Al-Mada, one of the many independent daily newspapers created as a result of the climate of freedom in liberated Iraq, published an article on 25 January 2004 describing the defeated Ba'athist regime's "politics of the open wallet". The Al-Mada Article, in translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), lists individuals, corporations and political parties that allegedly received vouchers for barrels of crude oil- the vouchers could be sold in world markets for an immediate profit. In addition to illustrating one of the many ways that Saddam Hussein contravened sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council, the article reveals the sort of money-greasing that eased the way for global support in spite of his atrocities. And the support was global, spanning nearly thirty countries.
Many of those listed come as no surprise, disgraced British Member of Parliament George Galloway and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, to name two examples. In testament to the sort of corruption that continues to keep the people of the Middle East in bondage to tyrants, the list details countless payments to politicians and ministers, and to their children. Of greatest concern is the allegation of payments to a host of left wing political parties in countries round the world.
While the contents of the article require verification, its allegations fit into a pattern that has become increasingly obvious since the liberation of Iraq. So many on the left who urged moderation and negotiation rather than liberation profited handsomely for doing so.
Posted by publius at January 29, 2004 05:10 PM