CYLLON
12-03-2004, 09:01 PM
Marc Rich.Remember the guy?He's the fugitive financier who fled to Switzerland in 1983 after his indictment on 65 counts of tax fraud, tax evasion and racketeering, then received a pardon from Bill Clinton just before President Bush's inauguration in 2001.Seems the oil shipping records show Rich "was a middleman for several of Iraq's suspect oil deals in February 2001," the month after Clinton pardoned him and despite being on the run and over the objections of the Department of Justice. "A U.S. criminal investigation is looking into whether Rich, as well as several other prominent oil traders, made illegal payments to Iraq in order to obtain the lucrative oil contracts."
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=295926&page=1
Former American fugitive Marc Rich was a middleman for several of Iraq's suspect oil deals in February 2001, just one month after his pardon from President Clinton, according to oil industry shipping records obtained by ABC News.
And a U.S. criminal investigation is looking into whether Rich, as well as several other prominent oil traders, made illegal payments to Iraq in order to obtain the lucrative oil contracts.
"Without that kind of middleman, the system would not work because the major oil companies did not want to deal with Iraq because there was a mandated kickback," said human rights investigator John Fawcett.
Deborah Orin argues its more political damage for the dems because,"Democrats tend to reflexively back the United Nations--that's what 2004 loser John Kerry did, suggesting that a corrupt U.N. that cheerfully let Saddam Hussein rip off $21.3 billion could be trusted more than President Bush in Iraq.
"The idea that we need the U.N. to help us was certainly not a popular thing in focus groups that I watched this fall," dryly remarks senior Democratic strategist Anita Dunn."
http://www.nypost.com/commentary/21073.htm
So if it leans to the dems being not just naive but corrupt it would seem to do huge damage to any 2008 nominee that may be related by marriage to the man who pardoned Rich.
Oh and Marc Rich was set free by Clinton coincidentally just after his wife, Denise Rich, donated $450,000 to Clinton's presidential-library fund .Not only does this allow Rich to escape prosecution for his past crimes but it effectively haults ant prosecution for any cromes he commited before the pardon of January 2001.
here is a litle something about Rich from the Duelfer report;
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002720.php
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=295926&page=1
Former American fugitive Marc Rich was a middleman for several of Iraq's suspect oil deals in February 2001, just one month after his pardon from President Clinton, according to oil industry shipping records obtained by ABC News.
And a U.S. criminal investigation is looking into whether Rich, as well as several other prominent oil traders, made illegal payments to Iraq in order to obtain the lucrative oil contracts.
"Without that kind of middleman, the system would not work because the major oil companies did not want to deal with Iraq because there was a mandated kickback," said human rights investigator John Fawcett.
Deborah Orin argues its more political damage for the dems because,"Democrats tend to reflexively back the United Nations--that's what 2004 loser John Kerry did, suggesting that a corrupt U.N. that cheerfully let Saddam Hussein rip off $21.3 billion could be trusted more than President Bush in Iraq.
"The idea that we need the U.N. to help us was certainly not a popular thing in focus groups that I watched this fall," dryly remarks senior Democratic strategist Anita Dunn."
http://www.nypost.com/commentary/21073.htm
So if it leans to the dems being not just naive but corrupt it would seem to do huge damage to any 2008 nominee that may be related by marriage to the man who pardoned Rich.
Oh and Marc Rich was set free by Clinton coincidentally just after his wife, Denise Rich, donated $450,000 to Clinton's presidential-library fund .Not only does this allow Rich to escape prosecution for his past crimes but it effectively haults ant prosecution for any cromes he commited before the pardon of January 2001.
here is a litle something about Rich from the Duelfer report;
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002720.php