Desperate smears on George Galloway

GEORGE GALLOWAY, the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow has only been back in the Commons for a few weeks. But already, the knives are out for him.

A US Senate investigative committee has accused Galloway of receiving lucrative allocations of oil from Saddam Hussein. The Republican Party-dominated committee said the Iraqi dictator used the UN's oil-for-food arrangements to 'reward' opponents of war and sanctions.

They use 'evidence' from former Saddam lackeys to suggest that Galloway was offered allocations of up to 20 million gallons of oil, commission on which would have netted hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Whatever differences socialists might have with George Galloway and Respect - and the Socialist Party has many - these accusations have to be seen for what they are, a desperate attempt to smear an anti-establishment figure.

How much money have capitalist firms - especially in the USA - made from Bush's Iraq venture? Yet they act on tittle-tattle from Saddam's defeated henchmen to attack the war's political opponents.

George Galloway told the Financial Times:

"Let me repeat, I have never traded in a barrel of oil, or any vouchers for it. I have never seen a barrel of oil, apart from the one The Sun newspaper deposited in my front garden. And no one has acted on my behalf, trading in oil Middle Eastern, olive, patchouli or any other or in vouchers, whatever they are."

The senate committee has now invited Galloway to appear at a hearing in Washington on 17 May and he has accepted the invitation.

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In The Socialist 19 May 2005:

Public health not private profit