Prosecutors: Saddam paid for lawmakers' trip Iraqi accused of arranging congressmen's visit before invasion
WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors say Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion.
An indictment in Detroit accuses Muthanna Al-Hanooti of arranging for three members of Congress to travel to Iraq in October 2002 at the behest of Saddam's regime. Prosecutors say Iraqi intelligence officials paid for the trip through an intermediary.
In exchange, Al-Hanooti allegedly received 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.
The lawmakers are not mentioned but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. There was no indication the three lawmakers knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.
Federal prosecutors say al-Hanooti, a former official of a charity based in Michigan called Life for Relief & Development, was an unregistered agent of the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein. They say he reported to Saddam's spy agency, the Iraqi Intelligence Service, and worked on its behalf to organize the trip by members of Congress who were interested in ending the embargo on Iraqi oil.
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