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Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge
One of the documents, known as ``the exempt list'' and obtained by AP from congressional investigators at the House International Relations Committee chaired by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., catalogues companies personally approved by Saddam and top lieutenants to circumvent Iraqi regulations to sign deals. The list contains hundreds of names of companies from more than two dozen countries.
No French, Chinese or American companies are on the list, but more than 280 Russian and 100 Saudi companies account for well over half of the list. The investigator who provided the document to AP said Congress might not have the full list.
Earlier this month, the top U.S. arms inspector, Charles Duelfer, published a report that listed foreign companies and individuals who had received vouchers for oil contracts under the U.N. program from the former Iraqi government. The report said Saddam himself approved companies.
Duelfer's report alleged that Saddam's government had used the oil vouchers to both solicit kickbacks and to reward countries and individuals willing to cooperate with Iraq's political goals. Companies and individuals from Russia, France and China dominated the list.
A handful of obscure companies from Western countries including Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy and Switzerland appear on the list. Over 250 companies appear on Saddam's blacklist, obtained from an Iraqi Health Ministry official, according to congressional investigators. The document also details reasons the companies lost favor with the Iraqi government. Dozens of the companies are blasted for ``dealing with the Zionist entity,'' apparently referring to Israel.
One contract in English obtained by AP from investigators required companies given deals with the Iraqi government to sign a pledge that says, ``We hereby confirm our commitment and pledge not to deal with Israel.''
American companies Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard Co., and Eli Lilly and Co., make the list for this reason and Agilent Technologies Inc. - which was spun off from Hewlett-Packard - is accused by Vice President Ramadan of changing its name from Hewlett-Packard to ``enter into Israel,'' according to the document.
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So there are some inconsistencies. First they aren't dealing with the French and the Chinesse, then they aren't.
Then we find out the American companies are on the 'black list' because we deal with Israel
This shows two things.
1. Individual companies in countries were subverting the oil-for-food program. This articles fails to show where the UN knew anything about it until later. Therefore it is not the UNs fault if other countries who operate inside the UN are caught doing illegal activities.
2. America was, apparently, the only country adhearing to the oil-for-food rule. Leaving us out of the loop for oil vouchers. I'll bet you that the US Government was pretty pissed they weren't in on the deal also.
So basically every country was in bed with Iraq but us, and we're pissed at the UN?
I'm not surprised we were on their black list after we dealt arms to Iran and Iraq during th Iran/Iraq war.