UN, Al Qaeda, And Saddam; Or, How FAUX NEWS Makes Shit Up

crossposted at akou

FOX News weaves an interesting link between Saddam and Al Qaeda: the UN, of course. And when I say "interesting" I mean questionable:

It now appears that while doing business with the U.N., IHC had links both to Saddam Hussein’s old sanctions-busting networks, and to a Liechtenstein-based businessman, Engelbert Schreiber, Jr., known among other things for his ties to a figure designated by the U.N. itself as a financier of Al Qaeda.

Let me translate: The UN did business with IHC. IHC had "links" with "sanctions-busting networks" and another guy. That guy was "known" for his "ties" to another "figure" who was a financier of Al Qaeda. It's like the Kevin Bacon game! But, um, without the logic.



But wait, it gets sooo much better. The FOX writers make the UN-Al-Qaeda connection by looking at the shareholders of IHC. IHC's sole shareholder, the article says, is "Torno S.A.H." The article then turns to that company's shareholder:

The other shareholder in Torno S.A.H., who gave his proxy to Fischer to approve the sale, was a man named Engelbert Schreiber, Jr. He has been linked, either directly or through father-son family business, to a number of Liechtenstein enterprises affiliated at various times from the 1970s through at least the year 2000 with Ahmed Idris Nasreddin, a man designated as a terrorist financier by the U.S. and U.N. shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

Again, let me translate this shocking "link" that FOX is pushing: UN does business with IHC. IHC is owned by Torno S.A.H. Torno S.A.H. is owned, in part, by Guy A. Guy A has been linked, through his family business, to Companies A, B, C, and D. Companies A, B, C, and D have, over the course of 30 years, been "affiliated" with Guy B, who (money shot!) is a goddamn UN-certified terrorist!

The article is a long, tortured, drawn out attempt to paint the UN's derivative ties to questionable organizations as some conspiracy which links the UN, Saddam, and Al Qaeda. The writers, Claudia Rosett and George Russell, have their tin hats on just a little too tight, and the piece reads more like a dollar-store mystery novel than a news article.

But hey! I can play the Faux Game too. Bust this:

George Bush's father is George Bush, Sr. George Bush Sr. sits on the board of the Carlyle group. The bin Laden family also sits on the Board. The bin Laden family includes Osama Where's He Bin Hidin'. Osama is the head of Al Qaeda....thus (money shot!) George Bush is "affiliated" with Osama himself!

Or, skip all that and just look at Exhibits A & b: