Howard letter draws PM into wheat scandal (implicated in Oil for Food)

[rooboy]

John Howard wrote to the head of Australia's wheat exporter asking him to work closely with government officials on Iraq shortly before the executive went to Baghdad to negotiate an illicit payment to Saddam Hussein's regime, new evidence from the Cole inquiry shows.

The letter from the Prime Minister to AWB's Andrew Lindberg was released by the inquiry into the UN oil-for-food scandal yesterday, which is investigating $300 million in AWB kickbacks to the Iraqi regime. It also released scores of documents showing government officials were far more deeply involved in the exporter's deals with the regime than previously recognised.

Letters from Mr Howard and the Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, to AWB executives, as well as confidential AWB documents, will draw the Government into the widening scandal at the most senior levels.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/letter-draws-pm-into-scandal/2006/01/29/1138469608032.html

[DemInDistress]

1. does this mean bush's man in australia was on sadam's payroll?

[WearyOne2]

2. no it means the AWB gave Saddam Hussein $300million in bribes

so it's highly likely the bombs and guns being used to kill Iraqis and US soldiers were paid for by Australian farmers.

[oioioi]

3. PM sought Iraq details from AWB (Australian: Oil-for-food scandal)

JOHN Howard and Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile asked AWB to keep them fully informed of the wheat exporter's trade with Iraq at the same time as the company was paying millions of dollars in bribes to Saddam Hussein.

The Government insists it did not know Australia's monopoly wheat exporter was paying kickbacks to the Iraqi government.

But letters to be tendered to the oil-for-food inquiry this week provide the strongest evidence yet that the Prime Minister and Mr Vaile asked for details of AWB's dealings with the Iraqi regime.

The letters, including one from Mr Howard to AWB chief executive Andrew Lindberg, have reignited calls for the Government to expand the Cole inquiry's ability to examine Canberra's role in the wheat scandal.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17978323%255E601,00.html

http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5102147,00.jpg