Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Gorgeous George and the Saddam payments
Of the many YouTube videos available to use as diversions or procrastination tools, one of my favourites is the raucous debate between Christopher Hitchens and George Galloway about the Iraq war. In that dog fight, Hitchens repeatedly accused Galloway of being Saddam Hussein's useful idiot and for being in cahoots with the ex-Iraqi dictator. (The same claims were made by London's Daily Telegraph, for which Galloway sued for libel and won.)
An inquiry was set up, by the Committee on Standards and Privileges, to investigate. It has now produced its report, along with a recommendation that Mr. Galloway apologize to the House and be suspended from Parliament for 18 days. And the findings of the report are even more damning, if that is possible, than the conclusions reached by the Senate and Volcker investigations. In particular, they make reference to the transcript of a meeting between Galloway and Saddam Hussein on Aug. 8, 2002. On that date, Galloway complained to his political master—the man he had saluted in public for his "courage" and "indefatigability"— that certain problems with oil prices were affecting "our income" and "our dues."
