Iraq corruption deflection
Recurring Galloway allegations a sideshow intended to deflect attention from the colossal current and long-term corruptions of the US in Iraq
Who is most trustworthy? Top left: Recently returned-to-office British MP George Galloway; Top right: US Senator Norm Coleman, Republican from Minnesota; Bottom, shaking hands: Current US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein in 1983 when Rumsfeld was Special Envoy to Iraq.
The story today about British anti-war MP George Galloway being called out by the slithering senator, Norm Coleman, is just outrageous. See this previous Deep Blade post, and also this related story, for more background on Coleman’s hatchet shop of an investigations subcommittee and the disingenuous right-wing media circus surrounding the so-called Oil-for-Food Scandal.
The reason for outrage is that insane levels of corruption associated with twenty-plus years of US-sponsored destruction and the current devastating US occupation of Iraq are being all but ignored in the public machinations of US officialdom, and peeps are barely heard in the media. Here are two links into the very convenient Iraq Occupation Watch newsblog that supply many details on the outrages:
Inspector General: The Big Corruption Cases in Iraq “Yet to Unfold”
US government official charged with auditing Iraq reconstruction is quoted, “…There has also been evidence of corruption in some U.S.-funded deals. As of April 11, his office had received 131 potential criminal cases, and of these 62 have been closed, 35 referred to other agencies and 34 remain open.
‘The big ones are yet to unfold … We are talking tens of millions of dollars and not just thousands,’ he said in an interview with Reuters, declining to provide further details of ongoing investigations.”
This story is barely above water with the Republicans vigorously acting to drown it — in part with Oil-for-Food noise. Read too this transcript from last February of a hearing featuring Iraq occupation corruption whistleblowers held by Congressman Henry Waxman and other Democrats (the Republican leadership will not allow a regular Congressional hearing on these issues). Let’s scratch the surface of this amazing hearing: “There were numerous examples of padding payrolls. For example, the inspector general found 8,206 guards were on the payroll at one Iraqi minister — 8,206 — but they could account for only 602. So who’s paying 8,206 when only 602 are working?”
Straight to Bechtel
According to Counterpunch author Jeffrey St. Clair, “For the year 2004, Bechtel brought in more than $17.4 billion, a record haul for the company. That makes two record years in a row. Last year Bechtel earned more than $17 billion for the first time. Both peaks were all the more impressive given the senescent condition of the economy.
“Much of that robust income stream is coming from its operations in Iraq, where Bechtel is the king of contractors.”
St. Clair’s piece from Counterpunch recounts with flair and pith the whole tale of Bectel’s dealings in Iraq, including an excellent backgrounder on Rumsfeld’s handshake with Saddam pictured above:
Rumsfeld landed in Baghdad in December 1983, where he held a series of meetings with Saddam and Tariq Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister. This secret conclave occurred at on of the bloodiest moments of the Iran/Iraq war, a war the US tacitly backed as a way to destabilize the revolutionary mullahs of Iran. By this time, it was well known by US intelligence that Saddam had used poison gas against Iranian troops, killing and maiming thousands.Two decades later, as the Bush administration ramped up the war rhetoric against Saddam, Rumsfeld would claim that his journey to Baghdad was a heroic and virtuous mission, where he chastised the Iraqi strongman to his face for committing crimes against humanity.
Saddam, however, had the foresight to videotape several of the parlays. One infamous clip shows a deferential Rumsfeld smiling and shaking the hand of the Tiger of Tikrit. Later Rumsfeld, like a witness before the Iran/contra committee, would claim he had no clear recollection of pressing the flesh with Saddam.
However, the true motives behind those missions are now coming into focus, thanks to internal Reagan administration documents unearthed through the Freedom of Information Act by the National Security Archives and through the excellent reporting of Jim Vallette. Rumsfeld did not browbeat Saddam over gassing Iranians and Kurds or for his pursuit of a nuclear bomb. He was there to beg the dictator’s indulgence on behalf of Bechtel’s dream pipeline to Aqaba.
The allegations against George Galloway are a sick joke by comparison. In the absence of anything other than unsubstantiated documents very likely generated in Ahmed Chalabi’s forgery shop, I am inclined to believe Galloway when he calls them “patently absurd.”
May 13th, 2005 at 00:20
It strikes me that the repetition of this discredited Galloway story coincides with the Bolton nomination fiasco being reported out of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Just what we need–a “straight talker” in NY City to keep that “milquetoast” corruption in line, and maybe lop ten unnecessary floors off the UN Building at the same time.
May 14th, 2005 at 09:28
Quite, Deepblade, quite. The Galloway muck-raking has been discredited, thankfully, hence Galloway being awarded damamges by the Daily Telegraph and others to the tune of a million pounds (approximately) for lying about his role in Iraq during the era of the sanctions regime. I recall the alleged documents being found as pointing to Galloway receiving kickbacks (not 100 percent certain of this). IN any case, there is nothing to back this allegation up; probably another Chalabi lie.
Well, Galloway wasn’t in Iraq to sell Saddam arms, like our dear Rumsfeld, but to attempt to get the sanctions lifted. This significant fact is not perused in the British media, at least not enough to grab attention. Furthermore, Galloway has been very candid on thrice occasion about what he thinks and has thought of Saddam Hussein’s regime. SkyNews and even the BBC have misrepresented Galloway on numerous occasions too, presenting him as a crank but in an insidious manner. To Gallowy’s credit, on primtime SkyNEws coverage of the recent anti-war marches in Britain Galloway lamabasted a SkyNEws reporter for his employer’s misrepresentation of the facts; it was quite uplifting to witness this, live and direct. Sadly, I never got to record it. I’d better read a little more about this Coleman chap.
May 15th, 2005 at 18:11
Thanks, Wallsy, for that info on the SkyNews coverage, very interesting. I’ll be glued to whatever coverage Galloway receives, presuming he comes here later this week to speak to Coleman’s committee. Hopefully, C-SPAN will have it “gavel to gavel.” I’ll let you know.
PS. The documents show that Rumsfeld’s mission had much to do with smoothing over the Bectel oil pipeline project in light of Iraq’s use of poison gas, and difficulties with Israeli relations. Everything is not yet known just how Saddam was being supplied with chemical weapons during that time period, although Hughes had supplied him with helicopters about a year earlier. These were used in the chemical attacks against the Iranians.
May 15th, 2005 at 19:59
Thanks for the update - would love to see that on C-SPAN!
Were not similar helicopters used at Halabja too? Regarding the alleged supply of chemical weapons during the Iran/IRaq war, I suppose that given the evidence of such supplies before the Halabja anfal I suppse we could draw conclusions but it is, as you say, not clear yet. I sincerely hope that our dear friend Geoffrey will bring this matter to a media spotlight in the not-too-distant future.
May 16th, 2005 at 00:53
I posted the Minneapolis Star Tribune version of this story at http://www.schons.net/cat_politics.htm#001536
May 16th, 2005 at 04:29
Thanks, David. I had a streak of masochism and perused Little Green Footballs. Amongst the smarmy rightist noise, I saw this interesting program note: George Galloway supposedly will be a guest on Tony Snow’s syndicated AM talk radio show on Wednesday 5/18. The Fox website says the show broadcasts on 1220 AM in Mpls/St Paul from 9am-11am. In Bangor, it’s 9am-noon on 1400 AM.
May 16th, 2005 at 06:49
Would it be possible to stream these shows? I am, alas, not a resident of the US (weeps).
May 16th, 2005 at 07:47
Again, it’s masochism, but here is a link to find a live audio stream for the Tony Snow AM radio talk show (1300-1600 Universal Time, Mon-Fri). The post said Galloway would be on Wed. I can’t say just when in the 3-hour period.