perfidy

ABC is reporting on the list of people and organizations who supported Saddam Hussein's regime and were given oil contracts as a result. All of the contracts were under the UN administered Oil for Food program, and were awarded between 1997 and the start of the war. The list was discovered in the files of the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

Investigators say none of the people involved would have actually taken possession of oil, but rather just the right to buy the oil at a discounted price, which could be resold to a legitimate broker or oil company, at an average profit of about 50 cents a barrel. ...

According to the document, France was the second-largest beneficiary, with tens of millions of barrels awarded to Patrick Maugein, a close political associate and financial backer of French President Jacques Chirac.

Maugein, individually and through companies connected to him, received contracts for some 36 million barrels. Chirac's office said it was unaware of Maugein's deals, which Maugein told ABCNEWS are perfectly legal.

The single biggest set of contracts were given to the Russian government and Russian political figures, more than 1.3 billion barrels in all — including 92 million barrels to individual officials in the office of President Vladimir Putin.

George Galloway, British MP and vocal critic of the war, was on the list for 19 million barrels, though he denies any involvement. Most disturbing to me was the presence on the list of the Russian Orthodox Church. I wonder what defense they are offering.

I don't think anyone should be surprised about the French involvement.