The Italian police broke up an arms deal that would have sent 100,000 Russian-made automatic weapons into Iraq. The deal involved Iraqi government officials in the Interior Ministry Dept. In intercepted emails, these Iraqi officials claimed the deal had complete U.S. approval. The U.S., of course, denied this. Dario Razzi, the lead Italian investigator in the case, points out that it is "strange" that the U.S. supported Iraqi government would seek out weapons via the black market when they have legitimate channels to get such weapons.
But then we get to the go-between in the deal, the Al-Handel General Trading Company in Dubai. That's where things start to get interesting.
The Al-Handal General Trading Company and its historical role in Iraq is described in the final report of the Iraq Survey Group.
Closely tied to Saddam’s family and to the IIS, the firm Al-Handal Trading received preferential treatment in the issuance of Iraqi procurement tenders. The head of the firm, Wadi al-Handal, has established several subsidiary companies under the firm to facilitate acquisition of sensitive goods for Iraq. All of the Al-Handal connections are based in Baghdad.
The Al-Handal General Trading Company was established originally in Dubai to import car parts and accessories into Iraq, but in the wake of the Gulf war, Wadi al-Handal quickly recognized that broadening his business line could make enormous profits. Wadi established several subsidiary companies under Al-Handal
Wadi was closely tied to Saddam's family and to the IIS, that would put him on the Sunni's side n'est pas? And right dab in the middle of the Food for Oil Scandal. NOT one of the Good Guys.
So why is it Wadi claims he had U.S. approval and a senior Iraqi Interior Ministry official admits that they'd sought the weapons through Al-Handal?
Reached at his office in Amman, Jordan, Waleed Noori al-Handal denied the family firm had done anything wrong in the Italian arms case.
"We don't have anything to hide," he told the AP.
Citing the names of "friends" in top U.S. military ranks in Iraq, al-Handal said his company has fulfilled scores of supply and service contracts for the U.S. occupation. Asked why he claimed U.S. approval for the abortive Italian weapons purchase, he said he had a document from the U.S. army "that says, 'We allow al-Thuraya Group to do all kinds of business."'
In Baghdad, the Interior Ministry wouldn't discuss the AK-47 transaction on the record. But a senior ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity, acknowledged it had sought the weapons through al-Handal.
Asked about the irregular channels used, he said the ministry "doesn't ask the supplier how these weapons are obtained."
Although this official refused to discuss details, he said "most" of the 105,000 weapons were meant for police in Iraq's western province of Anbar. That statement raised questions, however, since Pentagon reports list only 161,000 trained police across all 18 of Iraq's provinces, and say the ministry has been issued 169,280 AK-47s, 167,789 pistols and 16,398 machine guns for them and 28,000 border police.
But it's how the AP tries to spin this that really raises questions:
A Pentagon report in June may have touched on another possible destination for weapons obtained via secretive channels, noting that "militia infiltration of local police remains a significant problem." Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq's civil war have long been known to find cover and weapons within the Interior Ministry.
And in case you aren't aware of the recent history of the Interior Ministry, let me give you this little primer:
Interior Ministry Requires Reform
Under the previous minister, Bayan Jabr, the Interior Ministry became politicized by Shiite extremists. Jabr, a leader of the Badr Organization and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the largest Shiite political party, allowed or encouraged members of the Badr Brigade to assume key posts in the ministry and subvert its operations. Badr Brigade militiamen were organized into commando-style units, which were incorporated into the Iraq National Police. Without sufficient advisers in the ministry to conduct effective oversight, the U.S. Civilian Police Advisory Training Team (CPATT) was unable to identify or prevent the ministry’s takeover. Not until the February 22, 2006 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, which sparked large-scale sectarian violence, did the sectarian takeover of the ministry become apparent. In March 2006, Lt. General John Abizaid acknowledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iraq police units were engaged in sectarian violence. By then, the current Iraqi government had taken office. Bayan Jabr had become Finance Minister where he continues to control the Interior Ministry’s budget and police salaries.
The new Interior Minister, Jawod al-Bolani, a Shiite engineer, appears well intentioned, but he has no police experience, political affiliation, or independent base of support. He has called for ministerial reform and for purging sectarian militia and criminals from the police. The U.S. has provided a 100-member Ministry Transition Team (MTT) of American advisers with a 60/40 division between military and contract police personnel. The MTT works in various ministerial departments to improve methods of operation and has made some progress.
Do you think that under al-Bolani the ministry has suddenly become pro-Sunni and broken out from under the control of the U.S.?
So we're to believe that a man with close family ties to Saddam and the IIS would suddenly switch allegiances and smuggle weapons to the Shiites to kill his fellow Sunni's with? Possible, but I don't buy it. Those weapons are going to the Sunni insurgency straight from the Interior Ministry with U.S. approval.
Because if the insrugents can't "insurge" then there's no reason for us to be there anymore. No weapons, no civil war. No civil war, no need for the U.S. to stay in Iraq.
No U.S. in Iraq, no pillaging the country and taking its oil and other resources.
The alternative, that the Interior Ministry is going through black market channels to get what the U.S. will gladly give them makes no sense whatsoever, not even to the Italians.
Here in Italy, Razzi expressed puzzlement at the Iraqi officials' circumvention of U.S. supply routes.
"It seems strange that a pro-Western government, supported by the U.S. Army and other NATO countries on its own territory, would seek Russian or Chinese weapons through questionable channels," the anti-Mafia prosecutor wrote in seeking the arrest warrant that short-circuited the complex deal.
Yet that seems to be exactly what's happening. And, as Roger Waters once sang, "it all makes perfect Cents".
The entire "insurgency" is a sham with tacit U.S. approval in order to keep our troops there indefinately.
