What? Saddam Supporters Were Paid Off? Say It Ain't So!

What? Saddam Supporters Were Paid Off? Say It Ain't So!

ABCNEWS.com : Document: Saddam Supporters Got Oil Deals

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 article goes on to list some of the biggest winners in this Iraqi Lottery:

Russia

• The Companies of the Russian Communist Party: 137M
  
• The Companies of the Liberal Democratic Party: 79.8M
  
• The Russian Committee for Solidarity with Iraq: 6.5M and 12.5M (2 separate contracts)
  
• Head of the Russian Presidential Cabinet: 90M
  
• The Russian Orthodox Church: 5M
  

France

• Charles Pasqua, former minister of interior: 12M
  
• Trafigura (Patrick Maugein), businessman: 25M
  
• Ibex: 47.2M
  
• Bernard Merimee, former French ambassador to the United Nations: 3M
  
• Michel Grimard, founder of the French-Iraqi Export Club: 17.1M
  

Syria

• Firas Mostafa Tlass, son of Syria's defense minister: 6M
  

Turkey

• Zeynel Abidin Erdem: more than 27M
  
• Lotfy Doghan: more than 11M
  

Indonesia

• Megawati Sukarnoputri: 11M
  

Spain

• Ali Ballout, Lebanese journalist: 8.8M
  

Yugoslavia

• The Socialist Party: 22M
  
• Kostunica's Party: 6M
  

Canada

• Arthur Millholland, president and CEO of Oilexco: 9.5M
  

Italy

• Father Benjamin, a French Catholic priest who arranged a meeting between the pope & Tariq Aziz: 4.5M
  
• Roberto Frimigoni: 24.5M
  

United States

• Samir Vincent: 7M
  
• Shakir Alkhalaji: 10.5M
  

United Kingdom

• George Galloway, member of Parliament: 19M
  
• Mujaheddin Khalq: 36.5M
  

South Africa

• Tokyo Saxwale: 4M
  

Jordan

• Shaker bin Zaid: 6.5M
  
• The Jordanian Ministry of Energy: 5M
  
• Fawaz Zureikat: 6M
  
• Toujan Al Faisal, former member of Parliament: 3M
  

Lebanon

• The son of President Lahoud: 5.5M
  

Egypt

• Khaled Abdel Nasser: 16.5M
  
• Emad Al Galda, businessman and Parliament member: 14M
  

Palestinian Territories

• The Palestinian Liberation Organization: 4M
  
• Abu Al Abbas: 11.5M
  

Qatar

• Hamad bin Ali Al Thany: 14M
  

Libya

• Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem: 1M
  

Chad

• Foreign minister of Chad: 3M
  

Brazil

• The October 8th Movement: 4.5M
  

Myanmar (Burma)

• The minister of the Forests of Myanmar: 5M
  

Ukraine

• The Social Democratic Party: 8.5M
  
• The Communist Party: 6M
  
• The Socialist Party: 2M
  
• The FTD oil company: 2M