Thread by @AliAdair22

🇮🇶 Iraqgate AKA Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) Scandal—the charge was that the George H.W. Bush administration pursued a secret policy, providing billions of dollars to Iraq, thus enabling Saddam Hussein to build up his stockpile of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.

🇮🇶 In October 1992, William Barr made the announcement that he would not hire an independent counsel to investigate the BNL scandal.

Instead he hired NJ federal judge Fred Lacey, described as "Attorney General Barr's patsy," by then-House Banking Comm Chmn Henry Gonzalez (D-TX).

🇮🇶 Barr refused despite the request from members of Congress and U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob, who was handling Christopher Drogoul’s case in U.S. District Court, who suspected that Drogoul “became caught up in a conspiracy that extended far beyond the Atlanta bank."

BNL was accused of guaranteeing $4-5 billion in loans to the Iraqi government using the U.S. Agricultural Department’s little known Commodity Credit Corporation program.

timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1…

In other words, H.W. Bush administration guaranteed the Atlanta bank that the loans would be repaid—even if Iraq defaulted on them.

Basically, this $4-5 billion scandal was all blamed on the young manager of the Atlanta Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL). “I was a virgin in the dark woods, manipulated at every turn,” Drogoul said while behind bars at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in 1993.

″They would pose a question, and when I began to tell them an answer which was inconsistent with their theory of the case, they would either say ‘We’re not interested’ or ’You’re lying,‴ Drogoul charged.

apnews.com/7ed02b56a147f5…

He finally limited his responses to saying ″Yes, you’re right," in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence.

In his early 40s, Drougal was faced with a 347-count indictment, stripped of all his assets, confined to a prison cell, forcing his wife & 4 children to live on welfare.

Although he had no money, Bobby Lee Cook, the famous criminal defense attorney, took his case “because he believed that the U.S. and Italian governments were secretly sending money to Iraq for its war against Iran.”

🗣️Drogoul to the House Banking Committee, November 10, 1993: "It is my view that the local U.S. Attorney's office was overwhelmed by political pressure by the United States and Italy, by the law firm of King and Spalding, and...

🗣️Drogoul (cont'd) the lack of a competent staff to properly investigate and understand what had occurred...

I am certainly disappointed, but not surprised that Mr. Pedde, & the others at BNL who encouraged and endorsed my actions at the Atlanta agency, have taken a position...

🗣️Drogoul (cont'd): that I acted without authority. I am not so unsophisticated not to realize in this international drama that I am an insignificant figure, who can be sacrificed in the interests of major governments.

🗣️Drogoul (cont'd): I was aware at all times that the policy of BNL was to further the foreign policy concerns of both the US and Italy."

Drogoul pleaded guilty to wire fraud and submitting false reports to bank regulators, was sentenced in November 1993 to 37 months.

He served 33 months in federal prison.

After his release, ”he [Drogoul] lived quietly in Stone Mountain with his wife, Lynn, and four children” via @ajc.

He died at age 50 from cancer, many newspapers reported.

However, the family declined to comment or confirm the cause of death or give memorial service plans to Atlanta Journal-Constitution @ajc reporter Peter Mantius, who covered the story closely.

The body was cremated.

A friend told Mantius that Drogoul had held jobs at a hotel and as a magazine salesman since being released from prison. The same friend said he died from cancer, but “declined to provide specifics.”

Attorney General Barr did not comply with subpoenas by the House Banking Committee for BNL-related information.

inthesetimes.com/article/21847/…

New York Times syndicated columnist William Safire called the resulting report by special counsel Fred Lacey a “whitewash.”

fas.org/irp/congress/1…

Some of Christopher Drogoul's testimony before the House Banking Committee:

pinknoiz.com/covert/drogoul…

Independent vs. special counsels

https://twitter.com/AliAdair22/status/1138120352020795392?s=20

🥇📰 Journalist, author, columnist and presidential speechwriter [to Nixon & Agnew] William Safire receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush.

Safire died at age 79 in 2009.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S…

Photo: Shealah Craigshead

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🗞️ William Safire, @nytimes column December 10 ,1992 "Iraqgate Whitewash," where he called William Barr the "Coverup-General."