[adult subject] Russians cited in oil-for-food probe "a joke"

[Hellfighter]

will the truth is coming out in full liven color;

Monday, May 16, 2005 Posted: 12:42 AM EDT (0442 GMT)

Sen. Norm Coleman, shown in 2004, will chair an oil-for-food hearing Tuesday.

(CNN) -- A Senate report released Monday accuses top Russian politicians, including advisers to President Vladimir Putin, of engaging in illicit transactions with Iraq during the U.N. oil-for-food program.

The report found that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime allocated 76 million barrels of crude oil to Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russia's deputy parliament speaker, and his political party between 1997 and 2002.

The report was made by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, one of several congressional panels probing the oil-for-food program. The subcommittee plans a hearing on its findings Tuesday.

The report estimated that Zhirinovsky profited by about $9 million in commissions after assigning his rights to companies that could actually take possession of the oil and sell it on the open market.

The report also said top Russian officials -- including Alexander Voloshin, a former Putin adviser and one-time Kremlin chief of staff -- and Putin's United Russia party received oil allocations for 90 million barrels between 1999 and 2003.

Those allocations yielded profits of $3 million once the shipments were steered through Russian companies, the report concluded.

The subcommittee did not seek rebuttals from the men or their representatives, but Zhirinovsky has denied previous reports that he received any benefit from the oil-for-food program.

Former Iraqi Vice President Taha Yasin Ramadan -- captured in August 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion -- told investigators Iraq believed the Russian allocations provided "compensation for support" shown, especially at the United Nations.

Ramadan said Putin's party received the largest allocations because it was Russia's governing party, the report found.

"This is how Saddam Hussein used oil for food -- to line his own pockets and and curry favor with politicians," said Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, the subcommittee's chairman. "That is the reality."

Coleman said Iraq abused the program "to take care of its friends ... and throw money at [U.N.] member states."

there more to read: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/...ood/index.html

[BADDOG]

Nothing that Saddam the son of a bitch did surprises me including attempting to bribe foreign governments and individuals!

Regards

[Hellfighter]

will heads going to roll now

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by BADDOG
Nothing that Saddam the son of a bitch did surprises me including attempting to bribe foreign governments and individuals!

Regards

True that, he knew how to get around the eyes of the world.

[atholon]

Yeah,

Russia is our greatest ally....pfft.

[Lakie]

all that said russia is someone that you dont want to piss off, there probably the wests greatest check on china, as long as russia is there between itself and the US its alot youdont have to worry about.

[atholon]

Yeah...always seems they are part of something going on

[Hellfighter]

Russia, Germany, French all had their hand into the oil. getting.

seem we in the USA had some too (2-3ppl) who did it under handedly too, they are going to Fed court hope they get the max.

[atholon]

Hehe I have two Russian teachers at school. I better watch what I say or I am gunna get an F.

J/K

[Lakie]

you havent said anything that dereogatory, if your russian teachers are anything like the 5 russians i know then theyll discount your original post as something along the lines of "ignorant americans" (not saying that you are, you seems to have a stance, but the stereotypical amercian...). And your second post, well its always best to have an ear in everything if your stuck between the USA and China, sorta sensible thing to do...

I thought that senator was noam chomsky for a while, looks like him lol

[SilentTrigger]

Saw some "important" Russian being aressted in Russia, didn't see or hear enough to understand who it was, anyone know who it was?