Regime Finance and Procurement Regime Finance and Procurement We have said with certainty that the embargo will not be lifted by a Security Council resolution, but will corrode by itself. Saddam speaking in January 2000 to mark the 79th anniversary of the Iraqi armed forces. This page intentionally left blank. Contents A Word on the Scope of This Chapter.......................................................................................... 1 Key Findings................................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter Summary......................................................................................................................... 7 The Regime Timeline ................................................................................................................... 9 Ambition (1980-91)...................................................................................................................... 9 Decline (1991-96) ........................................................................................................................ 9 Recovery (1996-98)...................................................................................................................... 9 Transition and Miscalculation (1999-2003) ............................................................................... 10 Directing and Budgeting Iraq’s Illicit Procurement............................................................................... 11 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 11 Regime Finance President and Presidential Secretary’s Role in Illicit Procurement ........................................... 11 and Procurement Presidential Diwan’s Role in Illicit Procurement ...................................................................... 12 Diwan’s Role in Supplemental Funding of Government Ministries .......................................... 12 Extent of Knowledge of the Former President of the Diwan ..................................................... 13 Budgeting Iraqi Procurement .....................................................................................................14 General Government Budget............................................................................................. 14 Sources of Government Revenue ...................................................................................... 14 Supplemental Budgetary Process ..................................................................................... 14 Supplemental Budget Submission Procedure .................................................................. 14 Approval and Authorization of Supplemental Funding .................................................... 16 Disbursal of Supplemental Funds ..................................................................................... 18 Financing Iraq’s Illicit Procurement ...................................................................................................... 19 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 19 Iraqi Economy’s Role in Illicit Procurement.............................................................................. 19 Economic Ambition (1980-91).......................................................................................... 19 Economic Decline (1991-96) ............................................................................................ 21 Economic Recovery (1997-99).......................................................................................... 22 Economic Transition and Miscalculation (1999-2003)..................................................... 22 Iraq’s Revenue Sources ............................................................................................................. 22 Bilateral Trade Protocols .................................................................................................. 24 Phases of the UN OFF Program ....................................................................................... 28 Disposition of UN OFF Funds .......................................................................................... 28 Oil Voucher Process........................................................................................................... 29 Secret Voucher Recipients................................................................................................. 30 Iraqi Oil Vouchers Provided to International Leaders ....................................................... 31 American and British Oil Voucher Recipients .................................................................. 33 Benon Sevan’s Use of Iraqi Oil Vouchers ........................................................................ 33 Iraqi Intelligence Service Nominations for Oil Vouchers ................................................. 33 Oil Export Surcharges ....................................................................................................... 33 i How Surcharges Were Collected....................................................................................... 35 Kickbacks on Commercial Goods Import Contracts......................................................... 35 Private-Sector Oil Sales .................................................................................................... 37 Role of the SOMO............................................................................................................. 38 SOMO’s Relationship to the MoO .................................................................................... 40 Offi cial Oil Accounts ........................................................................................................ 40 Banking and the Transfer of Financial Assets for Procurement .............................................. 45 CBI .................................................................................................................................... 45 CBI’s Role in Licensing Money Exchangers .................................................................... 45 CBI’s Role in Tracking Foreign Accounts for Iraq ........................................................... 46 Iraqi Bank Holdings .......................................................................................................... 47 Funding of the Ministries .................................................................................................. 47 The Use of Foreign Banks................................................................................................. 48 Use of Banks in Lebanon .................................................................................................. 49 Use of Banks in Jordan...................................................................................................... 49 Use of Banks in Syria........................................................................................................ 50 Use of Banks in Turkey ................................................................................................... 50 Use of Banks in Egypt ...................................................................................................... 50 Use of Banks in Belarus .................................................................................................... 50 Regime Attempts To Recover Funds Prior to OIF............................................................. 51 The Role of Cash Transactions.......................................................................................... 51 Iraq’s Gold Reserves ......................................................................................................... 51 Executing Illicit Procurement in Iraq: Ministries, Commissions, and Front Companies ...................... 53 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 53 Ministry of Foreign Affairs......................................................................................................... 53 MFA-IIS Connections ....................................................................................................... 54 MFA’s UN Sanctions Counter-Strategy............................................................................. 55 MFA and Iraq’s Bilateral Protocols................................................................................... 56 Ministry of Trade ...................................................................................................................... 56 MoT’s Role in Procurement .............................................................................................. 57 Facilitating Illicit Procurement With Cover Contracts...................................................... 58 Facilitating Illicit Trade Through Commercial Attaches................................................... 58 Ministry of Defense ................................................................................................................... 61 MoD Procurement Leadership ......................................................................................... 61 MoD Procurement Directorates ........................................................................................ 61 Budgeting and Financing