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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ish who wrote (62570)	12/20/2002 7:13:42 PM
From: PartyTime	Respond to of 281500

The ABC report you cited includes the following excerpt: >>>"The Foreign Office admitted the information had been released to the press in an attempt to counteract the growing public opinion opposing the sanctions. This information doesn't change our picture of the regime, but it might change the picture for the media, said a spokesman. Over the last few months, Iraqi propaganda has been gaining currency in the media, so we have provided the information to the media to change this view."'<<< Let me make clear that just because I oppose the U.S. going to war with Iraq, this doesn't make me a Saddam fan. I happen to agree with most characterizations that the man is a dispicable despot. Toward this end, I'd guess that probably oil is being smuggled out of the country. But it'd also be my guess that any whiskey or tobacco being purchased is coming from that smuggled oil money and not the UN program. Indeed, as noted above in the ABC excerpt, the propaganda machines are cranking on all sides, so one sorta has to read between the lines, so to speak. Here's an account relative to oil for food and who controls the money: >>>"Under its rules, the UN controls all revenues from Iraq's oil sales and contracts within the program are subject to oversight."<<< globalpolicy.org So I guess the ultimate question is: Is the UN bootlegging on behalf of Saddam's elite core? I doubt it!