The scandal of Atlanta

When the BNL Atlanta financed Saddam


This is the story, too soon and too easily forgotten, when Saddam Hussein was already 'a son of a bitch, "but it was still, in the words of the president FDRoosevelt," our son of a bitch' adopted not only of the U.S. presidency but also from an Italian institute was then the public and which is called Banca Nazionale del Lavoro. It is the story of how the Atlanta branch of BNL, the U.S. administration to do a favor that no U.S. bank would do, he served in Iraq the beauty of almost 4 billion dollars without any guarantee (and in fact came up with a terrible "hole" of $ 3 billion), because the dictator of Baghdad could buy toys so deadly that he likes - toys made ​​in the USA, of course - and that he used to attack Iran, for its citizens gassing Kurds, and even for invading Kuwait. The scandal broke on August 5, 1989, when FBI agents entered the Georgian branch of BNL for complaints of some informants that the bank had made large loans to foreign countries including Iraq, that such loans were not included in the accounting 'officer, and that far exceeded the limits set in relation to deposits. Federal agents ascertained that the information was based, and that in recent years the BNL had paid huge sums to Baghdad for the purchase of agricultural products, but also of war material and high technology. Both the American aministrazione, both the BNL (president of the bank was Nerio Nesi, that because of the scandal decided to resign, was the largest shareholder, the Treasury, ruled at that time by Guido Carli, Chairman of the Board was Giulio Andreotti, Ciampi was then governor of the Bank of Italy), frapposero every possible obstacle to the investigation, as is clear from the order (5 October 1992) and by a subsequent judgment (August 23, 1993) judge Marvin shoob. The first one reads: "This case involves charges of bank fraud that could have helped international finance arms race in Iraq. The court also tentatively concluded that U.S. intelligence agencies were aware of the reports of BNL-Atlanta with Iraq. "In conclusion: "It is clear that at the highest level of the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, dell'Agricolura and in the agencies of information it was decided to give an account of convenience in this case, and that some information may have been concealed from the investigators ". The judge ended by ordering a further investigation, because it unacceptable version of BNL in Rome, according to which the bank was simply a victim of the behavior of an employee unfaithful (Christopher P. Drogoul, branch manager), and he believed as well that the U.S. government appoggiasse that version only "to avoid embarrassing a foreign government or to contain a critical foreign policy bankruptcy." In fact, that was the line of defense of BNL, supported by the U.S., but the judgment of the court of '93 shoob said: "Most of the evidence supports the conclusion of this court, that in this case the BNL-Rome was not a victim. The proof is that the CIA was aware of the activities of BNL-BNL-Atlanta and Rome before the search in BNL-Atlanta in August 1989. "On the other hand, even in Italy, on April 22 of '92, the Board 's investigation of the Italian Senate (which has its place in the month before a night raid had taken place by the usual suspects) had concluded that the scandal of the BNL Atlanta was an international intrigue with broad responsibilities both internal and external to the bank. But the American judge went well beyond, and in a chapter of the judgment entitled 'connections with the network of arms, "he said:" It was reported that the BNL-Atlanta had failed to finance a large part of the supply network in Iraq, which included companies like Space Research Corporation, Lear Fan, the Italian ENDECO Barazuol, and Matrix-Churchill. It has been reported that the BNL-Atlanta helped to finance large parts of the Condor II missile program, a program in participation between Iraq, Egypt and Argentina. "At this point shoob launched a very serious accusation the U.S. administration: "At a meeting of the National Advisory Committee of Deputies, some officials claimed that Iraq was not involved and that the scandal appeared to involve the internal affairs of BNL. Some senior members of the executive board wanted to continue with the program CCC (Commodity Credit Corporation, the office of the ministry of agriculture that guarantees exports, ed), stating that it was essential for relations between the U.S. and Iraq. "And further: "In January of '90, President Bush signed the waiver of sanctions to allow the program Exim (export-import) continued throughout the year." Unfortunately, the judge's ruling shoob ended, in fact, with an admission of powerlessness to reach the real culprits: did not finish in the dock nor the men of the U.S. government nor the CIA nor those of BNL in Rome. Less than ever ended up in the dock, nor on that of the witnesses, a certain Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, who, according to statements of the Texas Congressman Henry Gonzalez, had been a member of the 'International Advisory Board of BNL since 1985 or the year in which the Italian branch of the bank began to provide loans to Iraq. Kissinger, whose attendance was $ 10,000, retained that position until '91, when he resigned, saying: "I have resigned earlier this year because they do not want to be involved, you do not want me questions about this sort of thing. "To explain this plot must go back to 1982, when President Ronald Reagan, despite reports of the intelligence services, he took the 'Iraq from the list of countries that supported terrorism. The aim was to contain Iran of the ayatollahs, who had been attacked by Iraq two years ago, and it gave back to the Arab country the opportunity to buy from the U.S. military technology or dual (civil use products that can also be used for actions military). Then the White House allowed that other Arab countries - Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt - Iraq strapped American military equipment, including helicopters and bombs. Some years later, the journalist Alan Friedman wrote, never denied that Reagan had personally asked to Andreotti to channel arms to Iraq. Between 1985 and 1989, the Ministry of Commerce authorized tens of exports of biological materials to Iraq, including some varieties of anthrax. After becoming president, George Bush authorized new aid and economic incentives in Baghdad despite reports that denounced the use of gas by Iraqi, first against the Iranians and then against the Kurds, and continued this policy until the eve of the invasion of Kuwait. In '92 Kenneth Timmerman, author of the book "The Death Lobby: How the West Armed Iraq," he said at a U.S. Senate committee that the factory of tungsten carbide Al Atheer, part of Iraq's clandestine nuclear program appeared to be was supplied by American companies with financing of BNL in Atlanta. And Gonzalez, again in '92, told Congress: "Dozens of U.S. companies, many of them financed by BNL, have provided cutting-edge technology to Iraq's nuclear and missile programs, and that of chemical and biological weapons." But then the Texan deputy stopped his complaints, after finding his car riddled with gunfire, and who ended up in jail, with 347 charges against him on the head, it was only Drogoul, who pleaded guilty and ended up serving little more than two years (he died in '99, just fifty years old, taken away by a fulminant cancer). However, the implications of the scandal were so many and so important that, despite the work of disinformation governments and secret services, over the years the murky history of the supply of U.S. weapons to Saddam Hussein, with the help of BNL, would come to light. Not completely, but enough so that the invasion of Iraq by George Bush's son appears now even more vile and purulent.

Franco Mimmi
April 3, 2003
published in the National (page 5) in the section "Foreign"
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