(Washington Post Colum Lynch - The former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein pocketed more than $10.1 billion in smuggled oil revenue and illicit proceeds from the UN-run Oil for Food program between 1997 and 2002, $3.5 billion more than previously estimated, according to testimony by the U.S. General Accounting Office Thursday. The GAO charged that Iraq's ruling elites acquired $5.7 billion from the proceeds of oil smuggled through Syria, Jordan, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf region. They raised an additional $4.4 billion in illegal revenue through the imposition of oil surcharges and commissions from suppliers.
2004-03-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive