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| Syria-Lebanon |
| Report: U.S. investigating suspected Iraqi money stashed in Syria |
| 2003-10-14 |
| American officials suspect government-controlled banks in Syria are holding up to three billion dollars in Iraqi assets looted by former leader Saddam Hussein, according to a report in Time magazine, due to be published Monday. Sammy’s 401K plan, I’ll wager. The magazine, quoting an unnamed senior U.S. official, said Washington has demanded Damascus return the money and is not satisfied with Syria’s cooperation. The U.S. is eager to determine that the "money is not funding violence against Americans in Iraq, or being drawn down by regime officials and supporters," the report said. For months, Washington has quietly insisted that Damascus give up the funds, according to Time. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell made the demand during a meeting in Damascus in May with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, the magazine reported. "Give it up, Bash, or I’ll send in the IRS!" Senior Syrian officials have been given the names of at least two suspect banks and provided with account numbers, the report added. "Thanks, we were looking for those." Meanwhile, Syrian army chief of staff Hassan Turkmani on Sunday expressed sorrow over the American stance which "directs false accusations against Syria, like supporting terrorism and holding it responsible for the escalation of the Iraqi resistance against the American forces." Syria will hang on to the money while they wait and see which way the wind blows. They might give it back to the Iraqi government at some point to try and get back in their good graces, or it might disappear into young Bashar’s retirement account. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Nice one |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-24 11:36:55 AM |
| #4 Raptor---You're talking about the Oil for Palaces™ program money during the Iraq sanctions? Maybe the UN has the audit report on their website..... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-10-14 7:50:55 PM |
| #3 What about the 37 bill in a French,or has that been written off. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-10-14 7:09:39 PM |
| #2 It's Wormtongue's bad advice that is getting Bashar in deep doo-doo. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-10-14 1:59:58 PM |
| #1 Actually it is possible that Bashir does not know much about the Saddam money because he relies heavily on his dad's advisers and these advisers are not fully loyal but are fully opportunistic. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-10-14 11:15:25 AM |