 Saddam Hussein made $11 billion in illegal income and eroded the world's toughest economic embargo during his final years as Iraq's leader through shrewd schemes to secretly buy off dozens of countries, top foreign officials and major international figures, said a new report by the chief U.S. weapons inspector released yesterday. The officials allegedly included the former top U.N. official in charge of humanitarian relief, Benon Sevan. Recipients of oil "vouchers" that could be resold for large profits included Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, former Russian presidential candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky and governments, companies and influential individuals in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the report said. |