Scott Ritter and Friends

The Iraqis opted to play lip-service to compliance. They said that they would accept the provisions of the Security Council Resolution, yet at the same time they accepted it, in April, 1991, there were high-level meetings in which Iraq made strategic plans for concealing the existence of their entire biological weapons program, their entire nuclear weapons program, the bulk of their modern chemical weapons production program, and their entire indigenous missile production capability. - Scott Ritter

Though the former weapons inspector claims his 90-minute documentary is objective, he told the Standard it was produced with the approval of the Iraqi government and features interviews with numerous high-level Iraqi officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. Saddam’s one-time nemesis managed to secure the unprecedented access through the help of Shakir al-Khafaji, an Iraqi-American real estate developer who ponied up $400,000 for Ritter’s movie. Ritter confessed that al-Khafaji, who accompanied him to Iraq, is “openly sympathetic with the regime in Baghdad.” The well-connected businessman was apparently instrumental in getting him interviews with top Iraqi officials. - Carl Limbacher

By Monday, professional hairdo Paula Zahn told viewers Ritter had “drunk Saddam Hussein’s Kool-Aid.” Over on MSNBC, Curtis & Kuby co-host Curtis Sliwa compared him to “a sock puppet” who “oughta turn in his passport for an Iraqi one.” But the nadir came later on CNN when makeup job Kyra Phillips interrogated him, implying that he was being paid by Iraq — and all but calling him a quisling. - Antonia Zerbisias

They said you went to Iraq, to Baghdad, in July of 2000 to produce a documentary film that you said would de-demonize Iraq. An Iraqi-American, according to the “Weekly Standard,” who is openly sympathetic with the regime in Baghdad, bankrolled this to the tune of some $400,000. - Paula Zahn

George Galloway, the Labour backbencher, received money from Saddam Hussein’s regime, taking a slice of oil earnings worth at least 375,000 British pounds a year, according to Iraqi intelligence documents found by The Daily Telegraph in Baghdad. A confidential memorandum sent to Saddam by his spy chief said that Mr Galloway asked an agent of the Mukhabarat secret service for a greater cut of Iraq’s exports under the oil for food programme. - David Blair

I was shocked to read about the allegations, ostensibly based upon documents discovered in Iraq, that George Galloway was somehow compensated financially by the Iraqi government for championing its cause. I was shocked because, if these allegations prove to be true, then the integrity and credibility of a man for whom I have great respect would be dramatically undermined. But I was also shocked because of the timing of these allegations. Having been on the receiving end of smear campaigns designed to assassinate the character of someone in opposition to the powers that be, I have grown highly suspicious of dramatic revelations conveniently timed to silence a vocal voice of dissent. - Scott Ritter

Guess which Indie Prod’s makin’ big international headlines? None other than moviedom’s own Shakir Alkhalaji who exec produced that sensational documentary “In Shifting Sands: the Truth about Unscom and the Disarming of Iraq,” helmed by renowned auteur Scott Ritter. According to ABC News, Alkhalaji—breaking all records for the documentary genre—was awarded 10.5 million dollars worth of oil for his troubles by former Iraqi potentate Saddam Hussein—only one of two US citizens to be so honored. Way to go, Shakir! (May all your barrels be “light sweet crude”!) - Roger L. Simon

I am more aware than any UN official that Iraq has set up covert procurement funds to violate sanctions. This was true in 1997-1998, and I’m sure its true today. - Scott Ritter

Also named as alleged recipients of Saddam’s largesse were anti-war British parliamentarian George Galloway and Indonesia President Megawati Soekarnoputri. - Miranda Devine

A Kucinich rally was held at the Capitol on Friday and featured former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter, an early critic of the war in Iraq. Ritter, a former U.S. Marine, was a weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998. He has been a vocal critical of the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq. Ritter said he is a registered Republican who voted for Bush in 2000, but he won’t this year “because I feel so strongly about holding him accountable for what he’s done in our name.” Ritter called Iraq “the defining issue of our time” and said Kucinich is the only Democratic candidate with a plan to get the United States out of Iraq. - Steve Terrel

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Scott Ritter and Friends

cultural revolutions online: the weblog of the chronicles editors

Saddam manipulated oil-for-food program

Oil-for-Food, Bribes-for-Contracts

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