Big Oil Bush Donors Get Away with Treason

Big Oil Bush Donors Get Away with Everything - Including Treason

By Cheryl Seal

This week, the US Attorney for the District of So. New York announced indictments against three individuals in the "oil-for-food" scandal: Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr, a Texas business executive and the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Coastal Corporation, Swiss business executives Catalina del Socorro Miquel Fuentes, aka "Cathy Miguel," and Mohammed Saidji. IThe associated corporations involved are Nafta Petroleum Co., Ltd, Mednafta Trading Co., Ltd, two Cyprus-based oil trading companies, and a Swiss consulting firm According to the indictment, Wyatte, Jr., et al paid millions in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein in exchange for receiving oil diverted from the UN's oil for food program.

You will note, however, that the indictment singles out a Democratic donor (Wyatt, Jr.), a Spaniard (Fuentes), and a Muslim (Saidji) - all representatives of groups that the Bush administration considers "enemies." You will also notice that the indictment does not include the El Paso corporation, which traded with Saddam up until 2002. This is rather curious, considering the fact that Coastal Corporation IS being named in the indictments, even though El Paso took Coastal over in 2001 and continued to trade with Saddam. Guess El Paso was smart and gave BIG TIME to the Bush campaign, a staggering total of $787,000, according to a May, 2001 BBC report by Greg Palast.

There are several other corporate execs and companies that are conspicuously absent from the list of those indicted, even though these companies dealt extensively with Saddam Hussein as late as 2002, when it was considered treasonous to do so.

According to the New York Times: " During the first seven months of 2002, the United States imported an average of 566,000 barrels a day from Iraq, with big importers including ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Valero Energy and Koch Petroleum, according to the Energy Department."

All of these criminals have one thing in common that keeps them off the list of those prosecuted: Their corporations were ALL MAJOR DONORS TO G.W. BUSH'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

Here's how much each of these corporations gave to the Bush campaign in 2000:

Exxon: $1.2 million
Koch Industries: $970,000
Chevron: $870,000
Valero: $338,000
El Paso: $787,000

So it's no wonder the Bush administration has sheltered these criminals from accountability. Corporate Watch revealed a year ago that alothough several the big Bush donor oil companies had been identified by the CIA as trading with Saddam, the names of these corporations were expunged from the publicly released version of the report.:

"U.S. companies -- including Exxon Mobil Corp., ChevronTexaco Corp. and El Paso Corp. or their predecessors -- and individuals were identified in the Central Intelligence Agency's 1,000-page report on the Hussein regime's campaign, though their names were redacted from the publicly released version. While confirming that sanctions had prevented Iraq from obtaining weapons of mass destruction, the report by arms inspector Charles Duelfer, released last week, described efforts by the Hussein regime to manipulate the Oil-for-Food program in its favor, circumventing U.N. mandates, and possibly U.S. law.

"A federal grand jury in Manhattan is investigating whether there was corruption in the Oil-for-Food program. Exxon, El Paso, and Chevron previously confirmed that they were among companies to receive subpoenas "
Once again, the Bush administration is manipulating justice at the highest levels. The arrogance of these people is astounding. This attitude is clearly reflected in Tom Delay, who is demanding that his case be tried by a judge who did not donate money to the Democrats - which, of course, means a Republican judge. Tailor-made justice, NeoCon style.

Is it any wonder that the same oil companies that have, under Bush, escaped any accountability for their actions, have no problem exploiting the American public in the wake of hurricane season 2005?

If you feel that Bush-style "justice" has gone on long enough, contact the following people and DEMAND that ALL the oil criminals be indicted:

United States Attorney Southern District of New York, 212-637-2600, James M. Margolin, 212-384-2720, Matthew Bertron, 212-384-2715, both of the FBI

Ask them WHY Exxon, Chevron, et al are escaping accountability.

BACKGROUND:

Details of indictments: For details see http://www.acepilots.com/unscam/archives/001366.html

Greg Palast report on Big Oil donations to Bush campaign:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1336960.stm

Involvement of Big Oil in Oil-for-Food
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11569