December 18, 2004
THE AZIZ PAPERS:
In custody, Aziz ready to name names: Saddam’s foreign minister may finger U.N. officials in oil-for-food scandal (Lisa Myers & the NBC investigative unit, Dec. 17, 2004, MSNBC)
David Kay — a former U.S. adviser in Iraq — spent months questioning Aziz and others. He says Aziz quickly turned on Saddam and could testify at any trial."He talks about direct orders to murder, to assassinate, to kill," says Kay.
NBC News has learned U.N. investigators probing corruption in the U.N. oil for food program were scheduled to question Aziz last week. That session was delayed for security reasons.
The U.N. investigation — led by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker — is looking into Saddam's alleged diversion of oil money that was supposed to go for food to U.N. officials and politicians in key countries.
U.S. officials say Aziz already has implicated the French and others, claiming payoffs were made with the understanding that recipients would support Iraq on key matters before the U.N.
"He pointed to specific individuals in Russia and France, in the United States — that received favorable treatment," says David Kay.
Now, sources tell NBC News that Aziz has indicated he's finally ready to talk about alleged bribes to U.N. officials. U.N. investigators refuse to comment. [...]
Once Saddam's tireless defender, Aziz is now singing a very different tune, to please his new keeper.
Posted by Orrin Judd at December 18, 2004 8:46 AM
It will be interesting to see if the world media treats Aziz's claims with the same credulity they're currently treating the claims of former Guantanamo Bay detainees -- i.e. stories of torture allegations with little or no rebuttal quotes and information -- or if critics saying Aziz is merely trying to save his own skin receiver equal treatment when the testimony comes out.
Posted by: John at December 18, 2004 9:19 AMJust think how close we came to having a Froggy-stooge for president.
Posted by: Lou Gots at December 18, 2004 9:22 AMIt will also be interesting to see if the world media accepts Aziz's testimony at face value, the same way it accepted his statements in his capacity as Saddam's foreign minister at face value.
Posted by: Mike Morley at December 18, 2004 9:53 AMIf he lives long enough...better put aside some of those fat-free Pringles just in case.
Posted by: Rick T. at December 18, 2004 1:58 PMIf he can give us (a) incontrovertible evidence indicting key members of the UN in the Oil for Food scandal and (b) definitive evidence of the sourse of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. I say give him a full pardon.
Posted by: MarkD at December 18, 2004 2:48 PMMarkD:
Aziz is a dead man anyway if we let him go. Some enterprising Iraqi will figure out a way to kill him.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at December 19, 2004 3:38 AMThe CIA will kill him themselves. The Oil-for-Food program was such a slimy gravy train, I can't imagine those gangsters, thugs and pondscum at Langley didn't get a piece.
Posted by: Bart at December 19, 2004 6:48 AM