The Wheat Bribe Affair (1 Viewer)

[erin_tonkin]

Wheat bribes funded bombers

December 08, 2005
John Kerin

KICKBACKS paid by Australia's monopoly wheat exporter to the regime of Saddam Hussein were put into a bank account used to finance a $US10million ($13 million) slush fund for families of Palestinian suicide bombers. [...]

[A CIA] report completed by the special adviser to the CIA on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Charles Duelfer, found last year that kickbacks on commercial goods contracts carried into Iraq from Jordan under the UN program represented one source of funds that Saddam used to buy "military goods" in defiance of UN sanctions between 1997 and 2003.

AWB, the former Australian Wheat Board, has been accused of paying $US222 million in illegal bribes to the Iraqi Government through the corrupt program. Its payments represented the biggest single contribution to an estimated $1.5 billion in kickbacks uncovered in an investigation by Paul Volcker.

The Howard Government has announced an inquiry, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Terry Cole, which will investigate the role of Australian companies in the program. It will start on Monday in Sydney.

AWB admits making the payments to Alia but insists it thought the fees were for transporting wheat around Iraq and did not know it was a front company for Saddam's regime.

AWB has maintained the payments were approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the UN. But the Australian Government has denied it was aware where the money was going. [...]

- Full Article: The Australian

what do you think about that??

 

[erin_tonkin]

the only stuff we are hearing about it is from the ABC all other stations just ignore it and talk about Angelina Jolie's pregnancy. As relevant as that may be we are ignoring a serious thiing that our government has done.

 

[erin_tonkin]

its so terrible how we are faced with either john or kim

in my opinion they are both incapable of sucessfully running this country

i was watching an interview with carmen lawrence on 730 report and she seemed like such a capable person. but she was taken out of action years ago by a filthy court case.

im begining to loose faith in our government

 

[davin]

a link or something possible for more info?

 

[erin_tonkin]

it still happened though. And there was also a similar event like this with the egyptians. and the money has not come back.

its dodgy

they could lend the money to people who actually need it like the 3rd world countries in stead of ones needing the lend because of demanding millitary budgets

 

[gerhard]

well, we put money to prop up a dictatorship which we later decided to destroy because they were evil. If they were evil then we probably shouldnt have given them money. If there werent evil then we probably shouldnt have invaded. and you know, bribes are kinda immoral. the business side of the whole thing kinda goes over my head though.

 

[erin_tonkin]

its dodgy how little we are hearing about it

 

[SashatheMan]

what do you think about that??

can i get an article or sometihng. or provide more information i have no idea what exactly yuo are talking aboutr

 

[erin_tonkin]

what is wrong with carmen lawrence.

Maybe we should all just vote family first next election.

Well John Howard let me see... Work Choices (good idea john!!)

Terriorisim Laws (oops better not even have this discussion for fear of sedition charges)

Union Fees compulsory (thakyou John from the students relying on disability help and payments)

shall i continue??

 

[erin_tonkin]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17498079%5E601,00.html

 

[bananasmoothy]

what is wrong with carmen lawrence.

Maybe we should all just vote family first next election.

Well John Howard let me see... Work Choices (good idea john!!)

Terriorisim Laws (oops better not even have this discussion for fear of sedition charges)

Union Fees compulsory (thakyou John from the students relying on disability help and payments)

shall i continue??

Family first... ewwww...

Bunch of nut-cases.

 

[erin_tonkin]

Family first... ewwww...

Bunch of nut-cases.

yeah i agree

but.... who else is there?

 

[davin]

one of the down sides of party politics is that over time, you end up with only a few dominant parties, and when there's little competition, there's little pressure to be finding the best candidates possible.

 

[erin_tonkin]

its so sad. i wish polititians were more about whats best 4 the country than whats best 4 them

 

[erin_tonkin]

interesting how no one comes to howards defense

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Politics isn't so simple. There is never going to be some ultimate, saint-like leader who is completely devoid of fault. You can't expect to agree on every level with one particular party. All you can do is assess the policies put forward (and already implemented) by each party, the way they have performed and the way they have acted. Whichever party has conformed the most to your desires or will do so, will be your choice come election time. But by voting for one particular party all you are really doing is choosing the lesser of two evils.

As for Howard, he is an extremely successful leader. He has been so successful because he is in touch with mainstream Australia. Howard knows when he can get away with pushing unpopular ideas, yet he knows when to be populist. He is also rather sycophantic in the sense that he tells people what they want to hear. But you don't win votes by being condescending.

You don't win votes by telling Australians that they are a bunch of apathetic, self-interested racists who are disgraceful environmentalists, should support minority groups more and should feel bad for Aborigines. You don't win votes by acting soft and cuddly - you win votes by giving people what they want to hear and feel. And at this point in time, people want to feel secure and people want to have money. Those are two fundamental desires that every Australian, no matter who they are, can relate to. It is on these two fronts that the Liberal Party has presented itself as the most effective.

Labor has only focused on these issues recently, and as between current party leaders it will be too late.

It is also quite ridiculous to say that everything that the Howard government has done has been 'wrong'. I disagree with the government on many issues but still recognise the merits in some of them. I doubt anyone here would disagree with the Howard government's decision to ban guns. But I'm sure most would disagree with the decision to invade Iraq.

 

[erin_tonkin]

actually under the terrorisim laws boards like this are called sedition and you can get arrested. also shows such as CNNNN and other ppolitical comedies.

he made so many election promises which he has just gone back on. I know all polititians do this but it doesnt make it right

 

[MoonlightSonata]

actually under the terrorisim laws boards like this are called sedition and you can get arrested. also shows such as CNNNN and other ppolitical comedies.

No. You obviously have no knowledge of the content of the legislation nor have you read the act itself (Anti-Terrorism Act (No. 2) 2005).

 

[withoutaface]

I doubt anyone here would disagree with the Howard government's decision to ban guns.

*Jumps up and down*

 

[bananasmoothy]

interesting how no one comes to howards defense

Better the known devil?