Belarus’ representatives on Saddam Hussein’s favorites’ list :: Charter'97 :: News

Some Belarusians are on Saddam Hussein’s favorites’ list of those who got income selling Iraqi oil. Iraqi newspaper “Al-Mada” published the list of the contracts in contradiction with the UN resolution, as middlemen bought oil for the reduced price and sold it later. Among those middlemen is the head of the President’s administration, two Belarusian political parties and three companies, as Radio Freedom journalist Alyaksei Znatkevich reports.

About 270 companies and people from 46 countries had an opportunity to make money on reselling Iraqi oil in Saddam Hussein’s last years of ruling, as “Al-Mada” writes. The edition refers to the documents found at the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization. This organization dealt with oil sales during Saddam Hussein’s times. The foreign middlemen got contracts from the Iraqi regime in return for the political support.

On the list there are six middlemen from Belarus. However, the paper does not provide the dates of the contracts. According to the paper, the head of the President’s administration got a contract for 6 million barrels of oil. “Lada” company got 2 million barrels, “Belfarm” got 4 million, and the company that is called «Belmenal» got 14,2 million barrels. There are two political parties on list called as “Liberal Party”(6 million barrels) and “The Belarusian Communists’ Party”. Next to it is the amount of the contract of 7 tons, which is considerably less in comparison to others. One ton of oil is equal to about 7 barrels, depending on the density. Besides, it should be mentioned that there is no Liberal Party in Belarus, there is only Liberal and Democratic Party, and there are two communist parties-one in opposition and the other pro-governmental.