Galloway flies to Jordan to help Zureikat

[faceless]

Galloway jets to Jordan to help political pal
22 November 2007
By Ted Jeory
www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk


JUST a week after the end of his suspension from the House of Commons, George Galloway has courted more trouble by flying to Jordan to help campaign for the controversial businessman who was linked to oil deals with Saddam Hussein helped land him in hot water in the first place, almost ruining the Scot's political career.

The Respect MP has jetted off to help his close friend Fawaz Zureikat who is fighting to become a member of the Jordanian parliament. Mr Zureikat was at the centre of the Commons watchdog report that concluded in July that Mr Galloway had broken Parliamentary rules, triggering the MP's recent 18-day suspension. Mr Zureikat had refused to co-operate with the authors of that report, which concluded Mr Galloway had broken Parliamentary rules by "concealing the true source of Iraqi funding" for his Mariam Appeal charity.

The charity had been set up to end UN sanctions against Iraq and Mr Zureikat, who was one of its trustees, had been a major benefactor. But Parliamentary commissioner Sir Philip Mawer concluded there was "powerful", if circumstantial, evidence that "a substantial part" of those donations "came from monies derived, via the Oil for Food programme, from the former Iraqi regime".

Mr Galloway has consistently denied any wrongdoing and defended Mr Zureikat during his suspension speech in the Commons. He described him as a businessman who was free to travel throughout the world, including America. He is now trying to become an MP in Jordan in his home district of Karak where he describes himself as a visionary.

Mr Galloway's spokesman and business partner, Ron McKay, told the Advertiser: "Fawaz Zureikat has been a friend of George's and mine for many years. George was his best man at his wedding. He is in Jordan at the moment helping Fawaz Zureikat in his campaign to become a member of the Jordanian Parliament."

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Does Galloway want to give his detractors ammunition? Or maybe it's just loyalty to a friend?

[Mandy]

East London Advertiser has been running anti-Galloway articles for a while now.

I believe the only way to break through the corporate media is to stick together.

If George can help Zureikat, then by all means good on him.

George get's hassled anyway for anything he does by the media (including supporting Chavez and Castro)

[faceless]

But when I said that the Advertiser was against Galloway a few months back you said I was wrong - and Galloway even commended Ted Jeory himself a while ago.

Whatever way you look at it, this story wasn't ever going to end up in a positive light.

[Mandy]

[faceless]

But this story doesn't need to be twisted to appear odd.

here's the thread I was talking about: http://couchtripper.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=4794

but I got you wrong, you weren't really defending them.