France’s £150m deals ‘linked to Iraq arms’
dailytimes.com.pk
LONDON: French companies have signed contracts with Iraq worth more than £150m that are suspected of being linked to its military operations, confidential documents reveal.
Mobile laboratories, chemicals and communications equipment are among the goods being peddled by the French in Iraq. Britain and America have successfully objected to more than 150 of the deals but many similar contracts have been given the go-ahead after lobbying by the French.
A senior US official last week warned of weaknesses in United Nations restrictions. “We have a concern that there have been contracts, legal ones, that have supplied component parts (for the Iraqi military).” The documents, including names of thousands of companies that trade with Baghdad, were leaked as France faces accusations that its conciliatory line towards Iraq is heavily influenced by its extensive business links to the country.
It also emerged last week that a leading French business lobby group was advising companies of “juicy” deals in Baghdad because of American and British reluctance to trade there.
Endorsed by Thierry Mariani, an MP from President Jacques Chirac’s party, the website of the French Office for the Development of Industry and Culture declares: “Iraq has always been an ally of France. The Iraqi government saved our country economically during the oil crisis of 1974.” Praising religious tolerance and women’s rights in Iraq, it added that “Iraq has always condemned terrorism”.
The goods offered by French companies to Iraq and detailed in internal UN documents include:
Chemicals and specialised laboratory equipment which US experts warn have “significant direct application” to a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programme;
Refrigerated trucks from French companies which defectors and UN diplomats claim have been used as storage facilities and mobile laboratories for biological weapons;
A French telecommunications company with a contract to supply the mayor of Baghdad with radios which UK officials rated as “sophisticated military communications equipment”;
Medical equipment for removing kidney stones, supplied by France, which US officials alleged contained components useful for missile systems.
One set of documents showed £79m worth of contracts blocked or abandoned after objections raised by Britain and America. Another list reveals £74m worth of contracts approved after French lobbying and despite initial objections or concerns raised by British or American officials.
The documents reveal how French businesses have become increasingly bold in their efforts to sell goods that American officials argue are banned under sanctions.
Despite efforts to block the deals, US intelligence officials warn that many products already sold under similar contracts have been diverted to the Iraqi military.
The goods are offered to Iraq under an “oil for food” programme introduced in 1996 to alleviate the effects of sanctions on the population. France, along with China and Russia, accounts for nearly a quarter of the programme.
The UN documents also reveal that more objections have been lodged against French export contracts with Iraq than any other exporting country.
One of the leading US national security laboratories analysed more than 6,000 oil-for-food contracts and warned of the military capability of many of the goods.
The classified report from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, seen by The Sunday Times, warned of one deal by a French company to supply laboratory equipment as offering Iraq a “significant direct application” for weapons of mass destruction programme.
The report said the most worrying contract was for pesticide offered for sale to Iraq by Jordan. According to the report, the pesticide had VX, a chemical warfare agent, as its backbone and was “only two or more steps” from being VX.
The laboratory also highlighted a deal to sell the Iraqis high-speed patrol boats from an unidentified country. It pointed out the use of such boats was “almost exclusively military”.
French companies contacted last week that were involved in blocked or controversial contracts with Iraq all pointed out that their exports were handled through the UN and all official instructions were followed. “We supply pretty standard laboratory equipment”, said one. “The company is happy to sell only if the UN approves, but we don’t lose any sleep if the contracts are blocked.” —TST |
