Saddam's Spy Agency Funded Lawmakers' Trip to Iraq, U.S. Says

Saddam's Spy Agency Funded Lawmakers' Trip to Iraq, U.S. Says

By Robert Schmidt

March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Saddam Hussein's Iraqi intelligence agency secretly funded a trip to Iraq by three U.S. congressmen in 2002, after the Sept. 11 attacks and before the invasion of Iraq, the U.S. said in charges filed in Michigan.

The indictment accuses a Michigan man, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Iraq, of organizing the trip. Muthanna al-Hanooti is charged with conspiring to act as an Iraqi agent without notifying the U.S. He was to receive 2 million barrels of oil in payment, the indictment said.

The indictment didn't identify the three members of Congress it said traveled to Iraq with al-Hanooti. The Associated Press reported that the timing coincided with a trip taken by Democratic Representatives Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. There was no indication they knew Saddam's government paid for the trip, AP said.

more:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aZ7wlu2RhLJc&refer=us

FWIW the only thing new here is the indictment.

have done so now. :hi:

Usually happens to me 100% of the time when I come back to DU after a weeks vacation. Something about the positioning of the "post" button.

:hi:

and I even by passed the big stop sign :hide:

just askin???