Congress urges Bush to investigate Australian wheat deal with Iraq

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.arkcity.net/stories/110103/com_0005.shtml

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- U.S. farmers have rallied some congressional support behind claims Australian wheat was sold to Iraq at inflated prices and that money was then given secretly to Saddam Hussein's family to maintain trade.

The Australian Wheat Board, a monopoly company that markets all Australian wheat overseas, has strongly denied the accusations, raised in June by the lobbying group U.S. Wheat Associates.

But, with negotiations underway on a free trade agreement with Australia and the United Nations' oil-for-food humanitarian program with Iraq set to end on Nov. 21, lawmakers from the nation's farm states are now urging President Bush to investigate the claims.

''Insofar as our nation is contributing so heavily to Iraq's recovery, it is of critical interest to U.S. taxpayers that all funds devoted to Iraqi reconstruction be used efficiently and effectively and that any purchase be at reasonable prices,'' Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said in an Oct. 22 letter to Bush.

<snip>
"wheat was sold to Iraq at inflated prices and that money was then given secretly to Saddam Hussein's family to maintain trade."


WTF?

[mikehiggins]

1. Hey! That's only okay if Archer Daniel Midlands does it.

Who do those Aussies think they are, anyway?

[rooboy]

2. This story has been floating around for a while...

and the Aussie farmers basically claim that the US farmers want to spread this story to steal the wheat sales from them.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. This is the first I've heard of it and the only bit I've read...

It's going to be interesting to see how the story plays out.

[rooboy]

4. Probably not known in the US, but it's been news in Oz for a month or 2 nt

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Now THAT does not surprise me in the least.

So many here would rather we have no acknowledgement of the rest of the world.

[DUreader]

6. I have heard or read of this before, maybe from an aussie DUer