Document: Saddam Supporters Got Oil Deals
Jan. 29, 2004 -- ABCNEWS has obtained an extraordinary list that contains the names of prominent people around the world who supported Saddam Hussein's regime and were given oil contracts as a result.
All of the contracts were awarded from late 1997 until the U.S.-led war in March 2003. They were conducted under the aegis of the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which was designed to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian goods.
The document was discovered several weeks ago in the files of the Iraqi Oil Ministry in Baghdad.
According to a copy obtained by ABCNEWS, some 270 prominent individuals, political parties or corporations in 47 countries were on a list of those given Iraq oil contracts instantly worth millions of dollars.
Today, the U.S.Treasury Department said that any American citizens found to be illegally involved could face prosecution.
"You are looking at a political slush fund that was buying political support for the regime of Saddam Hussein for the last six or seven years," said financial investigator John Fawcett.
Investigators say none of the people involved would have actually taken possession of oil, but rather just the right to buy the oil at a discounted price, which could be resold to a legitimate broker or oil company, at an average profit of about 50 cents a barrel.
List Includes Prominent Names
Among those named: Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri, an outspoken opponent of U.S.-Iraq policy, who received a contract for 10 million barrels of oil — about a $5 million profit.
The son of the Syrian defense minister received 6 million barrels, according to the document, worth about $3 million.
George Galloway, a British member of Parliament, was also on the list to receive 19 million barrels of oil, a $9.5 million profit. A vocal critic of the Iraq war, Galloway denied any involvement to ABCNEWS earlier this year.
"I've never seen a bottle of oil, owned one or bought one," Galloway said in a previous interview with ABCNEWS.
According to the document, France was the second-largest beneficiary, with tens of millions of barrels awarded to Patrick Maugein, a close political associate and financial backer of French President Jacques Chirac.
Maugein, individually and through companies connected to him, received contracts for some 36 million barrels.
Chirac's office said it was unaware of Maugein's deals, which Maugein told ABCNEWS are perfectly legal.
The single biggest set of contracts were given to the Russian government and Russian political figures, more than 1.3 billion barrels in all — including 92 million barrels to individual officials in the office of President Vladimir Putin.
Another 1 million barrels were contracted to the Russian ambassador to Baghdad, 137 million barrels of oil were given to the Russian Communist Party, and 5 million barrels were contracted to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Also on the list are the names of prominent journalists, two Iraqi-Americans, and a French priest who organized a meeting between the pope and Tariq Aziz, Saddam's deputy prime minister.
The following are the names of some of those who, according to the document, received Iraqi oil contracts (amounts are in millions of barrels of oil):
RussiaThe Companies of the Russian Communist Party: 137 million The Companies of the Liberal Democratic Party: 79.8 million The Russian Committee for Solidarity with Iraq: 6.5 million and 12.5 million (2 separate contracts)Head of the Russian Presidential Cabinet: 90 millionThe Russian Orthodox Church: 5 million
FranceCharles Pasqua, former minister of interior: 12 millionTrafigura (Patrick Maugein), businessman: 25 millionIbex: 47.2 millionBernard Merimee, former French ambassador to the United Nations: 3 millionMichel Grimard, founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club: 17.1 million
SyriaFiras Mostafa Tlass, son of Syria's defense minister: 6 million
TurkeyZeynel Abidin Erdem: more than 27 millionLotfy Doghan: more than 11 million
Indonesia
Megawati Sukarnoputri: 11 million
SpainAli Ballout, Lebanese journalist: 8.8 million
YugoslaviaThe Socialist Party: 22 millionKostunica's Party: 6 million
CanadaArthur Millholland, president and CEO of Oilexco: 9.5 million
ItalyFather Benjamin, a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the pope and Tariq Aziz: 4.5 million
Roberto Frimigoni: 24.5 million
United States
Samir Vincent: 7 millionShakir Alkhalaji: 10.5 million
United KingdomGeorge Galloway, member of Parliament: 19 million Mujaheddin Khalq: 36.5 million
South Africa Tokyo Saxwale: 4 million
JordanShaker bin Zaid: 6.5 millionThe Jordanian Ministry of Energy: 5 millionFawaz Zureikat: 6 million
Toujan Al Faisal, former member of Parliament: 3 million
LebanonThe son of President Lahoud: 5.5 million
EgyptKhaled Abdel Nasser: 16.5 millionEmad Al Galda, businessman and Parliament member: 14 million
Palestinian TerritoriesThe Palestinian Liberation Organization: 4 millionAbu Al Abbas: 11.5 million
QatarHamad bin Ali Al Thany: 14 million
Libya Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem: 1 million
ChadForeign minister of Chad: 3 million
BrazilThe October 8th Movement: 4.5 million
Myanmar (Burma)
The minister of the Forests of Myanmar: 5 million
UkraineThe Social Democratic Party: 8.5 millionThe Communist Party: 6 millionThe Socialist Party: 2 millionThe FTD oil company: 2 million