The Hindu : National : Bid to discredit war critics: Bhim Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 30, 2005

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Bid to discredit war critics: Bhim Singh

Praveen Swami

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Panther's Party leader Bhim Singh on Saturday denied allegations that he was a beneficiary of the controversial oil allocations made by the Iraqi regime of President Saddam Hussein in 2001.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Singh said he was aware that he had been named by the United Nations Independent Inquiry Commission which investigated the administration of the Iraq food-for-oil programme. However, Mr. Singh claimed the Commission's allegations were intended to defame him because of his defence of Mr. Hussein.

"If, as the Commission has claimed, an oil allocation of 7,300 million barrels was made to me," Mr. Singh said, "I was not aware of it. Certainly, no one in Iraq informed me that anything of the kind was being offered.

"If I did know about it and turned down the opportunity to make millions of dollars," he added jokingly, "I should immediately be made Prime Minister of India for my honesty."

Mr. Singh described the report as a "Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored enterprise intended to discredit opponents of the United States' war in Iraq." "Let us have a Commission to investigate all the allegations that have been made so that the truth about who was responsible for what can be established. I would be perfectly happy to have President George Walker Bush chair it.

"I suppose I should actually be delighted with the allegations," Mr. Singh said wryly. "No one in our country had believed me when I said that Saddam Hussein was a close friend of mine; nor did anyone pay attention to my book on Iraq. Now, at least, Mr. Volcker's charges will ensure that my efforts to defend Iraq against American aggression will be taken seriously."

Mr. Singh says he intends to depart for Baghdad shortly to participate in an 11-member legal team that intends to defend Mr. Hussein.

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