Iraqi Minister: Bribes by Saddam Routine

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saddam_bribes&cid=540&ncid=1480

<snip>
But those who reportedly took bribes — including Russian businesses that sold his oil, humanitarian organizations and even a priest — denied the allegations. Some said the claims were revenge for opposing the U.S.-led war in Iraq that ousted Saddam from power.

Iraq's Al-Mada daily published a list of 270 former Cabinet officials, legislators, political activists and journalists from more than 46 countries allegedly involved in the scam. Members of the provisional Iraqi government and opponents of Saddam have since distributed a list of the accused, based on documents from the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

The paper said they are suspected of profiting from Iraqi oil sales that Saddam allegedly offered in exchange for political and popular support in their countries.

"Saddam's regime used to win over favors by offering oil bribes," Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. "These were standard practices of Saddam's regime."

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. "These were standard practices of the GOP regime."

[CaptainClark23]

2. Welcome to the World

Bribes, or whatever euphemism you'd like to use, are what makes the world go round. Any country, any currency, any business..its all one hand washing the other.

BTW, would opening up bids on lucrative reconstruction contracts in exchange for tacit endorsement of invasion be anything like bribery?

Just wondering...

[daleo]

3. I can believe there were bribes

But, come on, no Americans on the list? Do they think the whole world just fell off the turnip truck?

[9215]

4. Remember when Ari Fleischer was laughed at

during a press conference about a year ago? Well, it was specifically about bribes to Bulgaria for "support" in Iraq.



Here is a CSpan take with Ari Fleischer where he mentions Bulgaria in the early part of the briefing.
http://www.cspan.org/

go to 2/25/03. Was under "most watched video". This also shows him being laughed off the podium for saying that foreign countries cannot be bought.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Apparently the Bush Administration refuses to be outdone in the bribery

department. I wonder how many of our tax dollars are actually going to bribe someone and if we're getting our money's worth?