanding lead was based on early results and the election could turn on an investigation of fraud allegations. Former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni told the Associated Press that he was preparing to be in the political opposition as the country moves toward Western-style democracy — though he added that whether he recognizes the results depends on the honesty of the probe into fraud complaints.

Preliminary returns from the Oct. 9 election put Karzai on course for a landslide in a vote supposed to cement Afghanistan's post-Taliban stabilization. Of the 595,000 votes tallied by Sunday morning, the U.S.-backed Karzai had received almost 64 percent. That puts Karzai on course for the simple majority needed to avoid a run-off, though only about 7 percent of the total ballots cast have been counted so far. Qanooni, who has about 17 percent of the vote, said "the figures will change" in his favor as more ballots are counted. Election officials also have cautioned against calling the election too soon.
Posted by: Fred || 10/17/2004 12:36:16 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Sounds like Qanooni has been in close touch with the Kerry campaign operatives and lawyers. They are learning too fast about US voting in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 10/17/2004 12:42 Comments || Top||

#2  I don't think Mr. Qanooni should concede until all of the votes have been counted. After all, votes don't count until they are actually counted, however exciting it was for people to cast them. Because this is the Afghan people's first excercise in democracy, no shortcut should be taken that could lead to questions later.

We here in America have to wait almost three months to swear in a new president; the system was set up that way to allow time for the most distant votes to be registered before the final tally was declared. If, after all the votes are tallied, Mr. Qanooni or another candidate then protests the results, then we can talk about learning from Democrat practices.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 12:54 Comments || Top||

#3  But voting is soooooo hard. I tried to vote for Pat Buchannan last time and ended up voting for this gore person! I need help and government assistance! Now! Send Jimmuah with dough. Where's my FEMA check?
Posted by: Broward County Maroon || 10/17/2004 13:07 Comments || Top||


Man Tears Up Leaflets With Stupid Quran Verses -- Sentenced to 25 Years
From Compass Direct
A Pakistani court in Faisalabad has sentenced a mentally handicapped Christian to life in prison, ruling the 26-year-old man guilty of blasphemy against the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Despite medical evidence of the defendant's manic-depressive condition, Shahbaz Masih was sentenced to 25 years in prison — the equivalent of a life sentence under Pakistani law — by Judge Mohammed Shahid Rafique of the Faisalabad Additional Sessions Court on September 25. More than 60 Muslim clerics and their supporters, many of them armed, were present in the court when the judge announced his verdict. Afterward the crowd surged outside the courthouse, shouting slogans praising the judge and Islamic law, and denouncing other religions.

Masih had been accused by local Muslim cleric Qari Mohammed Rafiq of tearing up some leaflets containing verses from the Quran and scattering them at the shrine where a revered Muslim holy man was buried near Faisalabad. Reportedly Masih was wearing a cross necklace at the time of the incident. In the police report filed by investigating officer Mohammed Sajah Hussein, the Muslim officer declared that Masih's alleged conduct had "hurt his religious sentiments."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 11:37:11 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  One of these days....
Posted by: TS(vice girl) || 10/17/2004 12:24 Comments || Top||

#2  Jeez, considering the Quran is my toilet paper of choice, I'm happy I'm not there.
Posted by: JerseyMike || 10/17/2004 12:37 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine
Yasser Plans to Write a Book Someday (Takyyia In Action)
Posted by: tipper || 10/17/2004 11:28 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  From the little I know, I'd say it's a toss-up whether we should have used Gitmo or quick bullets to the heads.
Posted by: Tom || 10/17/2004 11:58 Comments || Top||

#2  Somewhat like an episode of 'Cops' where, after a high-speed chase ending in a crash, some individual is pulled out of his vehicle while saying, over and over, "It wasn't me!"
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 12:45 Comments || Top||

#3  “My son was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.

Sure, pops. Funny how much that happens over there, ain't it?
Posted by: tu3031 || 10/17/2004 12:48 Comments || Top||

#4  Arafat's new book: "How I ruined the Middle-East"
Posted by: Mark Espinola || 10/17/2004 13:05 Comments || Top||


Iraq-Jordan
Allegation That Iran Recruiting Agents to Assassinate Iraqi Intel Officials
From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Iraqi intelligence chief Muhammad al-Shahwani accused 27 members of the Iranian Embassy's Baghdad staff of espionage, Al-Sharqiyah television reported on 14 October. Al-Shahwani said that embassy personnel were also recruiting people to carry out assassinations that led to the deaths of some 18 members of the intelligence force since mid-September. He contended that documents uncovered during a series of raids on Iranian places (not further identified) in Baghdad on 29 September link Iran with the intelligence killings. The attacks were purportedly carried out by an unnamed political organization operating in Iraq, according to the report.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 10/17/2004 11:12:33 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Between friends and family
I dont' know if this has been posted before, as this story is a week old, but I don't recall seeing it and it was in my local paper today. This is only about 10% of the article, so go to the link to read the whole story. Bet you can't keep a dry eye. Help here.
His father was once an army captain in the Republican Guard, the core of the Iraqi military. His father beat him and Steve-O's body bears the scars. His left eye is misaligned, a result of his father kicking him in the head. Once, his father took a red-hot spoon and pressed it on top of Steve-O's left hand. "My father," the teen said, rubbing the scar. 

After America invaded Iraq in March 2003, his father led a 40-man insurgency group. The beatings, Steve-O said, got worse, and his father became withdrawn. His father wanted him to fight the Americans. Steve-O, who only has a third-grade education, tried to run away to Fallujah, but was caught and reluctantly accompanied his father on four missions. He couldn't bring himself to fire the AK-47 his father had given him, so he would hide, once in a stream, as American soldiers passed by him. They didn't seem so bad. He had seen soldiers giving candy to Iraqi children, and they had never done anything to him. He knew he couldn't tell his father that. So, he would empty the ammunition from the rifle and tell his father he shot Americans. "My father was very happy. He was very pleased. He gave me money," Steve-O said. 

Steve-O feared for his life and those of his brothers and sisters. One day last December, Steve-O told his family he was going to Syria to find work. Instead, he walked to the border checkpoint, where Dragon Company was stationed, and said he wanted to turn in his father.
We ran the lad's story about a month ago. I hope he's doing well...
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 9:33:59 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Thanks for running it again and giving it a title. Guess I got a little worked up.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 10/17/2004 10:56 Comments || Top||

#2  From the article:

Hendrex gave Steve-O...his floppy hat with “Hendrex” stitched in the back, in English and Arabic. Keep it, he said, until we see each other again. Hendrex didn’t know if that would happen.

Well, Steve-O can't run for President, but maybe one day he will run for the Senate, and he'll open his briefcase and tell a reporter about his magic hat.
Posted by: Angie Schultz || 10/17/2004 13:17 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan/South Asia
Karzai widens early lead in Afghan poll
Interim leader Hamid Karzai has moved far ahead of his rivals in early results from Afghanistan's first-ever presidential elections as ballot counting - delayed over alleged irregularities - has gathered speed. On Saturday morning, some 2,500 election staff got to work at eight counting centers across Afghanistan after a day off to mark the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Of 344,000 votes tallied by early evening, Karzai, the U.S.-backed favorite, had captured 71 percent, though the preliminary result was based on only 4.2 percent of the ballots cast. Former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni had 15.4 percent, ahead of ethnic Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum with 4.3 percent. Final results are expected at the end of October, although it should be clear who has won within days - and whether the victor secures the majority needed to avoid a run-off.

A top election official has estimated that despite Taleban intimidation and bad weather, about 8 million of the 10.5 million registered voters cast ballots. Counting began slowly on Thursday after five days of delays as a panel of foreign experts probed electoral fraud allegations submitted by the 16 candidates.
Posted by: Steve White || 10/17/2004 2:42:15 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa: North
Algeria denies military presence on Morocco borders
The Algerian government has officially denied and refuted news about the presence of Algerian military reinforcements and amassing of troops on the kingdom's borders, which the Moroccan media has alleged. A statement issued by the government's presidential headquarters claimed that Moroccan newspapers had spread rumours — ostensibly taken from reliable sources — that Algeria had amassed troops and military reinforcements on Moroccan borders, specifically at the North of Fgigai border region. The Algerian government issued an official statement refuting the rumours.
"Who, us? Pshaw!"
Posted by: Steve White || 10/17/2004 2:40:16 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine
Israel fears increasing isolation amid souring relations with EU, UN
Israel, for so long friendless in the Arab world, now fears becoming ostracised by the wider international community amid an increasingly fraught relationship with Europe and the United Nations. A secret foreign ministry report leaked this week warned that Israel's international standing was likely to deteriorate in coming years and its reputation could soon rival that of South Africa's former apartheid regime. Its assessment of relations with the European Union was particularly bleak, warning that if Israel continued to ignore and neglect its ties with the expanded bloc, the EU could use its economic leverage to exert pressure. The report also comes at a time of increasing friction between Israel and the United Nations, culminating in a spat between the world body's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA) and the Israeli army. While Israel has admitted that it was overly hasty in alleging UNRWA had allowed one of its ambulances to be used by Palestinian militants to transport rockets in the Gaza Strip, it has refused to apologise for the accusations.
Since it was true, after all ...
And even traditional allies such as Turkey have been fiercely critical of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's hardline policies towards the Palestinians. David Kimche, a former director general of the foreign ministry, said there were real fears of Israel becoming a pariah state but added that the situation could be transformed if next year's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip becomes a reality. "It's a realistic assessment if the situation continues as it is today," Kimche told AFP. "If we go ahead with disengagement or disengagement is interrupted by Palestinian terror then the world will be much more understanding than it is today."
I doubt it, the loonies will still drive the debate.
Failure to transform the situation on the ground however could indeed lead to sanctions, he added. "We will see a worsening of relations between Israel and the outside world and could eventually be possibly in danger of sanctions as was seen in South Africa." EU sanctions would deliver a devastating blow to the Israeli economy, which is already denied access to markets within its more immediate neighbourhood in the Middle East. An EU spokeswoman said Friday said the bloc does not intend to suspend an association agreement signed with Israel on trade and political relations, rejecting a call by a UN human rights expert who said the Israeli military was "producing a humanitarian food crisis" among the Palestinians. But EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg this week also criticised a massive Israeli offensive in northern Gaza as "disproportionate."
Since it was only a "couple" of Jooooish kids who died, after all.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White || 10/17/2004 2:13:02 AM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This is a truley amazing story. I have yet to see a story so clearly knotted up in the language of the diplomat yet so awful in its premise. The writer must have spent days awake trying to contort logic in this piece.

Where to begin:

The EU should talk in view of the fact that they until recently have helped fund terrorism against Israel through funding Arafat, or by the awful funding the the UN organization which runs the refugee camps which provide the main haven for terrorists.

This sabre rattling by this EU reoport is clearly based on the premise that Kerry wins in November. The EU knows all too well if Bush gets his second term a lot of this manuevering to aid terrorism will stop forthwith and the EU will be forced to deal with whatever consequences the White Hosue decides will be appropriate.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 3:51 Comments || Top||

#2  Israel fears increasing isolation ...

Watch my lips move ... INCREASING?

Anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe. Genocide's sepsis has yet to be excoriated from the globe's face. Much of the Islamic world merely says aloud what many other cultures think behind closed doors. Israel must pretend that it has no friends, only that way will it survive. All Jewish people need only examine the UN's track record on anti-Semitism to gauge the climate of world sentiment.
Posted by: Zenster || 10/17/2004 4:32 Comments || Top||

#3  Europeans like Anna Frank.
Living Jews is another matter entirely.
Posted by: Anonymous6092 || 10/17/2004 5:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Fear of being turned into a boycotted pariah state like South Africa. This has always been the reason Israel goes easy on Islamic Jihadists and murderers. Trade with Europe is a huge component of Israel's economy.

All has to do with idolization of the Third World and their so called self determination and so called liberation movements. With Muslim self determination movements automatically occupying a golden position. Was South Africa really liberated by Mandela's forces? All I read is that it's worse now than under apartheid. And wonder of wonders, it has a large Jihadist community. SA is not the first place you think of when you think of Muslims but there you have it. Remember the Durban conference?
Posted by: dennisw || 10/17/2004 10:00 Comments || Top||

#5  With Muslim self determination movements automatically occupying a golden position. Was South Africa really liberated by Mandela's forces?

Yes, it was.

All I read is that it's worse now than under apartheid.

Change your reading materials.

And wonder of wonders, it has a large Jihadist community.

I somehow doubt that -- unless I am mistaken you must have very loose definitions of "large" to say that.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 10:37 Comments || Top||

#6  Aris - stick to the little you know anything about. SA has the highest crime/rape/murder/HIV rate in teh friggin world. Muslims have been established there long before the whites came
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 10:40 Comments || Top||

#7  BTW - on topic - Israel has it's own little self-hating lefty community which hand-wrings over any loss of love from the EU. Fuck Europe and the EU's image of Israel. Funding of Paleokillers has shown them as the Jew haters they are
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 10:42 Comments || Top||

#8  Aris - stick to the little you know anything about. SA has the highest crime/rape/murder/HIV rate in teh friggin world.

But dennisw asn't talking about *safety*, he was talking about *liberty*.

Are you willing to abandon liberty for safety, Frank? Then you deserve neither. I'm sure there was somebody out there who said that.

Muslims have been established there long before the whites came

Yeah, a full *2 percent* of the South African population is Muslim. It must have a truly huge jihadi community.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 11:32 Comments || Top||

#9  Are you willing to abandon liberty for safety, Frank? Then you deserve neither.

Looks like a logical fallacy to me by presenting false choices. Thought you were in school, learning not to make these rhetorical jumps.
Posted by: badanov || 10/17/2004 11:39 Comments || Top||

#10  It only takes a truly huge jihadi community 19 to do plenty of damage.
Posted by: Tom || 10/17/2004 11:42 Comments || Top||

#11  OK, let me see if I got the gist of this right.
Unless the Jews lay down and let themselves get slaughtered (allow the Palestinians to finish what the Nazis failed to do....wipe them off of the earth....), they will have no friends except the big bad ugly US.
Before, say, this week, the UN was pro-Israel.
And, oh yeah, the EU is gonna clean America's clock once they get their sh-t together.
Riiiiiiiight.
Posted by: Desert Blondie || 10/17/2004 11:42 Comments || Top||

#12  Looks like a logical fallacy to me by presenting false choices.

No false choices on my part, badanov. Obviously, having *both* liberty and safety would be best.

It wasn't *me* who claimed that South Africa was worse off because of its crime rates, without even bothering to mention the status of freedom and democracy there.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 11:45 Comments || Top||

#13  free to be raped and killed at a rate higher than any other place in the world (lawless is the definition) is not my idea of a national success
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 11:49 Comments || Top||

#14  Frank> free to be raped and killed

And free to go where they want, and vote who they want, and live where they want, and marry who they want, and speak as they will, without government interference. Freedoms that mean little to you, of course.

Careful there Frank. Usage of such statistics as you are using would put USA at a much worse place liberty-wise than most nations of Europe.

Actually it *is* the exact kind of evidence that I've seen extreme leftists use when they want to undervalue the freedoms USA enjoys -- or to praise the supposed goods of the Soviet Union for that matter (they may not have had freedom but the streets were safe, right?)

No wonder that you people are using it to support the apartheid regime instead. The monster has many different masks but it's the same monster beneath.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 12:06 Comments || Top||

#15  so now I support apartheid? I was just saying the ANC thugs and commies you treasure have fucked things up worse than ever imagined. How about a necklace, Aris? Dissenters there love them....
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 12:20 Comments || Top||

#16  Whoops, careful there, yourself, Aris.
The crime rate is going down here in the States, and up in Europe....including violent crimes.

In some circumstances (mainly property crimes), Europe actually exceeds the American crime rate. England and Australia have a higher violent crime rate than we do now. Even Finland is more violent than we are.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/12/01/ncrime01.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/12/01/ixhome.html

Next time you slam America, please try to be accurate......


Posted by: Desert Blondie || 10/17/2004 12:21 Comments || Top||

#17  Desert Blondie> Next time you reply to my posts, please understand that it's Frank's logic that uses crime rates to judge whether a nation is liberated or not. Not mine.

so now I support apartheid? I was just saying the ANC thugs and commies you treasure have fucked things up worse than ever imagined.

Than "ever imagined"? Nah, there are worse ways to fuck things up, and they are synopsized in the words "apartheid" and "tyranny".

What's the current crime rate in Iraq, Frank? I've never seen you attack statements that Iraq has been "liberated" though -- and in Iraq's case not even elections have taken place yet.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 12:27 Comments || Top||

#18  Frank,
Indeed The Europeans are secretely heavily funding The Israely left in their efforts to meddle in Israel's internal politics. As this doesn't help they are now trying to resort to threats of boycotting Israel with economic sanctions (they have not done so yet). I expect them to start doing this once they get desperate enough.
I truely hope that gradually as their unintegrated
embittered and fundamentalist minorities start ramping up civil violence and terror so that they will get a better taste of what we are experiencing daily.
It seems like the train bombing in spain and the Ricin stocks in GB did not ring the bell loud enough for them. they need large scale mass murder in their midst to make them understand that even to their Pali proteges they are just D'himmies and Kafirs.
Posted by: Elder of Zion || 10/17/2004 12:42 Comments || Top||

#19  Elder of Zion wrote
"The Europeans are secretely heavily funding The Israely left"

Covertly?
Posted by: Anonymous6092 || 10/17/2004 14:22 Comments || Top||

#20  dennisw, one of the PMPI (pseudo Marxist, pseudo intellectual) bandarlogs more eggregious shticks is equating Israel to SA.
SA was a country with (approx) 80% second class citizens.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (and the way things going in EUropa, soon to be the only democracy in the old world).
Posted by: Anonymous6092 || 10/17/2004 14:30 Comments || Top||

#21  Here's a job for you, Aris. Don't forget to visit the mosque.
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/africa/sefer.cgi?display:1032379976-23028.txt
Posted by: rhodesiafever || 10/17/2004 15:24 Comments || Top||

#22  rhodesiafever> Is the article you posted supposed to indicate that apartheid was better and more free? Namely the thing that dannyw said, and which I disputed, and which then led to Frank G ramble?

If that's what it was supposed to mean, then you didn't read it nearly carefully enough. Wow, you can't *jog* or take a taxi in some areas because of safety concerns. As opposed to during the apartheid when you weren't even allowed to exist in some areas. Yeah, that's supposed to be a major worsening of the situation. *Right*.

Still bitterly amusing how the existence of merely 2% of muslims is enough to get y'all talk about the horror of Islam's existence in South Africa.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 15:45 Comments || Top||

#23  Aris, I could write at length about South Africa's brutal transition to democracy and the state of terror in which people of all races live there now. Suffice it to say that SA is a major disappointment for those who thought a stable democracy could be created there. Of course, the international media wont report the truth about it because they want the myth of 'the peaceful transition to democracy' to stand.
Posted by: Bryan || 10/17/2004 15:51 Comments || Top||

#24  Aris doesn't care about the terrorized since they live in a *correct* society now. Nobody here argues that apartheid was right, Aris. Quit being a pedantic asshole
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 16:06 Comments || Top||

#25  Frank, you have your own interpretation of dennisw's words - mine is very different. But nobody here said that the post-Apartheid government has made a good job, or that the situation is peechy keen, and yet that's what you've been implying aboout me.

But tell me straight out what *you* think, Frank. Do you consider the fall of the apartheid regime a "liberation" or don't you?

When dennisw asked "Was South Africa liberated?" was therefore the proper answer "Yes" or "No"? Make a choice.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 16:29 Comments || Top||

#26  yes I do - however, I consider what's followed short steps from a southern ZimBOBwe. Whites are leaving in droves. Why? Ask Kim DuToit
Posted by: Frank G || 10/17/2004 16:32 Comments || Top||

#27  If you believe the answer was "Yes" then your sole problem with my first post was that when dannyw said "All I read is that it's worse now than under apartheid." I said "Change your reading material".

Is it pedantic to say that if he's seeing *only* bad things about South Africa it's time to read something new? Yes, HIV is a huge problem -- but would the apartheid government have been better to handle it? Yes, the increase in rapes by people who think that having sex with a virgin will magically heal them from AIDS are a horrible horrible thing -- but would the apartheid government have even cared about what's happening inside the black areas?

"Whites are leaving in droves. Why? "

Too much crime rate? Too many poor black people suddenly around?

Reference *black* people saying that life for them in South Africa is now worse than during the apartheid, please.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 16:49 Comments || Top||

#28  We're wrong again Aris. Thank God for your insights. We don't deserve you. I mean that. We really don't deserve you.

I haven't felt this guilty since the Colonels took power. What can I say to make it up to you? Do you have a PayPal Account? A book? Lunch? I just don't know what to do.
Posted by: Shipman || 10/17/2004 20:08 Comments || Top||

#29  Aris, let me address the crime issue. The husband of a friend of mine was not long ago offered a wonderful position if he would only transfer from Brussels to Cape Town. She wasn't keen, but agreed to join him on the look-see (a.k.a. seduction) trip. When she spoke to the local wives they told her to expect either robbery with violence or rape in her home at least once per year. She made her husband turn down the assignment -- she didn't think the promotion prospects were worth it. Its absolutely not happening just in the bad neighborhoods.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/17/2004 20:18 Comments || Top||

#30  Shipman> "I just don't know what to do." Fucking off and dropping dead would be a hell of a gift for you to give me. Think you can manage that?
Posted by: Aris Katsaris || 10/17/2004 20:52 Comments || Top||

#31  Aye Caramba!
Posted by: Rafael || 10/17/2004 21:32 Comments || Top||

#32  All Israel needs to continue to exist is the support of the US. As long as George Bush is in the White House, Israel has no worries and can tell the EU where to put the anti-Semitic blather. If Kerry wins, they truly are in trouble. Should the UN and EU try the South Africa treatment on Israel, there will be no reason for them to hold back in dealing with the Palestinians. The Arabs might not like who gets driven into the sea.
Posted by: RWV || 10/17/2004 21:49 Comments || Top||

#33  Continue to exist politically, yes, RWV. The question this article addresses, however, is whether she will be able to continue economically. Because of proximity, the EU is a major market for Israel. There are already problems with semi-official boycotts of Israeli produce because of the European preference for Palestinian terrorists; if the EU were to officially close their borders, Israel's economy would be hit quite hard, indeed. (Some of you investor/business types can no doubt quantify my statement.)
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/18/2004 0:09 Comments || Top||

#34  Who are the terrorists? the people who had their land taken from them and given to a bunch of US backed heavily armed religious isolationists in the 1950s and have been persecuted by said squawking bi-partisan coalition ever since or the people funded and armed by the worlds largest superpower who routinely flaunt the conventions of world diplomacy, send tanks into civilian towns and build a vast wall as if we were still in the cold war.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 0:17 Comments || Top||

#35  You're boring the hell out of me, Apesh*tSociopath.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 0:27 Comments || Top||

#36  Ah! Nothing is more splendid than the chap who, when confronted with a reasoned argument, decides to respond by mocking the persons screenname! Sir, i salute you as one of the leading thinkers and philosophers of our time.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 0:34 Comments || Top||

#37  "when confronted with a reasoned argument"

Tell me that you are just pulling our leg, and cited some snippet from the Little Red Book for our amusement.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 0:48 Comments || Top||

#38  There is a difference between socialism and communism you know old chap. I know in your two tone, 'with us or against us' world there isn't much room for shades of policitcal colour but, trust me, in real democracies we have more than two voting options. Its great.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 0:51 Comments || Top||

#39  How is that Ash-heap of History? Pretty comfortable?
Posted by: mojo || 10/18/2004 0:57 Comments || Top||

#40  Socialism is a illness. Countries that catch it die from it.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 1:01 Comments || Top||

#41  #38 Well then, go enjoy your rainbow.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 1:03 Comments || Top||

#42  I take it you are of North American extraction mojo? I have been to your country, it's rather pleasant in a quaint sort of a way; rather too many flags and guns for my liking but each to their own. Have you been to our little corner of the world? It's doing rather well, we have this wonderful thing called the EU and our neighbours have something called the Euro? (thats.... worth more than an American dollar? something about a failing economy and all your jobs going to China?). Anyway, enjoy your sinking ship chaps.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 1:06 Comments || Top||

#43  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of Eurabia.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 1:13 Comments || Top||

#44  For the citizens of the worlds only superpower (well, of course the EU knocks you into the ground on every level but we are many countries not one) you are desperatly insecure.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 1:16 Comments || Top||

#45  Well the EURO is worth much rather less than a £ So you are not from the UK. Therefore you must be dwelling somewhere under a bridge.

BTW A weak dollar is good for the US. It means US goods and services are cheaper than those in the EU which means our economy will out perform EUrope again this year. I'll remember that while I am eating my plentiful cheap food while living in my large by EU standards home which I own. Oh I forgot most in EUrope can't afford to own their own home while here in North America most do. In the US it's 61% of the population owns it's own home. How is it living in government housing? How is living on the dole?
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 1:23 Comments || Top||

#46  For the citizens of the worlds only superpower (well, of course the EU knocks you into the ground on every level but we are many countries not one) you are desperatly insecure.

It will most likely take another world war like the one going on right now for Eurostanis to realize that hubris is no substitute for security.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 1:23 Comments || Top||

#47  Americans are all too familiar with the difference between socialism and communism. It is the difference between Hitler and Stalin. Unlike you, we read history to learn from it. We also study the present in order to mold the future. And I have seen your future. It is here. Get used to it slave. And kiss your girlfriend goodbye. Even though she is no way near the "30,000 women of extraordinary beauty" the muslims took as sex slaves from Spain, she will do in a after-having-a-12-pack sort of way. When Makhmud has had to make do with 12 year old boys, even your girl will do.

Goodbye slave. Don't complaint too loudly or your muslim masters will cut off another body part.
Posted by: ed || 10/18/2004 1:28 Comments || Top||

#48  Actually I am from the UK old chap. Thats why i said our NEIGHBOURS have the euro. We, as you so rightly pointed out, have the £. Now, i know your american education system is not up to much but i would have thought they could have taught you how to read a simply worded blog. I appologise for expecting too much. But for the record a similar (if not greater) number of people in the UK are home owners. As for a weak dollar you are correct, it is good for US companies to be able to compete in the EU (your biggest trading partner) on price (tariffs not withstanding of course). It would be rather bad if you were running a vast trade deficit with China (hereafter known as 'the next superpower') because then... o no dear god you are! Damn that would be terrible news for Joe Average with his Average education and comfortably sized house. Imagine if his job were outsourced to china and he lost his medical cover and couldn't keep up his mortgage payments. But hey theres always state medical.... uhhhh, well, atleast you'll have generous welfare to help you.... ah, well, atleast you have soup kitchens eh?
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 1:33 Comments || Top||

#49  ed, i don't know if you've been paying much attention to world events in the past say, ooo, 3 years but Europe isn't currently target number one for terrorists, extremists and, well, anyone with an axe to grind.

Also, you think hitler was a socialist? i thought you said you were taught history? luckily i'm currently doing a history MA at one of the UKs leading universities and so can clear up your elementary level history mistake for you; you were thinking of FASCISM and COMMUNISM old chap but never give up hope eh?

And, re: molding the future, what on earth makes you think america will be doing that 20 years from now?
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 1:40 Comments || Top||

#50  You function under economic assumptions that seem to bolster the case for government intervention in an economy ( AKA: Socialism AKA Communism )when in fact the opposite is the case. Income supports, such as the one you proudly profess in your Eurostani superiority to the United States make an economy fragile and less able to deal with turns of economic events. Events include: Higher fuel prices and Kyoto, outsourcing of jobs, which occur in Britland as well as the rest of Eurostan as well as the USA.

The only thing that Keynes got right is that buying in a recession is not just a good idea, it is the only way to cure economic woes. And the best agent for spending is not government, but the people who earn the money.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 1:44 Comments || Top||

#51  Don't have children slave (not that children is something Socialist Europe knows anything about). For their future is also already written.
Posted by: ed || 10/18/2004 1:47 Comments || Top||

#52  FASCISM was Italian invention. Hitler was a national socialist (NSDAP -- Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei -- National Socialist German Worker Party ).

"Europe isn't currently target number one for terrorists"

Madrid 3/11 anyone? And that is just a small change in comparison what's coming to you, I am sorry to say. Well, it is still a few years down the stream, so for now, happy, happy, John.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 1:49 Comments || Top||

#53  In 20 years:

Iraq will host the 2024 Summer Olympics
Eurostan and all its socialist underpinnings will be dismantled in favor of a pan Islamic Confederation of States cobbled together by the double whammy of Kyoto and Euro-ignorance of modern economics. Jobs, money and manufactruing assets will have long ago been moved to the western hemisphere.

All this after the 15 year cleanup from the Iranian nuclear missile attack fueled by Eurostani/Russian uranium. Cancer will be something like 15 percent, VD and AIDS will be rife amoungst the young. The only American goods shipped from north America will be humanitarian supplies just to enough to stave off total famine.

It's an ugly future, dude.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 1:51 Comments || Top||

#54  I'm familiar with the ideas of the free market and they, in princepal, are not awful. However, a compassionate society (and, considering only 12% of US citizens consider themselves athiest you should, again in princepal, be the world's most compassionate society) should seek to support its less fortunate citizens in times of trouble. I know America is very fond of its gun toting, 'every man for himself', striding across the plains to make a decent heroic living from the land image (whilst wrapped in a flag presumably; ironically the exact same image communist and fascist dictatorships fed to the masses, odd no?) but a healthy society cannot operate like that. By all means make money, spend it how you like, but you are part of society and must pay for its up keep (if you don't like that go and form your own commune in alaska). On the most selfish level, even if you don't care one jot for your fellow man, it could one day be that you are hurt or fall ill and are no longer able to work and i suspect then you will be grateful for the state assistance you scorn now.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 1:59 Comments || Top||

#55  "in princepal"

Well, I hope that you did not have to pay for your education, otherwise, be in your place, I would ask for my money back.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 2:04 Comments || Top||

#56  Hitler was still a FASCIST memesis anyway you slice it; you are correct that fascism was an italian construct and that mussolini had the worlds first fascist government. The simple fact that Hitler and his brownshirts adopted a different NAME does not mean they had different POLITICS both were far right FASCIST governments. You can find an illuminating article here .

badanov, you clearly know nothing about world politics. I see you have picked up the sort of lazy word creation popular with Bill O'reilly and his ilk 'Eurostan'? Actually in 20 years europe will be at the cutting edge of fuel efficency and design whilst the US will be struggling to catch up (and paying vast amounts due to its dependancy on fossil fuels exaserbated by short sighted greedy government). Economically China will be a vast superpower, rivelling if not out pacing the US.

Ed, your geography must be really off if you are linking articles about slaves in Sudan. Thats like me sending you an artical about terrorists in Chile. Get a map.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:09 Comments || Top||

#57  I'm familiar with the ideas of the free market and they, in princepal, are not awful.

Thank you. Now your problem with a free market economy is...

However, a compassionate society (and, considering only 12% of US citizens consider themselves athiest you should, again in princepal, be the world's most compassionate society) should seek to support its less fortunate citizens in times of trouble.

Spoken like a true Euro-socialist. Mind your own f*cking businss and we will mind ours.

I know America is very fond of its gun toting, 'every man for himself', striding across the plains to make a decent heroic living from the land image (whilst wrapped in a flag presumably; ironically the exact same image communist and fascist dictatorships fed to the masses, odd no?)

I defy you to show me a picure of a cowboy wrapped in an American flag used by ANY dictator in any society since the 1800s.

but a healthy society cannot operate like that.

Been doing it for hundreds of years. Seem to me your societies need to start doing this yourselves. Its starts at home. Leave us alone and we won't bomb your Muslims.

By all means make money, spend it how you like,

Oh thank you Lord Whateveryourname is. I got your perfect permission to do with my money as I see fit. Thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou.

but you are part of society and must pay for its up keep

We call it taxes but we see taxes as a neccesary evil, not as a neccesity.

(if you don't like that go and form your own commune in alaska). On the most selfish level, even if you don't care one jot for your fellow man, it could one day be that you are hurt or fall ill and are no longer able to work and i suspect then you will be grateful for the state assistance you scorn now.

No one scorns state assistance if it is for dire need.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 2:10 Comments || Top||

#58  You are ashamed, i trust, memesis that your only comeback to that was to point out a spelling mistake?
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:10 Comments || Top||

#59  badanov, you clearly know nothing about world politics. I see you have picked up the sort of lazy word creation popular with Bill O'reilly and his ilk 'Eurostan'?

I don't get my news from TV and not from Bill O'Reilly. I consider O'Reilly and overbearing prick, like you.

I picked up the word Eurostan from another internet source.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 2:14 Comments || Top||

#60  I defy you to show me a picure of a cowboy wrapped in an American flag used by ANY dictator in any society since the 1800s.

I am not sure if you are being obtuse. I meant that dictatorships tend to use the image of a strong man going out on his own to tame the land in their propaganda. Look at the Nazi's 1930s propaganda on the building of the autobahns or (from around the same time) Stalin's pictures of a strong, chisel jawed man, axe slung over his shoulder, shoulders back, eyes gazing forward, marching off to fell trees on a bright red background. Both could be easily transfered to represent the american ideal.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:16 Comments || Top||

#61  I don't have time to address your drivel. I am not an American, thus will let other respond to it if they feel there is any point in responding to your indoctrinated pinkoid blather.

You claimed that you study at a college level. That is a bit hard to swallow. You repeated the same mistake twice in your post. QED.
Posted by: Memesis || 10/18/2004 2:19 Comments || Top||

#62  I think you are being obtuse by stretching images from government propoganda from dictatorial regimes and applying it to an American image of a cowboy.
Posted by: badanov || 10/18/2004 2:21 Comments || Top||

#63  Memesis? QED? I suppose yes a college student would have perfect spelling on a message board. Yes, you caught me. Dead wrong i'm afraid chap, 3rd year History MA at Glasgow University. Don't use thus to make yourself sound intellegent old chap, it's what stupid people do.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:25 Comments || Top||

#64  Aw, how sad - the onanist troll wants a vote, a voice, to be important! Lol! Sadly, for him, it won't happen... for the rest of humankind, a pure blessing. From the rectum of the cloistered faculty's fount of faux knowledge to RB, he strains to leave the sum of his pretentious sense of self-worth. Upon examination, sigh, it's merely more second-hand miracles from a dedicated student of the voyeurs and cowards. A pathetic hand-wringing bystander with a head full of failed ideobabble exercising his class notes / pulling his tiny pud in public. Hurry up and squirt, sonny. Yawn.
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 2:35 Comments || Top||

#65  Google tells me it's 71%

so as i said, higher than the US? The average wage is around £20,919. Thats roughly $37,712 US? at the current rate of exchange although the average in london is slightly higher $50,332. So, i think you will agree, not exactly church mice. Its true that there are some terrible housing estates, the victims of careless town planning in the 60s i'm afraid, but thats being righted at the moment. The new Swiss Re (or Gherkin) building a case in point having just won the Stirling prize for most outstanding new building on the globe.

Of course there is trouble with anti-social drinking (although this is caused by some fairly byzantine licensing laws being rapidly repealed). I think the idea that britian is beset by drive-bys is a little rich coming from an american (you are the experts at shooting each other by several tens of thousands over the rest of the western world, how many gun deaths did britain have in 2001? around 80? america, around 21,000?. I suggest you come here and see for yourself.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:42 Comments || Top||

#66  the onanist troll wants a vote, a voice, to be important!

You know we have democracy here too? I do have a vote you know? If you are referring to the US elections i have no desire to vote in those. Why should i? it doesn't matter to me who runs your country.

From the rectum of the cloistered faculty's fount of faux knowledge

please please don't rubbish education; doing so rubbishes the whole of civilization. And don't resort to illiteration, its a cheap trick favoured by the tabloid media.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:49 Comments || Top||

#67  WTF I hit submit once. must be some Mozilla bug. disregard my next to last long post.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 2:50 Comments || Top||

#68  al·lit·er·a·tion (Pronunciation Key (-lt-rshn))
n.

The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables, as in “on scrolls of silver snowy sentences” (Hart Crane). Modern alliteration is predominantly consonantal; certain literary traditions, such as Old English verse, also alliterate using vowel sounds.

Fuckwit.
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 2:51 Comments || Top||

#69  Google tells me it's 71%

so as i said, higher than the US? The average wage is around £20,919. Thats roughly $37,712 US? at the current rate of exchange although the average in london is slightly higher $50,332. So, i think you will agree, not exactly church mice. Its true that there are some terrible housing estates, the victims of careless town planning in the 60s i'm afraid, but thats being righted at the moment. The new Swiss Re (or Gherkin) building a case in point having just won the Stirling prize for most outstanding new building on the globe.

Of course there is trouble with anti-social drinking (although this is caused by some fairly byzantine licensing laws being rapidly repealed). I think the idea that britian is beset by drive-bys is a little rich coming from an american (you are the experts at shooting each other by several tens of thousands over the rest of the western world, how many gun deaths did britain have in 2001? around 80? america, around 21,000?. I suggest you come here and see for yourself.

Top tip Sockpuppet, if you are going to put in a deft quip at the end of your rant try editing your exisiting one rather than reposting the whole thing again. :p
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:51 Comments || Top||

#70  Ah, finding an online dictionary, copying and pasting the definition then the scrawling Fuckwit at the bottom.

Classy.
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:53 Comments || Top||

#71  Well thank you chaps it's been a long time since i've had one of these futile back and forth bitter internet debates. Nobody ever backs down but isn't it fun? Anyway i'm sure your views are valid and i'm probably wrong on some things and blah blah blah, it'll all work out;

cheery-bye
Posted by: AthiestSocialist!! || 10/18/2004 2:57 Comments || Top||

#72  In 30 seconds, too. Not bad for an old man who actually knows the world... You're a pretentious, foolish, adolescent knob-shiner who yearns for recognition. Sure, you got it - you're today's Fuckwit of The Day. Congratulations.
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 3:08 Comments || Top||

#73  Ah, trollus masturbatus... FUBARing a thread beyond repair.

Don't you have a she-troll to frolick with or something?
Posted by: Conanista || 10/18/2004 3:12 Comments || Top||

#74  Hey! That's cool, .com.

Had no idea about this prestigious award. It is well deserved. Actually, if there was one rendered in plastic, I would submit that Aris could be a good candidate.
Posted by: Conanista || 10/18/2004 3:18 Comments || Top||

#75  .com you mean I missed my

YHBT HANL FOAD chance?

Damm it :þ
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 3:27 Comments || Top||

#76  Lol! Thx, Conan!

SPo'D - I didn't get YHBT - I know YHTBT, heh. So I wasn't totally certain what you were conveying there - so I stayed back to see if he was truly and idiot or someone just having us on. Sigh. He was an idiot.

Um, you aren't saying you wanted the award, are you, lol!
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 3:31 Comments || Top||

#77  No HELL NO!

YHBT: You Have Been Trolled.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 3:33 Comments || Top||

#78  Lol! Then you should drop a line to these guys so they can update their page!
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 3:36 Comments || Top||

#79  It's there. YHB___
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 10/18/2004 3:44 Comments || Top||

#80  "Um, you aren't saying you wanted the award, are you, lol!"

Well, .com, if I deserved it, I would have to accept it. It is based on merit, as I understand.

Frankly, I have no ambitions in that regard. :-)
Posted by: Conanista || 10/18/2004 3:52 Comments || Top||

#81  Lol! It's rarely dusted off and presented - though it could be handed out almost everyday as we do have thread-hijacking-trolls in residence, heh. But that would cheapen it, y'know? We must show discipline and patience, methinks, lol!
Posted by: .com || 10/18/2004 3:56 Comments || Top||


Iraq-Jordan
Threats Scuttle Jordan Ramadan Broadcast
Despite a weeklong advertising blitz, Jordan canceled plans Saturday to broadcast a soap opera about Afghanistan after an Internet threat against everyone from actors to TV executives if the show portrayed the Taliban in a negative light.
But what did Ebert & Roper think?
The series "Al-Tareeq ila Kabul," Arabic for "The Road to Kabul" chronicles life under Afghanistan's former Taliban rulers and was being aired during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began Friday in most Muslim countries. The Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Corp., broadcast the first episode on Friday and went ahead with its scheduled programming to air the soap opera's second episode Saturday night. Jordanian television had promised the series would begin in the early days of Ramadan. On Thursday, Jordanian television officials said the broadcast might be postponed for a few days because of technical problems. But on Saturday they canceled plans to show it.
Technical problems = couldn't find a technician brave enough to load the tape.
The broadcast was "suspended indefinitely upon a request from its producer, the Qatari television," Abdul-Halim Araibyat, director general of the state Jordan Radio and Television Corp. told The Associated Press. He said Jordan's decision to suspend the show was due only to the Qatari request and not to the threat. He didn't know why the producers asked for the suspension and phones rang unanswered at Qatari television.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: tipper || 10/17/2004 2:22:38 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hmmm. I wonder if I could've spoofed the Saudis out of holding Ramadan with a few well-rehearsed phone threats, heh. Would've made life there one HELL of a lot more tolrable. Ramadan sucks like nothing else in this world. I almost (no. not quite) hope Zappie and those that emulate the Spanish vote get the chance to find out for themselves, including the people here if Skeery is elected... nothing would go so far to reverse such a fuck-up as living through Ramadan as an infidel...
Posted by: .com || 10/17/2004 4:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Now if the CIA was *really* on the ball, what they should do is re-do that movie quick, showing the Taliban to be the disgusting, murderous and ignorant ogres they were; as peasants so disgusting, backwards, paganly superstitious and psychotic that every Moslem who saw it would be utterly appalled. And THEN, put it out in hundreds of thousands of pirate sources, all over the Arab world.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 10/17/2004 10:20 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan/South Asia
First or second class?
Editorial on Perv's performance by Najam Sethi in The Friday Times...
Five years ago General Pervez Musharraf made many promises. He has kept some and broken others. He has faced many problems. Some he has resolved while others remain. Some people are happy with him, some are not. How should one objectively grade his performance? What will be his legacy when he departs?
One might even ask: what will be the manner of his departure? That will also have an influence on what his legacy will be.
Six broad achievements can be credited to General Musharraf.
  • First, the economy was in the dumps in 1999. Today it is growing at 6%. We have a stable currency, a buoyant stock market, rising tax revenues, high forex reserves and home remittances. Inflation remains manageable. Manufacturing growth is poised to leap ahead while the agricultural sector boasts the best cotton crop in over a decade. Privatisation is proceeding apace. Regulation is being strengthened. Best of all, the IMF is packing its bags. Sure, the compulsions of 9/11 have much to do with the turnaround but if the opportunities hadn't been grasped and exploited, and the unpopular belt tightening not taken place, we would still have been floundering.
    We sometimes forget that Pakland does in fact have a growing economy, largely, in my barely informed opinion, the result of throwing the grifters and crooks of the Nawaz regime out and of privatization.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 10/17/2004 9:46:46 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:



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Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2004-10-17
  Soddies wax AQ shura member
Sat 2004-10-16
  Fallujah Seeks Peace Talks if Attacks End
Fri 2004-10-15
  Alamoudi gets 23 years
Thu 2004-10-14
  Caliph of Cologne Charged With Treason
Wed 2004-10-13
  Soddies bang three Bad Guyz
Tue 2004-10-12
  Caliph of Cologne extradited to Turkey
Mon 2004-10-11
  Security HQ and militiamen attacked in NW Iran
Sun 2004-10-10
  Libya Arrests 17 Alleged al-Qaida Members
Sat 2004-10-09
  Afghanistan: Boom-free election
Fri 2004-10-08
  al-Qaeda behind Taba booms
Thu 2004-10-07
  39 Sunnis toes up in Multan festivities
Wed 2004-10-06
  Boom misses Masood's brother
Tue 2004-10-05
  Sadr City targeted by US forces
Mon 2004-10-04
  ETA head snagged in La Belle France
Sun 2004-10-03
  Arafat calls on world to end Israeli campaign in Gaza

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