U.N. OIL $$ LINKED TO IRAQI TERRORISTS
karra @ Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:28 pm
Any guesses as to who the culprits - oops, I mean countries are that by virtue of kickbacks are complicit in the killing of American, British and coalition troops - and civilians.
The usual suspects no doubt. . . . .
$1:
By NILES LATHEM
July 19, 2004 -- WASHINGTON — American officials believe that millions of dollars Saddam Hussein skimmed from the scandal-plagued U.N. oil-for-food program are now being used to help fund the bloody rebel campaign against U.S. forces and the new Iraqi government, The Post has learned.
U.S. intelligence officials and congressional investigators said last night that the "oil-for-insurgency link" has been recently unearthed in the numerous probes now under way into the giant U.N. humanitarian program, in which Saddam is believed to have pocketed $10.1 billion through oil smuggling and kickbacks from suppliers.
Congressional investigators have uncovered hundreds of documents in recent weeks that detail how top officials in Saddam's regime directed companies bidding on contracts for oil or humanitarian goods to pay "after-sales fees" — or kickbacks — of up to 10 percent of each contract.
The documents, which come from Iraqi government files and were handed over to the congressional committees in recent weeks, reveal that the companies were ordered to wire the kickback money into secret bank accounts the regime operated outside Iraq — separate from the legitimate bank accounts being used by the oil-for-food program.
Investigators have traced some of these accounts to banks in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Belarus, where money was either laundered or converted into gold and routed back to Iraq or into other accounts.
The network of bankers, front companies, couriers and money-launderers involved in handling Saddam's oil-for-food kickback schemes still appears to be active, investigators say.
U.S. intelligence officials believe a portion of the funds in these hidden accounts — possibly millions— is now being used to fund the Ba'athist guerrillas responsible for much of the postwar violence against coalition troops, sources said.
"We are still in the early stages of investigating this. But from what we know so far, it's the same financial system, and we believe there is now some connection between what was left over from the illegal profiteering under the oil-for-food program and the funding of insurgency," said a U.S. official familiar with the recent intelligence information.
U.S. officials revealed earlier this month that a network of Saddam's cousins led by Fatiq Suleiman al-Majid, a former henchman in Saddam's murderous Special Security Organization, is involved in funding and arming the militants.
Investigators found a money trail connected to Saddam's clansmen that flowed through banks in Syria. Some of these same banks, congressional investigators said, also handled the kickback depos- its during the oil-for-food program.
Although the Treasury Department has recovered almost $2 billion in hidden assets since the fall of Saddam and has led the way in freezing many of Saddam's foreign bank accounts, the new Iraqi government and congressional investigators believe that hundreds of millions of dollars remain unaccounted for.
July 19, 2004 -- WASHINGTON — American officials believe that millions of dollars Saddam Hussein skimmed from the scandal-plagued U.N. oil-for-food program are now being used to help fund the bloody rebel campaign against U.S. forces and the new Iraqi government, The Post has learned.
U.S. intelligence officials and congressional investigators said last night that the "oil-for-insurgency link" has been recently unearthed in the numerous probes now under way into the giant U.N. humanitarian program, in which Saddam is believed to have pocketed $10.1 billion through oil smuggling and kickbacks from suppliers.
Congressional investigators have uncovered hundreds of documents in recent weeks that detail how top officials in Saddam's regime directed companies bidding on contracts for oil or humanitarian goods to pay "after-sales fees" — or kickbacks — of up to 10 percent of each contract.
The documents, which come from Iraqi government files and were handed over to the congressional committees in recent weeks, reveal that the companies were ordered to wire the kickback money into secret bank accounts the regime operated outside Iraq — separate from the legitimate bank accounts being used by the oil-for-food program.
Investigators have traced some of these accounts to banks in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Belarus, where money was either laundered or converted into gold and routed back to Iraq or into other accounts.
The network of bankers, front companies, couriers and money-launderers involved in handling Saddam's oil-for-food kickback schemes still appears to be active, investigators say.
U.S. intelligence officials believe a portion of the funds in these hidden accounts — possibly millions— is now being used to fund the Ba'athist guerrillas responsible for much of the postwar violence against coalition troops, sources said.
"We are still in the early stages of investigating this. But from what we know so far, it's the same financial system, and we believe there is now some connection between what was left over from the illegal profiteering under the oil-for-food program and the funding of insurgency," said a U.S. official familiar with the recent intelligence information.
U.S. officials revealed earlier this month that a network of Saddam's cousins led by Fatiq Suleiman al-Majid, a former henchman in Saddam's murderous Special Security Organization, is involved in funding and arming the militants.
Investigators found a money trail connected to Saddam's clansmen that flowed through banks in Syria. Some of these same banks, congressional investigators said, also handled the kickback depos- its during the oil-for-food program.
Although the Treasury Department has recovered almost $2 billion in hidden assets since the fall of Saddam and has led the way in freezing many of Saddam's foreign bank accounts, the new Iraqi government and congressional investigators believe that hundreds of millions of dollars remain unaccounted for.
linkage
QBC @ Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:55 pm
Um, Karra, and you believe this? US intelligence found all this, and you believe this? Congress found documents? and you believe this. You also believed that Iraq had "weapons of mass distruction". Hmmm, they didn't and that info came from the same US intelligence. AND YOU STILL BELIEVE ALL THIS? Stop reading "Stars and Stripes" Karra.
karra @ Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:03 pm
Ah yes indeed, where are you amongst this mass of sheep-like humanity. . . . . . . .
QBC @ Mon Jul 19, 2004 10:09 pm
Karra, you call me a sheep cause I don't believe everything our neighbors to the south say is "The Gods Honest Truth", but you sure seem to. I think your the third one from the right in the fifth row. How many times have they lied in the last few years and you still believe Karra, you would have made a good follower of Jim Jones ya know.
Almighty1 @ Mon Jul 19, 2004 11:16 pm
Yes that's her!! Yepper fifth row!
SHE'S FULL OF SHIT!
Donny_Brasco @ Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:35 pm
I'm afraid, Karra, that mentioning "US Officials" and "Intelligence" in the same sentence is an oxymoron.
I thought you'd be bright enough to catch that yourself!
But thanks for pointing out the propaganda!
BigDubUSA @ Mon Jul 26, 2004 4:11 pm
Combined (worldwide) intelligence as a matter of fact! It's been international news for months. But I guess you only get what "Mother Canada" wants you to see & hear! Karra is right ON! Bah, Bah little sheep! Karra should be applauded for being independent. The rest of you mis-guided little bastards need Dad to comeback home and help Mom raise the family!
Zenfisher @ Tue Jul 27, 2004 12:20 am
Beats being blind as a bat,eh?
Donny_Brasco @ Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:48 am
BigDumbUSA BigDumbUSA:
Combined (worldwide) intelligence as a matter of fact!
The UN weapons inspectors asked the US for help looking for WMD's prior to GW2. The US refused.
Why? Because they didn't have any intelligence in the first place.
May I remind you dumbass, that the Canadians did not participate in GW2 because we did not trust or believe the intelligence provided by the Americans. France, and others, also did not believe the US propaganda.
As it turns out we were all correct. WMD's were a figment of the American imagination, as is this supposed need to "free" the Iraqi people!
MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE USA - Free yourselves before trying to free others!
Donny_Brasco @ Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:50 am
BigDubUSA BigDubUSA:
The rest of you mis-guided little bastards need Dad to comeback home and help Mom raise the family!
What a shit-for-brains comment.
Try arguing with facts. Your stupid insults do not prove your point very well.
Rev_Blair @ Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:52 am
He has no facts, Donny. He still believes that a couple cartoon drawings of trucks equal solid proof.