Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Galloway was anything but straight with Congress and the American people

As you know, [George Galloway] has authored an account of his testimony before the Subcommittee, entitled, Mr. Galloway Goes to Washington: The Brit Who Set Congress Straight about Iraq
writes Minnesota's Senator Norm Coleman (cheers to John R).
As the [Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations] report shows, Galloway was anything but straight with Congress and the American people.

… Since the May hearing, the Subcommittee has obtained further evidence establishing that the Hussein regime granted oil allocations to Galloway and his political organization, the “Mariam Appeal.” The Subcommittee report reveals that British MP George Galloway made false or misleading statements before the Subcommittee on May 17, 2005. Specifically, evidence gathered by the Subcommittee reveals:

• Galloway personally solicited and was granted eight oil allocations totaling 23 million barrels from the Hussein government from 1999 through 2003;

• Galloway’s wife, Dr. Amineh Abu-Zayyad, received approximately $150,000 in connection with one allocation of oil;

• Galloway’s political campaign, the Mariam Appeal, received at least $446,000 in connection with several allocations granted under the Oil-for-Food Program;

• Illegal “surcharge” payments in excess of $1.6 million were paid to the Hussein regime in connection with the oil allocations granted to Galloway and the Mariam Appeal; and

• Galloway knowingly made false or misleading statements under oath before the Subcommittee at its hearing on May 17, 2005.

“The additional evidence gathered by the Subcommittee links George Galloway to the Iraqi regime’s scheme to manipulate the U.N. Oil-for-Food program,” said Coleman. “Records obtained indicate that Dr. Abu-Zayyad, the wife of George Galloway, received a $150,000 payment and Mariam Appeal, the political campaign led by George Galloway, received at least $446,000.”

The findings revealed in the Subcommittee’s report have been substantiated by personal interviews with high-level members of the Hussein regime, oil traders with personal knowledge of Galloway’s involvement, and extensive bank records that provide a conclusive paper trail and corroborate Galloway’s personal knowledge and involvement in the Oil-for-Food scandal.

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