Cheney Speaks Out Against Invasion of Iraq

Cheney explains why invading Iraq was a very bad idea (1994).

Quote:

"..how many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth? Our judgment was, not very many.."



Plus ca change!

AWB Bill Passed

The Australian lower house of parliament has passed a bill that will punish those who break UN sanctions. It is ten years since allegations first surfaced that AWB might have been bribing Saddam Hussein.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said:

"I reject the suggestion the government has been slow in its response to the threat of money laundering or terrorist financing.

The government, of course, remains committed to ensuring that Australian businesses uphold our international obligations in relation to trade sanctions and combating foreign bribery.

Contravention of UN sanctions and bribery of foreign officials will not be tolerated."

AWB's $300M kickbacks to Saddam were uncovered after the government set up the Cole Commission.

The bill adds a new offence to the 1945 Charter of the United Nations Act which makes it illegal to break an Australian law which enforces UN sanctions, and creates a separate criminal offence for providing false or misleading information relating to sanctions.

Was Saddam Tipped Off?

The prosecution of Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., a Texas businessman accused of being involved in the Iraqi oil scandal, alleged that he told the Iraqi government crucial details of the impending 2003 American invasion of Iraq.

Lawyers for Wyatt said that the allegations, contained in an Iraqi official's diary, were highly prejudicial and irrelevant and should be kept out of his upcoming trial.

Quote:

"This document essentially alleges that Wyatt has committed the deplorable crime of treason and aided an enemy of the United States."

Wyatt is charged with conspiring to pay millions in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime, to win contracts under the United Nations' oil-for-food program in Iraq.

The statements about him were contained in a diary kept by an employee of Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organisation. The diary suggests Wyatt notified the Iraqi government that the United States would bomb Iraq, when it would invade Iraq and how many soldiers would be sent.

Wyatt has pleaded not guilty, and is scheduled to go to trial in early September.

Chemical Ali Faces Another Trial

Saddam Hussein's cousin known as "Chemical Ali", and 14 other defendants, will face charges next week in Iraq's third trial against former regime officials.

Prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi said that the trial will begin on August 21st. Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam's cousin and the former defence minister, will be among the defendants. This trial will commence whilst Ali awaits a decision on his death sentence appeal in a separate case.

The charges include genocide, mass murder and crimes against humanity and the defendants will face a possible death sentence if convicted.

The chief judge will be Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, who also presided over the Anfal trial, and the chief prosecutor will be Mahdi Abdul-Amir.

Surge Likely To Fail

British MP's have questioned the likelihood of Presidents Bush's surge strategy actually succeeding.

A report by the Commons foreign affairs committee concluded:

"It is too early to provide a definitive assessment of the US 'surge' but it does not look likely to succeed.

We believe that the success of this strategy will ultimately ride on whether Iraq's politicians are able to reach agreement on a number of key issues."

In other words, the fate if Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqi politicians. Unfortunately, the current Prime Minister of Iraq is failing miserably; as such the future looks bleak.