wrbones
04-22-03, 12:32 PM
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030422/140/dy7v3.html
Labour Investigates Iraq Cash Claim
Labour is to investigate a newspaper report that MP George Galloway received money from Saddam Hussein's regime.The inquiry was announced by Labour Party chairman Ian Hunt, who said the allegations were "extremely serious".
Mr Galloway has strenuously denied the claims as "black propaganda" and "intelligence hocus pocus".
He said he intended to sue the Daily Telegraph, which published them, for libel.
The Telegraph said it had found Iraqi intelligence documents which suggested Mr Galloway took a slice of Iraq's oil-for-food programme worth at least £375,000 a year.
According to the newspaper, the suggestion was made in a confidential memo to Saddam from Iraq's intelligence chief, who is not named. It was written in January 2000.
It said the documents were discovered by one of its journalists in the looted foreign ministry in Baghdad.
In a statement, Mr Galloway, the MP for Glasgow Kelvin, insisted the documents were either forged or doctored.
He claimed they were designed to discredit him because of his opposition to the war on Iraq.
"I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions," he said.
"I have never seen a barrel of oil, never owned one, never bought one, never sold one."
Mr Galloway added that the newspaper's claim that he had met Iraqi intelligence officials was incorrect "to the best of my knowledge".
"Given that I have had access over the years to Iraq's political leadership, most often the deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz, I would have absolutely no reason to be meeting with an official of Iraqi intelligence."
The chairman of Mr Galloway's constituency party, Mark Craig, said the MP had its full support.
He also warned against any move by the national party to expel him.
"It would further alienate some Labour supporters who are basically clinging on by their fingernails," he said.
He dismissed the Telegraph report as "the latest in a long line of smears to try to stop the work George has been doing".
Labour Investigates Iraq Cash Claim
Labour is to investigate a newspaper report that MP George Galloway received money from Saddam Hussein's regime.The inquiry was announced by Labour Party chairman Ian Hunt, who said the allegations were "extremely serious".
Mr Galloway has strenuously denied the claims as "black propaganda" and "intelligence hocus pocus".
He said he intended to sue the Daily Telegraph, which published them, for libel.
The Telegraph said it had found Iraqi intelligence documents which suggested Mr Galloway took a slice of Iraq's oil-for-food programme worth at least £375,000 a year.
According to the newspaper, the suggestion was made in a confidential memo to Saddam from Iraq's intelligence chief, who is not named. It was written in January 2000.
It said the documents were discovered by one of its journalists in the looted foreign ministry in Baghdad.
In a statement, Mr Galloway, the MP for Glasgow Kelvin, insisted the documents were either forged or doctored.
He claimed they were designed to discredit him because of his opposition to the war on Iraq.
"I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions," he said.
"I have never seen a barrel of oil, never owned one, never bought one, never sold one."
Mr Galloway added that the newspaper's claim that he had met Iraqi intelligence officials was incorrect "to the best of my knowledge".
"Given that I have had access over the years to Iraq's political leadership, most often the deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz, I would have absolutely no reason to be meeting with an official of Iraqi intelligence."
The chairman of Mr Galloway's constituency party, Mark Craig, said the MP had its full support.
He also warned against any move by the national party to expel him.
"It would further alienate some Labour supporters who are basically clinging on by their fingernails," he said.
He dismissed the Telegraph report as "the latest in a long line of smears to try to stop the work George has been doing".