As part of the hearing process being conducted this week by Senator Norm Coleman's Subcommittee on Investigations, new documents have been filed by the subcommitte that indict Russian Iraq envoy Vladimir Zhirinovsky as well as the Russian Presidential Council in the Saddam Hussein Oil Allocation scheme!

From this report issued today:

Soon after the initiation of the Program, however, the Hussein regime used the allocation process to maximize Iraq’s influence around the world. The plan was simple: rather than granting allocations to traditional oil purchasers, the Hussein regime gave priority to foreign officials, journalists, and even terrorist entities. The central purpose of this tactic, according to senior officials of the Hussein regime interviewed by the Subcommittee, was to engender international support for the Hussein regime and against U.N. sanctions. To that end, the Hussein regime favored individuals and political parties from countries that were members of the U.N. Security Council. Senior Hussein regime officials and numerous Ministry of Oil documents confirm that the regime steered a massive portion of its allocations toward Security Council members that were believed by the Hussein regime to support Iraq in its efforts to lift sanctions -- namely, Russia, France, and China. The recipients of the allocations were chosen by a committee of Hussein’s closest advisors, including Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and Vice President Taha Yasin Ramadan. SOMO documents reveal that these individuals -- along with Saddam Hussein himself -- were personally involved in the process. Some of those documents are presented in this Report.

This information was compiled primarily in interviews with (former Deputy Prime Minister) Tariq Aziz, (Former Vice President) Taha Yasin Ramadan and other Iraqi officials - failry recently - mostly in April of this year.

The above paragraph from the report spells out - without really saying it - the answer to the real Iraq question: Why did Russia, France, and China (in this instance) oppose the war with Iraq (I didn't say support removing sanctions, support mechanisms of the OFF program)? Because they were in collusion with Saddam Hussein and participating in international treachery with him. The United Nations Security Council for the most part was subverted directly by Saddam - and those countries that opposed the war with Iraq were motivated by their insidious relationship with Saddam Hussein - not their so called political ideologies.

How can we continue to participate in - or even allow th UN to function on our shores?

On to the rest of this report. Saddam's regime allocated over 30% of its oil allocations to Russia - and gave oil allocations to most of its political parties. The report only focuses on one of these parties: The Russian Presidential Council.

This table is a summary of the allocations to just this one party:

These contracts were executed by oil companies that are controlled by the Russian government. There it is - and remember: this is just one of five recipients of these allocations.

American company Bayoil was involved in some of the transactions involving the Russian Presidential Council. There is significant documentation in the report that shows a complicated scheme of payoffs between Bayoil and Saddam's regime, purchasing entities and the Russians.

The subcommittee also issued this report, indicting Vladimir Zhirinovsky and his Liberal Democratic Party (the LPDR - which he founded).  This anti-Western zealot, made considerable profits from OFF allocations and was also involved with Bayoil.

This is the subcommittee's summary chart on Zhirinovsky:

Bayoil is as culpable as any of these political cronies - but the issue is different - they are a company acting independently of the political machinations in the world. The Russian Presidential Council and Zhirinovsky and the LPDR are not. Besides being profiteering scum - they pariticpated in evil international treachery with the world's most recent evil tyrant.

It is past time to hold these governments accountable for the lives of Iraqis and Americans that they so callously spent. They have patriots' blood on their hands.

Hello, State Department?

UPDATE: Jeff at Protein Wisdom has this about British MP George Galloway's (subject of a subcommittee report last week) blustering in front of the committee - and a plausible, considered retort by Iraqis.