Pardoned Marc Rich linked to Oil4Food Scandal

[Linkon]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/27/oil.food.report/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/03/01/politics/main275419.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Rich

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=295926&page=1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102700954.html

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/tobin022301.asp

http://www.israelinsider.com/general/frames.htm?israelinsider&http://www.jonathanpollard.org/2001/022301c.htm

In the final analysis, I find the pardon of Marc Rich to be a highly monetized assault on American values. Seems like much of the over $100 million he evaded in taxes and fines were paid back in charity and bribes to Israel, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, and even the US (Clinton Library). Petty change for a billionare.

Oh yeah, he also got wealthy defying our trade embargo against Iran during and after the hostage crisis in 1979.

Rich’s agents made concerted efforts to gain that pardon, and if Clinton did not get it, they would have to wait for the next president and try again after 7-8 years, or 4 if the incumbent could not win reelection. Clinton always had a good eye for channeling advantageous donations. The Wikipedia link said that Al Gore tried to arrest Rich in the past, so no funding from the Rich organization if Gore won. In fact, it would have been risking millions in funding to the Republicans to unseat Gore if he won. GW might be offered bribes if Rich still needed a pardon and that amount of money was to much to give away to the Republicans. I think Clinton feared that amount of money would win even more Republican seats in Congress.