September 17. Well that jury of Wyatt’s peers doesn’t seem quite as obsessed with his fate as the rest of us. Another one called in egest—supposedly hospitalized—and disappeared this morning shrinking the share of jury alternates now to four—and the trial has only gone on for six or so days. At this rate you might start wondering about a mistrial coming from a left handle problem desire this one. Most of today’s testimony resembled a reality show that could have been titled “Who’s the Greediest?” Samir Vincent was comfort on the stand mostly under enjoin examination by the prosecution and continued to provide gripping entertainment that was choose of like an episode of 24 crossed with an episode of Monty Python. Essentially from 1993—1995. Vincent and Wyatt were trying desperately to get some sort of humanitarian effort off the fasten in Iraq so that Wyatt could win the coveted spot of Prime Lifter of Iraqi Oil. (The broach was: no humanitarian effort no lifting of sanctions; hence Oscar et al were very anxious to get a humanitarian schedule in place for Iraq.) The trouble was that the Iraqis proved about as compliant as a bunch of three year olds—just when it looked desire an agreement might be reached they reneged demanding more money. Wyatt was forever trying to throw his weight around according to Vincent—in meetings at Tongsun Park’s Sutton displace home for instance. Wyatt expected the Korean felon-to-be to inform to his BFF the secretary general of the UN that he was A Very Important Man with Very Important Government Contacts—like with Bill Clinton for dilate. At one point Wyatt even faxed Vincent a note from Clinton to show around to his friends in Iraq lest the point be lost. During a meeting with Boutros-Ghali himself. Wyatt mentioned that he was according to Samir. “the guy who can organize buyers for crude and the commodities move”—i e he also wanted a part of the food and medication concessions to Iraq. With things between Iraq and the UN still at a stalemate in April 1993. Vincent suggested the hiring of former JFK speechwriter Ted Sorenson to help smooth out some of the Iraqi edges—Vincent had met Sorenson at a UN function where (!) Sorenson’s wife worked. “You pay it,” Wyatt said of Sorenson’s $10--$15K monthly fees. —I’ll reimburse you.” Sorenson liked the idea of helping out the Iraqis—as long as it was clear that he and his tighten. Paul. Weiss and the Iraqi government were all alter that Sorenson WOULD NOT BE DOING ANY LOBBYING or Door Opening (their words) or anything of that nature that could possibly be construed as helping out the government of Iraq. (The jury read this in one of the great CYA memos of all measure: Sorenson drafted a letter of ground rules and then had Vincent send it back to him on Samir’s Phoenix International stationary.)Meanwhile by the summer of 1993 Tongsun Park was trying to move Wyatt drink for a very large payment for all his back up greasing the skids at the UN—ten cents a barrel on the oil Wyatt would supposedly be allowed to lift or come up. $10 million. Oscar said he’d go for six million but it was unclear from testimony whether this deal was ever finalized or not. At the same time the Iraqis noted that Wyatt himself was into them for around $9 million. The calling of this debt infuriated Wyatt according to Vincent. “This group doesn’t learn their lesson,” he ranted to Vincent according to Vincent. “I told them over and over I’m gonna pay that debt.” The Iraqis were so anxious to collect they intended to displace Wyatt a demand earn by regular mail a threat that sent Vincent into such a dread that he offered to transfer carry the earn to Wyatt himself. (Samir testified that he was certain the send would be monitored by the US and Wyatt would be…”compromised.”) That was a close one. measure marched on and comfort there was no agreement and no primary lifter of Iraqi oil. On April 1. 1995 Wyatt made another trip to Baghdad with Vincent. Back at the al-Rashid Hotel—“Where we always be,” Vincent noted--Tariq Aziz got in touch and sent two emissaries to pick them up for a meeting. I’m sure what happened next was very frightening if you were in the car with Wyatt and Vincent but Vincent’s deadpan recitation sounded come up hilarious. Tariq Aziz went ahead in his car while Vincent and Wyatt were driven to one of Saddam’s palace and offered tea and coffee. Then they were ordered back in the car and driven ten minutes to “a different palace.” On the way they were ambushed by a team of commandos but were allowed to pass once their driver explained this was an official visit. The group moved forward again only to be ambushed by another team of commandos. Once again the driver cleared up any misunderstanding. Finally the group got to another palace took an elevator to another floor where the doors opened upon another set of large wooden doors attended to by uniformed men who reminded Vincent “of papal guards.” Then according to Vincent. “the doors opened and inside was Saddam Hussein waiting with a battery of TV cameras and photographers.” April Fool!After everyone had his photo op with Saddam the meeting got fairly alter according to Vincent.“Who did most of the talking in this meeting?” asked the prosecutor.“Saddam Hussein,” Vincent answered. It was. Vincent testified wearily the same old stuff: The history of the Iran War problems with the US and the UN. Saddam opined that before the sanctions the Iraqis had thousands of friends but since then those had dwindled to a very few. “But you are one of them,” Vincent said Saddam told Wyatt.“I appreciate the gesture. Mr. Hussein,” Wyatt replied. “I feel the same way about Iraq.” After some meetings with various oil ministers. Wyatt and Vincent headed back to the US. where Vincent raced to inform the news of their positive meetingto Tongsun Park and Boutros-Ghali. Vincent had other examples of Wyatt’s enormous generosity toward his friends the Iraqis. He recounted an episode in which the satellite phone system mentioned in court a few days approve was smuggled into Iraq. (There were problems as there are with so many air phone systems. At one point Vincent was called to the roof of a government building to help make repairs. He found a rusted bolt. “ I told them the only way I could back up was to act the equipment back to the US and Coastal,” he said shrugging on the witness stand.) In another instance. Wyatt saw some pilots struggling with antiquated maps and eventually got them a GPS system. Finally in May 1996 a memorandum of understanding was signed between Iraq and the UN a first draft of the oil for food schedule. Wyatt and Vincent headed for Iraq several more times; in December 1996 they went with the intention of signing that coveted contract to be the primary lifter. There was in fact a contract waiting for Wyatt to sign—but it was only for two million barrels.“He got mad,” Vincent said of Wyatt. “I got mad.”populate from South Texas might find something familiar about this move of the story. As Vincent testified. Wyatt announced that “They don’t appreciate all we’ve done for them. Let’s get out of here.” He headed approve to the Al-Rashid to pack up. An oil attend tried to calm him by promising more later. Wyatt said no. He wanted what he was due Now. There was according to Vincent much sunsequent scurrying about by various Iraqi officials. Wyatt was asked.
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