Canberra knew of Saddam kickbacks

[WearyOne2]

Canberra knew of Saddam kickbacks
"THE Howard Government has known since immediately after the Iraq invasion in 2003 that UN oil-for-food contracts contained "kickbacks and surcharges" for the benefit of Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad.

Explosive evidence presented to the Cole inquiry yesterday revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade learned of the massive kickbacks from one of the advisers the Howard Government sent to Iraq."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18024850%255E601,00.html

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While Australian PM John Howard secretly made plans to join the invasion of Iraq, he also knew $300M in bribes had been paid by the Australian Wheat Board to Saddam Hussein..Australia gave the money to Saddam to arm his men to kill members of The Coaltion of The Willing.

meanwhile Sen Norm Coleman is attacking the Australian Government..the conservatives and war mongers are beginning to eat each other !!

[havocmom]

1. Another corporate puppet?

My daughter knows lots of people in OZ and not one of them knows anyone else who actually voted for Howard. How do they count ballots down under?

[rooboy]

2. ...and...Australia's Reputation takes a kicking overseas

AUSTRALIA'S reputation is taking a battering in the international press over the inquiry into AWB, as newspapers, web and television news services focus on the link between John Howard's Government and Saddam Hussein's regime.

A sample of newspapers provided plenty of negative commentary on the AWB inquiry.

London's Financial Times reported on Thursday, in an article headlined "Australian Premier (sic) drawn into Iraq scandal" that the AWB inquiry had "unearthed evidence drawing John Howard, prime minister, into the alleged scandal for the first time".

"The Commission of Inquiry, which is probing allegations that AWB paid kickbacks to Iraq under the discredited United Nations oil-for-food program, released a letter written by Mr Howard in which he sought to work 'closely' with the wheat exporter, just weeks before the company's chief executive visited Baghdad to negotiate illicit payments to the Saddam regime," it said.

The Guardian appeared to take delight in pointing out that it was not only Australia's wheat industry but the world's biggest miner, BHP Billiton, that had this week been dragged into the corruption scandal.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/reputation-takes-a-kicking-overseas/2006/02/02/1138836372869.html

[Eugene]

3. BBC: Howard demands 'bribes' apology

Last Updated: Friday, 3 February 2006, 06:57 GMT

Howard demands 'bribes' apology

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has demanded an apology from a US senator who suggested
his government was complicit in alleged bribe taking.

Mr Howard has said there was no truth in claims that his government knew anything of bribes made
by a major Australian wheat exporter, AWB Limited.

<snip>

Over the past week it has emerged that two days before Australian federal elections in 2004,
the then Australian ambassador to Washington, Michael Thawley, asked a US committee investigating
the oil-for-food programme to drop its inquiry into AWB's Iraqi dealings.

Sen Norm Coleman, who led the US investigation, has said he was assured by Ambassador Thawley
at the time that Mr Howard's government was not aware of the alleged bribes.

<snip>

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4676272.stm