10/07/2004 07:46:46 AM|||Toni|||So - I can hear the sound bites already and the dissemination from the MSM regarding this report. I just hope that President Bush comes out of the gate on Friday night angry and ready to bitch slap 'ol John Kerry senseless. eeeeyyyaaaaa.



In order to eliminate sanctions and obstruct military action against him, Saddam Hussein engaged in strategic bribery funded by the UN's oil-for-food program. The Scotsman reports:

Saddam was convinced that the UN sanctions - which stopped him acquiring weapons - were on the brink of collapse and he bankrolled several foreign activists who were campaigning for their abolition. He personally approved every one.

To keep America at bay, he focus[ed] on Russia, France and China - three of the five UN Security Council members with the power to veto war. Politicians, journalists and diplomats were all given lavish gifts and oil-for-food vouchers.

Tariq Aziz, the former Iraqi deputy prime minister, told the ISG that the "primary motive for French co-operation" was to secure lucrative oil deals when UN sanctions were lifted. Total, the French oil giant, had been promised exploration rights.

Iraqi intelligence officials then "targeted a number of French individuals that Iraq thought had a close relationship to French President Chirac," it said, including two of his "counsellors" and spokesman for his re-election campaign.

They even assessed the chances for "supporting one of the candidates in an upcoming French presidential election." Chirac is not mentioned by name.

A memo sent to Saddam dated in May last year from his intelligence corps said they met with a "French parliamentarian" who "assured Iraq that France would use its veto in the UN Security Council against any American decision to attack Iraq."
|||109715320674383453|||Power Line: Oil-for-WMD?