War on Terror, War in Afganistan, War in Iraq

[The Industriallist]

I'm reasonably sure that you aren't the only one who knows that there are spendable non-currency items. I suspect that the sanctions would not allow payments in gold bars or such non-currency valuables where they would not allow payments in money.

However, I very much doubt that you can buy anything on the black market with wheat.

[ephiroll]

I'm reasonably sure that you aren't the only one who knows that there are spendable non-currency items. I suspect that the sanctions would not allow payments in gold bars or such non-currency valuables where they would not allow payments in money.

You're assuming that the only way for Saddam to get those things is for him to get those things from other countries in "payment". Iraq was rich compared to the average middle eastern country before Saddam took over, what do you think happened to all the belongings of the people filling the hundreds of mass graves that have been found? How hard do you think it would be to train people to go to other countries and either sell drugs or commit appropriate crimes to obtain large amounts of forgein currency or valuable materials? Not hard, I assure you, anyone with an internet connection can get all the items and information they would need to pull off any job, if they can't then they just haven't looked or tried hard enough.

[kroner]

even president bush, the person who wants to paint saddam as the largest former treat possible, was forced to admit that the sanctions (the whole bit including the oil for food program) had ground the iraqi weapons programs to a halt. for bush to admit this is really something amazing. you know they were working.

[Pirog]

ephiroll>

I get the feeling that you have simply decided for yourself what you want to believe and refuse to budge even a little bit.
Your defence now doesn't even have anything to do with the oil-for-food program even if it would be true.

Selling drugs or stealing money to buy a pistol or something is one thing...but you would have to do a hell of a lot of crime to afford to buy a tank or an air plane with dirty money.
(But as I said...even if that would have worked it still hasn't got anything to do with the program.)

It's a bit dangerous to just assume things without taking the time to look the source up...