« Sailor's Trial Reveals Top Navy Fears | Main | Come Fly Along »
March 04, 2008
Who Is Nadhmi Auchi and What's His Tie to Obama?
Who Is Nadhmi Auchi and What's His Tie to Obama?
By Jack Kelly
You probably would have heard of Nadhmi Auchi by now if Sen. Barack Obama were a Republican.
A British citizen of Iraqi descent, Mr. Auchi, 70, is a billionaire, the 279th richest man in the world, according to a Forbes magazine survey last year.
A great deal of Mr. Auchi's money was made doing business with the regime of Saddam Hussein, much of it under the table. In 1987, Mr. Auchi helped French and Italian firms win a huge oil pipeline contract in Iraq, chiefly by paying off Iraqi officials, according to testimony given by an Italian banker to prosecutors in Milan. In 2003, he was convicted for his role in what was then the largest scandal in French history, involving payoffs from executives of the oil company now known as Total to political figures in Spain, Germany and Africa.
"He has been able to collect British politicians the way other people collect stamps," wrote Nick Cohen in a 2003 profile of Mr. Auchi in the left wing British newspaper the Observer.
Mr. Auchi was a leading supplier of arms to Saddam's regime. A former Belgian ambassador to Luxembourg charged that a bank in Luxembourg owned principally by Mr. Auchi laundered funds -- including oil for food money -- for Saddam and other Islamic dictators.
"The name Nadhmi Auchi was just another name for Saddam's intelligence service, or so we thought," said Nibras Kazimi, a former Iraqi dissident who is now a visiting scholar at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C.
Mr. Auchi is a business partner of Syrian-born businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who has supported Mr. Obama financially since his first run for the Illinois state senate in 1996.
Mr. Rezko currently is in jail awaiting trial on charges he extorted money from firms seeking to do business with the state of Illinois. (Mr. Rezko was also a fund raiser for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.)
Mr. Rezko's bail was revoked Jan. 28 when the trial judge learned that he, friends and relatives had been wired $3.5 million from firms in Lebanon controlled by Mr. Auchi. The judge feared Mr. Rezko was about to flee the country.
Federal prosecutors allege a $10,000 contribution made by Mr. Rezko to Sen. Obama came from a $250,000 kickback, but there is no evidence Sen. Obama was aware of the source of the funds.
Nor is there evidence Sen. Obama did any favors for Mr. Rezko that skirted the law.
The most eyebrow raising connection between Mr. Rezko and Sen. Obama is the assistance Mr. Rezko provided in the purchase of the mansion on Chicago's South Side that Sen. Obama bought in 2005.
The Obamas bought the house for $1.65 million -- $300,000 below the asking price -- perhaps because Mr. Rezko's wife purchased from the owner an adjacent garden plot for $625,000. (The sellers deny they offered the Obamas a discount.) The Times of London wondered where Mrs. Rezko got the money to buy the garden plot. At the time, she had a salary of $37,000 and assets of only $35,000, the Times learned. Her husband told a court that at the time he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets," the Times said.
The Times learned Mr. Rezko received an earlier $3.5 million loan from Mr. Auchi on May 23, 2005, through the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA.
Mr. Rezko has described Mr. Auchi as a "close friend." Mr. Auchi says they have only a business relationship. They've been partners in a chain of pizza restaurants in Wisconsin and in a major real estate development in Riverside Park in Chicago.
The connection between Mr. Auchi and Sen. Obama is tenuous. But given Mr. Auchi's shady past, his history of bribing politicians, it's not unreasonable to ask if Mr. Auchi, through Mr. Rezko, was trying to buy influence with a rising political star. And it's curious that outside of the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune, both of which have written extensively on the Rezko-Obama relationship, only a British newspaper is asking.
Wild Thing's comment........
but there is no evidence Sen. Obama was aware of the source of the funds. Nor is there evidence Sen. Obama did any favors for Mr. Rezko that skirted the law.
To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, the absence of evidence (of wrongdoing by Obama) is not the same as the evidence of absence.
This is from an article back in 2004
"Banque Paribas, headquartered in Paris, with a significant portion of shares owned by Saddam's cousin Nadhmi Auchi, moved money for the Al-Mahdi network in the 1980s and was the bank chosen to handle the Iraqi oil-for-food payments. In fact, Iraq insisted that Paribas handle the oil-for-food escrow account. A corporate document for Al Taqwa Trade, Property and Industry Co. Ltd. of Liechtenstein -- an al-Qaeda network shell company also shut down by the United States -- lists Banque Paribas, Lugano, where it had accounts. (Paribas in 2000 merged with another French bank to create BNP Paribas, with Auchi continuing as one of the largest shareholders.)"
Following Saddam Hussein's Secret Money-Laundering Trail
"A detailed analysis of Saddam Hussein’s secret money-laundering techniques shows here for the first time how he used the same offshore money launderers as Osama bin Laden. That covert money network, based in the tax havens of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Panama and Nassau, helped bankroll the war machines of both Iraq and al-Qaeda."
"More than 1,000 pages of confidential corporate, bank and legal documents show how the network functioned. The papers come from court cases filed in several European countries, from corporate records, from investigations by Italian police, from a report of the Kroll international investigative agency, and from private sources. The documents are the basis of further investigations coordinated in Europe by the prosecutor of Milan. They show, for example, that a father-and-son team in Liechtenstein, whose business is setting up shell companies and secret bank accounts, worked to move the money of both Saddam and al-Qaeda."
"Engelbert Schreiber and his son Englebert Schreiber Jr. are listed as founder or board member of Mediterranean Enterprises Development Projects, Tradex, Techno Service Intl., Saidomin and Executive Flight Assistance, all Liechtenstein companies that handled arms sales and payoffs for Saddam. They also are listed on corporate documents for Nasreddin International Group Ltd. Holding (Liechtenstein). Ahmed Idriss Nasreddin, on the U.S. terrorist blacklist, was a founder of Al Taqwa, the bank that moved money for al-Qaeda and which was closed down by the United States after 9/11. The Schreibers declined to respond to numerous requests for comment."
And then this........................
Cronyism In Iraq?
November 2003
Time CNN
"Now another deal is coming under scrutiny. A senior Pentagon official told TIME that the U.S. is reviewing its decision to grant the mobile license for Baghdad and central Iraq to a consortium led by Egyptian telecom giant Orascom because of its ties to Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born billionaire who built his fortune partly through arms deals with the Iraqi regime in the 1980s. Industry sources say Auchi provided Orascom with a $20 million loan to help pay down its $500 million debt. The sources say the loan gave Auchi, who faced French prosecutors earlier this year for his role in a corruption and embezzlement scandal, a controlling stake in Orascom. A senior U.S. official says Orascom's ties to Auchi are being investigated. As a result, no mobile licenses have yet been issued."
Posted by Wild Thing at March 4, 2008 02:55 AM
Comments
Iraq: A Hopeless Cause
It has been far to long and I am sick and tired of our country fighting a war we don't need. With all the problems in our country, why are we concerning ourselves more with others. It has been 4 1/2 years too long and we need to take action NOW!!!! The Bush Administration needs to take a closer look at their Bible, "remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5) While America has been paying attention to every other country, the U.S. has been experiencing economic problems, unemployment, a stalled housing market, and a growing deficit. Every day we fight this war all of those problems listed worsen, and as they worsen our country fails it's citizens more and more. If we don't end this war now it will never end. The world is moving to fast for us to waste time on meaningless conflicts.
Posted by: Creditos at March 4, 2008 07:13 AM
'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.'
This Obama guy is a first class thief and a typical politician. So where's the change ?
Posted by: Mark at March 4, 2008 09:49 AM
Thank you so much for bringing this to light Chrissie, I've tried but you have the best exposure, this is what the mindless minions are voting for. A very corrupt politician who is the 'fixer's' fixer. Obama may be a 'Christian' but he sure has a knack for association with and for the Mo's. Obama seems to be bought and paid for by Nadhmi Auchi while the Clinton's are bought and paid for by George Soros. It's like what a Canadian said yesterday when interviewed about what he thought of the Democrat candidates, "they'll promise anything to get into the office then once there do as the please." He was concerned about the impact on the Canadian economy. What happens in the US does directly impact Canada where a lot of the jobs are subsidized by their government.
Posted by: Jack at March 4, 2008 10:56 AM
"Creditos"Is that French? An obvious alias, what's the matter, not enough testicular fortitude to use your real name?
"It has been far to long and I am sick and tired of our country fighting a war we don't need. "
Wow!!! With that attitude where would this country be had FDR adopted the same attitude after the great depression and the onset of WWII? WWII took the United States 4 bloody years and the costs were inestimable in material, lives and debts. Yep it was a "meaningless conflict".
War has been a constant for as long as man has been on this earth, you either stand and fight or you die at the hand of your enemies, your claim that our country fails it's citizens is false. You base that premise on the assumption that the nation owes the citizens, far from the truth, the nation is the representation of it's citizens, it is they who make the nation a strong safe haven to live in. A defeatist attitude is just what the enemy wants to achieve, and your statement proves that he is winning the battle on you psychologically.
You state that if we don't end the war now it will never end. If we stop do you really believe the enemy will stop?
The war will never end,true, it's evil against good, whether it is in Iraq or some other shithole of oppression. You talk like you prefer that shithole be inside the United States.
I'll give you some meaningless conflicts, our own Civil War, 1861–1865, 4 years too long and 600,000 Americans dead, the economic costs to both sides, enormous. Just another meaningless conflict?
WWI, the war to end all wars lead to WWII, in all respects just a continuation of WWI. Korea unresolved from WWII the susequent capitulation to the UN kept the nation partitioned just as it was agreed to under Harry Truman's Potsdam agreement with Stalin, is that 55 years of meaningless conflicts or a full 63 years?
Vietnam, US involvement from 1945 to 1973, full scale involvement from 1963-1973, is that 10 years or 28 years of meaningless conflicts that JFK felt a strong enough obligation to commit American troops to battle there, that LBJ felt needed escalation before declaring defeat and bailing out to his successor to clean up the mess, at the cost of millions of lives in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, meaningless conflicts?, maybe. But they are dead so it is meaningless to them.
But if they weren't fought abroad they would make our Civil War pale in comparison, because people like you prefer to wait, negotiate then capitulate.
Your "It has been far to long and I am sick and tired of our country fighting a war we don't need. With all the problems in our country, why are we concerning ourselves more with others. " question has been answered. It is because they are either at your throat or at your feet.
No one here needs or wants war, it is necessary to protect not only our homeland but our interests and property abroad. There are some of us here that have seen the elephant, and we prefer our enemies at our feet. FYI,"Creditos" the host here has had boots on the ground a lot longer than the left's beloved John F. Kerry and brooks no nonsense either.
Making excuses and apologies for the Muzzies and Communists then blaming our own country and our president won't cut it here. You are either with us or against us "Creditos", it can't be any other way.
Posted by: Jack at March 4, 2008 02:55 PM
Because the Jews love life and celebrate life they did not do what God told them to do.
Now let's jump to the modern day OK? Taking the Old Testament into consideration one could say we are following God's command just extremely late.
Between 92% and 98% of all the conflicts on this earth are done by Muslims.
You are entitled to your opinion and I felt generous today and let your comment through. But that does not give significance that I agree with what you have said in any way.
Peace only exists because of war and you need to learn that. Peace is not delivered by some UPS driver. It comes at a high cost, the highest of all. How pathetic it is that you do not understand this.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2008 06:25 PM
Mark, that saying should be engraved on the desk of our politicians, all of them. Just as a reminder to the good ones and a raised eyebrow to the bad ones which are many.
Yes Obama has met his requirement for being a good dem with corruption.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2008 06:29 PM
Jack your information is so helpful.
This whole thing gets very confusing to me. I try to keep up but even doing that there are so many in the cast of characters.
After the 8 years with the Clinton's in office I doubt this will damage Obama unless the media finally decide to go after him. I am sooo tired of politicians especially from the left getting away with major crimes. So sick and tired of it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2008 06:33 PM
Great comment to Creditos Jack. I can't tell what that is, a magazine of somekind, a website for tourists not sure. But it ticked me off enough to allow the comment through. hahahaha
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2008 06:35 PM
I don't know what corruption and or illegal activities, if any, Barack Obama may or may not been involved in progressing through the Chicago political machine. However, I do know that if it was a conservative and/or Republican that the investigative reporters in the main stream media would be all over this story digging for dirt all over the place making the investigation and rumors front page news for months on end.
Iraq is not a hopeless cause. The reason that the IslamoFascist terrorists and hijackers of Islam are fighting so hard is their fear that given a real choice, Muslims oppressed for centuries, will now choose their own flavor of democracy and freedom. This will spread throughout the Middle East and Asia. Truth, freedom, democracy, and choice are the biggest enemies of radical Islam and will permanently set the Muslim people free.
So, Creditos, did you send a similar message to al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents lay down their arms, stop their torture, and stop their intiimidation? The United States is a great country and oppressed people all around the world depend on us for help. We will not shirk our responsibility.
Posted by: Les at March 4, 2008 06:46 PM
