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Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed

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To: Lucretius who started this subject	2/12/2003 9:18:37 PM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Read Replies (1) of 436258

Saddam, France and Germany: is there a money trail? Addison Rosss New York BrookesNews.Com Thursday 13 Feb. 2003 Are France and Germany on Saddam's payroll? It is not an unreasonable question considering these countries behaviour. But maybe a better question should be: "Is Saddam in hock to these countries?" It used to be said that if you borrowed $1,000 from the bank it owned you, but if you borrowed $1000,000 you owned it. During his bloody reign Saddam has bought huge amounts of equipment from France with military sales alone totalling more than $20 billion. Billions more has been spent in Germany and Russia. Despite Iraq's oil wealth many billions are now owed. Should Saddam be overthrown is it likely that his victims, the Iraqi people, would be inclined to repay his loans? The same loans that helped imprison and torture them. What is apparently being revealed is that French and German firms, with the cooperation of their respective governments, sold a great deal of weapons-making equipment and missile parts to Saddam at extraordinary high prices. Russia has engaged in the same sharp practice. Part of the extent of these countries double-dealing was revealed by William Broad's piece in the November 19 New York Times. He relates that Russia and France sold Saddam enough highly enriched uranium from 3-10 Hiroshima-sized bombs. The main problem for Russia may not be debt but an oil glut. If Iraqi oil is allowed flow freely it would depress oil prices and hence returns to Russian oil fields. This may be the reason that the Russian oil company Lukoil signed a $20 billion with Saddam back in 1997. There is also the oil connection. You would not know it to listen to Saddam's peaceniks but France is Saddam's favourite trading partner. The French also want to become heavily involved with Iraqi oil. With the backing of Paris Total Fina Elf, one of the world's largest energy companies, has multibillion dollar contracts ready for Saddam to sign. Only UN sanctions prevent the deals from being finalised. But should Saddam be overthrown those contracts could go down the tube with him if those ungrateful Iraqi's decided they did not want to reward Saddam's friends. It could well be that right now Chirac is hoping that Saddam's shredding machines are working overtime. brookesnews.com

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