REPORTER: Nick Lazaredes
His cosy recording studio in the mountains of northern Umbria is a long way from the fear and unrest in Baghdad, but the attention of Father Jean-Marie Benjamin is firmly focused on Iraq. A successful composer in France and a former high-level executive with UNICEF Father Benjamin turned to the priesthood late in life. In Europe he is well known for his campaign against the United States for its invasion of Iraq.
FATHER BENJAMIN: I am against the B-52, the Tomahawk, the war, the dead and destruction and you imagine to bomb these people after 12 years of terrible embargo, you bomb again these people? And after they send an humanitarian organisation, an NGO, "Oh, poor people. Why should we have to help these people?" But it's hypocritic, that is hypocrite.
It was during the '90s when he was making a film about the effects of international sanctions that Father Benjamin struck up a friendship with Tariq Aziz the only Christian member of Saddam's cabinet.
TARIQ AZIZ, FORMER IRAQI DEPUTY PM: Whoever speaks about discrimination of minorities or people of different faith is a big liar. He's a liar.
Now with Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister, languishing in a Baghdad prison as a suspected war criminal - their friendship is being put to the test.
FATHER BENJAMIN: If your friend are in prison, if your friend have big problem you go? This is not a compartment when you are friend. My friend - I defend my friend. If my friends, are in danger and need my help, I try to do something - it's the same.
While his friend is in Baghdad Father Benjamin works from his farmhouse overlooking the Italian town of Assisi. In tribute to St Francis, he's also taken on a large collection of pets, which he has named after his least favourite people.
FATHER BENJAMIN: You know the name of this people, the two duck, the male name is Donald, and the female is Condaleez, and the turkey name is George, George is a little bit aggressive but it's...OK. It's a nice family.
George? You see, he answer.
But Father Benjamin now finds his friendship with Aziz has landed him in hot water. Father Benjamin's name is on a list, revealed last year, of those receiving kickbacks from Saddam Hussein's regime under the oil-for-food program.
The scandal broke in spectacular fashion when United Nations investigators directly linked Benan Sevan, the man who actually ran the program, to corrupt dealings with Iraq.
PAUL VOLCKER,UN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY: Basically, the story is, that at some point, he contacted Iraqi officials and suggested an allocation of oil on behalf of a company called AMEP, and there is records in Iraq that such a request was made and would be honoured.
The AMEP oil company has been directly linked to Mr Sevan, and indirectly to former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali.
Boutros Ghali has not been cooperative with UN investigators, and they have not yet determined his role in the affair, if any, but their judgment about Mr Sevan's role was damning.
PAUL VOLCKER: I think it's a fact that Mr Sevan placed himself in a grave and continuing conflict-of-interest situation that violated explicit UN rules and violated the standards of integrity essential to a high level international civil servant.
The oil-for-food program was designed in the '90s by the UN to try and ameliorate the worst consequences of the sanctioned regime on Iraq. A certain amount of Iraqi oil would be allowed to be sold if the proceeds were used to buy food and medicine for Iraqis suffering under the sanctions.
The allegation from Volcker's interim report is that some of those on the list received oil contracts under the oil-for-food scheme at a 10% discount, which they could then sell at market price, reaping millions in profit.
What has made the list particularly intriguing is the appearance of the many friends and associates of Tariq Aziz, like Father Benjamin. The sheer diversity of the names on the list has also raised eyebrows. It includes former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, members of the Russian Government, and British MP George Galloway, who successfully sued for defamation in Britain over the allegation. Like George Galloway and others on the list, Father Benjamin denies he received any oil favours from Iraq.
REPORTER: So how much oil did you receive from Tariq Aziz, from the Iraqi authorities?
FATHER BENJAMIN: Yes, yes, this is a good question. A lot of oil. You know, I talked with some journalists recently. They asked me, "You are on the list." But it is better to be on the list of oil than on the list of al-Qa'ida, because if somebody put my name on list, what I can do? No? And I ask also, maybe if you can find where are my barrels of oil, please to inform me because I would like to take the commission, you know? I spent a lot of money in these years. No, it's absolutely unbelievable.
While he denies receiving any kickbacks from Iraq, Father Benjamin does admit that Tariq Aziz wanted to give him oil vouchers, but he wrote to the his friend, refusing the offer.
FATHER BENJAMIN,(Translation): In my letter I said I can't accept, on ethical grounds, anything from Iraq even if the commissions don't come from Iraq but from a company. When I was in Baghdad I asked Tariq Aziz, "Did you receive my letter?" He said, "Yes father." I can't possibly accept anything. It's a matter of ethics. You - my father it's absolutely legal. It's nothing illegal. Yes, I said, but I cant accept, morally.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA, ADVISOR, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: What I noticed was that there were many names on that list who were not traditional oil traders, and this raised serious questions. Why were they on the list?
Claude Hankes-Drielsma is a former Price Waterhouse international chairman and adviser to the Iraqi Governing Council. He has examined many of the documents and lists of oil kickbacks which were mysteriously obtained from deserted Iraqi ministries. He's convinced that they are genuine.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: But I'm quite clear in my mind, from the evidence I've seen, that those that appear on this list, will be shown to have benefited in some form by the Saddam Hussein regime.
Father Benjamin claims that the source of the documents and the lists is the same group of Iraqi dissidents responsible for so much of the pre-war disinformation.
FATHER BENJAMIN,(Translation): The problem is when you have people in government who lied to the whole international community, who lied to the Security Council over weapons of mass destruction, who fabricated false documents, it's difficult to say this is true or it isn't true.
What has raised doubts about the list is the involvement of Dr Ahmed Chalabi in their compilation. He's the Iraqi dissident responsible for much of the false information about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
But Claude Hankes-Drielsma who examined the documents with forensic auditing experts is convinced that they're not forged.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: There's absolutely no question that that list was fabricated. I know how the list was compiled, we reviewed documents...
He's also convinced that Father Benjamin's name deserves to be there.
REPORTER: Why would Father Benjamin have been on the list?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: That is - nobody would be on the list unless the Iraqi Government wanted to carry favour with those individuals and gave them oil at advantageous prices.
REPORTER: Is it not possible, though, that his name was used so that somebody else within the regime could have benefited?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: Anything is possible. It's highly unlikely.
REPORTER: Why is it highly unlikely?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: Because the purpose of the records was to understand exactly who had benefited and because the regime wanted to be quite clear who they'd given the favours to.
Despite the UN investigation, the involvement of Dr Chalabi in sourcing the documents has raised suspicions that the list is little more than political payback to damage those who supported Saddam's regime. But Hankes-Drielsma vehemently denies it.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: I'm an adviser to the Governing Council and remain an adviser to Iraq. I've known Dr Chalabi for many years and have a very high regard for him.
REPORTER: OK, well the suggestion will nevertheless be put that there is a political, a personal motivation for you to be so forthright about these accusations, so how would you respond to that?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: There would be no reason for me to do so - on the contrary, why would I do something of that kind? I'm a professional I used to chair the management committee of Price Waterhouse and Partners worldwide, I saw in Baghdad what I believed to be something terrible that happened.
While the UN investigation proceeds, Father Benjamin is certain that it will exonerate him and he's not backing away from his support for Tariq Aziz.
Sunday mass at Father Benjamin's private chapel always attracts a small crowd of nuns and nearby farmers, but today there are two special guests - a pair of sympathetic lawyers who've joined the campaign to help the imprisoned Tariq Aziz. Like Father Benjamin, they are worried about his treatment as a high value detainee.
UGO BERTAGLIA, TARIQ AZIZ LEGAL TEAM,(Translation): After about two years of detention, Tariq Aziz only had one meeting with his Iraqi lawyer, that was granted last December, and he was granted leave to write to his family three times.
It appears that Tariq Aziz has had a hard time of it in prison. He has lost a great deal of weight and his lawyers feel he should be treated better as he was one of the first to give himself up to the American forces.
REMO DI MARTINO, TARIQ AZIZ LEGAL TEAM, (Translation): Tariq Aziz didn't flee. He called the Americans and said, "Come and get me. He gave himself up and declared that he wants to be respected as a person and he never tried to shirk his responsibilities. He wants to account for what he did.
But the thirst for revenge from those now running Iraq makes the lawyers worry about the prospects for a fair trial for their client.
UGO BERTAGLIA, (Translation): Since the two wars against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, were waged as wars against pure evil, as I said before. Tariq Aziz is automatically included amongst the evil-doers and therefore, in the opinion of people who are affected by that sort of propaganda, he's found guilty even before he's put to trial.
FATHER BENJAMIN: You know in Assisi, you have - the population is 9,000 person, but 7,000 person are priest, friars, sisters. This is like the Vatican here.
It was here in Assisi just over two years ago that Father Benjamin last saw his friend. With a US invasion appearing imminent Father Benjamin called on his Vatican contacts to organise a meeting in Rome between Tariq Aziz and the Pope - a last-ditch appeal for peace.
Afterwards Aziz came here to Assisi to pray for peace at the tomb of St Francis.
FATHER BENJAMIN: The tomb of St Francis, and this is the place that Tariq Aziz pray with the friar of Assisi and made the appeal for the peace in February 2003. It was in this place in front of St Francis tomb.
As perhaps the best known official of Saddam Hussein's regime - the case against Iraq's former deputy prime minister has assumed a high profile in the search for justice in post Saddam Iraq.
Two years after his arrest, no charges have been laid, but his lawyers have heard some of the allegations.
REMO DI MARTINO, (Translation): All we know so far is that Tariq Aziz is accused of a series of murders that happened within the Ba'ath party in 1979, but he held no position of authority within the party at the time.
There's also been speculation about charges relating to the invasion of Kuwait, but Aziz claims that he opposed it risking his life trying to persuade Saddam to ignore the advice of his war-hungry son, Uday. And now Tariq Aziz is facing a fresh hurdle. As the evidence about the oil-for-food scam continues to mount, his role makes him a key witness.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: He is certainly somebody who I believe will be questioned in depth, and needs to be questioned in depth, but he was one of the key people in deciding who should receive what. Already there's reference in the Volcker report that if they didn't feel that people were delivering, they started saying so and would complain.
In fact the interrogation of Tariq Aziz about the oil-for-food program has already begun. In late February, in the presence of US and Iraqi investigators, United Nations officials were able to question Tariq Aziz.
According to those present at the session, about 20 questions were put to Aziz about the involvement of certain Arab and foreign politicians in the oil-for-food scheme. The interrogation apparently ground to a halt when Tariq Aziz was questioned about his relationship with French President Jacques Chirac. Aziz refused to continue.
With the scandal of the oil-for-food program swirling around those connected to Saddam's regime, Father Benjamin is unrepentant and says the Vatican hierarchy supports his stand.
FATHER BENJAMIN: One years ago, 1.5, I receive a letter of the Secretary of State in the name of the Pope. The Pope ask me to send you "cordiali agure" - heart wishes - for everything you do for the Iraqi people and for you and your collaborators, my benediction, etc, etc. You think the Pope wrote me, and the Secretary of State, my bishop called me to congratulate if I am discredited? I don't think.
Jean-Marie Benjamin believes there are many more embarrassing revelations to come about the secret deals and corruption that shrouded the former Iraqi regime. And he suspects that the upcoming trial of former leader Saddam Hussein will be the catalyst.
FATHER BENJAMIN: But if they make a process to Mr Saddam Hussein, the public opinion in the world will be very surprised about some documents - not only oil-for-food, but a lot of things before the war, before the Gulf War.
It's quite clear that most of the oil that left Iraq during the embargo had nothing to do with the oil-for-food program. Most of it was trucked out to Turkey and Jordan in violation of the international sanctions and with the full knowledge, and it appears the blessing, of the US.
PAUL VOLCKER: And one of the interesting things about this is, in the case of Jordan and Turkey, in both cases the United States Government was aware of it, and provided a waiver from the provisions of law that said the United States could not provide aid to any country that is violating a UN sanction. That is a matter of public record.
Although the United Nations is unlikely to escape unscarred from the oil-for-food scandal Father Benjamin believes the allegations against him will one day be proven to be totally false.
He's also confident that his friend Tariq Aziz will soon be released from prison, possibly before Christmas. In the meantime he's vowed to continue to speak out against the US-led military occupation.
FATHER BENJAMIN: I love the Iraqi people. I never can imagine that if you love somebody, to go and bomb and to kill this person. You know, hundred of thousand of dead people and after these people are dead are liberated forever. It is the means that I condemn.
His cosy recording studio in the mountains of northern Umbria is a long way from the fear and unrest in Baghdad, but the attention of Father Jean-Marie Benjamin is firmly focused on Iraq. A successful composer in France and a former high-level executive with UNICEF Father Benjamin turned to the priesthood late in life. In Europe he is well known for his campaign against the United States for its invasion of Iraq.
FATHER BENJAMIN: I am against the B-52, the Tomahawk, the war, the dead and destruction and you imagine to bomb these people after 12 years of terrible embargo, you bomb again these people? And after they send an humanitarian organisation, an NGO, "Oh, poor people. Why should we have to help these people?" But it's hypocritic, that is hypocrite.
It was during the '90s when he was making a film about the effects of international sanctions that Father Benjamin struck up a friendship with Tariq Aziz the only Christian member of Saddam's cabinet.
TARIQ AZIZ, FORMER IRAQI DEPUTY PM: Whoever speaks about discrimination of minorities or people of different faith is a big liar. He's a liar.
Now with Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister, languishing in a Baghdad prison as a suspected war criminal - their friendship is being put to the test.
FATHER BENJAMIN: If your friend are in prison, if your friend have big problem you go? This is not a compartment when you are friend. My friend - I defend my friend. If my friends, are in danger and need my help, I try to do something - it's the same.
While his friend is in Baghdad Father Benjamin works from his farmhouse overlooking the Italian town of Assisi. In tribute to St Francis, he's also taken on a large collection of pets, which he has named after his least favourite people.
FATHER BENJAMIN: You know the name of this people, the two duck, the male name is Donald, and the female is Condaleez, and the turkey name is George, George is a little bit aggressive but it's...OK. It's a nice family.
George? You see, he answer.
But Father Benjamin now finds his friendship with Aziz has landed him in hot water. Father Benjamin's name is on a list, revealed last year, of those receiving kickbacks from Saddam Hussein's regime under the oil-for-food program.
The scandal broke in spectacular fashion when United Nations investigators directly linked Benan Sevan, the man who actually ran the program, to corrupt dealings with Iraq.
PAUL VOLCKER,UN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY: Basically, the story is, that at some point, he contacted Iraqi officials and suggested an allocation of oil on behalf of a company called AMEP, and there is records in Iraq that such a request was made and would be honoured.
The AMEP oil company has been directly linked to Mr Sevan, and indirectly to former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali.
Boutros Ghali has not been cooperative with UN investigators, and they have not yet determined his role in the affair, if any, but their judgment about Mr Sevan's role was damning.
PAUL VOLCKER: I think it's a fact that Mr Sevan placed himself in a grave and continuing conflict-of-interest situation that violated explicit UN rules and violated the standards of integrity essential to a high level international civil servant.
The oil-for-food program was designed in the '90s by the UN to try and ameliorate the worst consequences of the sanctioned regime on Iraq. A certain amount of Iraqi oil would be allowed to be sold if the proceeds were used to buy food and medicine for Iraqis suffering under the sanctions.
The allegation from Volcker's interim report is that some of those on the list received oil contracts under the oil-for-food scheme at a 10% discount, which they could then sell at market price, reaping millions in profit.
What has made the list particularly intriguing is the appearance of the many friends and associates of Tariq Aziz, like Father Benjamin. The sheer diversity of the names on the list has also raised eyebrows. It includes former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, members of the Russian Government, and British MP George Galloway, who successfully sued for defamation in Britain over the allegation. Like George Galloway and others on the list, Father Benjamin denies he received any oil favours from Iraq.
REPORTER: So how much oil did you receive from Tariq Aziz, from the Iraqi authorities?
FATHER BENJAMIN: Yes, yes, this is a good question. A lot of oil. You know, I talked with some journalists recently. They asked me, "You are on the list." But it is better to be on the list of oil than on the list of al-Qa'ida, because if somebody put my name on list, what I can do? No? And I ask also, maybe if you can find where are my barrels of oil, please to inform me because I would like to take the commission, you know? I spent a lot of money in these years. No, it's absolutely unbelievable.
While he denies receiving any kickbacks from Iraq, Father Benjamin does admit that Tariq Aziz wanted to give him oil vouchers, but he wrote to the his friend, refusing the offer.
FATHER BENJAMIN,(Translation): In my letter I said I can't accept, on ethical grounds, anything from Iraq even if the commissions don't come from Iraq but from a company. When I was in Baghdad I asked Tariq Aziz, "Did you receive my letter?" He said, "Yes father." I can't possibly accept anything. It's a matter of ethics. You - my father it's absolutely legal. It's nothing illegal. Yes, I said, but I cant accept, morally.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA, ADVISOR, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: What I noticed was that there were many names on that list who were not traditional oil traders, and this raised serious questions. Why were they on the list?
Claude Hankes-Drielsma is a former Price Waterhouse international chairman and adviser to the Iraqi Governing Council. He has examined many of the documents and lists of oil kickbacks which were mysteriously obtained from deserted Iraqi ministries. He's convinced that they are genuine.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: But I'm quite clear in my mind, from the evidence I've seen, that those that appear on this list, will be shown to have benefited in some form by the Saddam Hussein regime.
Father Benjamin claims that the source of the documents and the lists is the same group of Iraqi dissidents responsible for so much of the pre-war disinformation.
FATHER BENJAMIN,(Translation): The problem is when you have people in government who lied to the whole international community, who lied to the Security Council over weapons of mass destruction, who fabricated false documents, it's difficult to say this is true or it isn't true.
What has raised doubts about the list is the involvement of Dr Ahmed Chalabi in their compilation. He's the Iraqi dissident responsible for much of the false information about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
But Claude Hankes-Drielsma who examined the documents with forensic auditing experts is convinced that they're not forged.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: There's absolutely no question that that list was fabricated. I know how the list was compiled, we reviewed documents...
He's also convinced that Father Benjamin's name deserves to be there.
REPORTER: Why would Father Benjamin have been on the list?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: That is - nobody would be on the list unless the Iraqi Government wanted to carry favour with those individuals and gave them oil at advantageous prices.
REPORTER: Is it not possible, though, that his name was used so that somebody else within the regime could have benefited?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: Anything is possible. It's highly unlikely.
REPORTER: Why is it highly unlikely?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: Because the purpose of the records was to understand exactly who had benefited and because the regime wanted to be quite clear who they'd given the favours to.
Despite the UN investigation, the involvement of Dr Chalabi in sourcing the documents has raised suspicions that the list is little more than political payback to damage those who supported Saddam's regime. But Hankes-Drielsma vehemently denies it.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: I'm an adviser to the Governing Council and remain an adviser to Iraq. I've known Dr Chalabi for many years and have a very high regard for him.
REPORTER: OK, well the suggestion will nevertheless be put that there is a political, a personal motivation for you to be so forthright about these accusations, so how would you respond to that?
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: There would be no reason for me to do so - on the contrary, why would I do something of that kind? I'm a professional I used to chair the management committee of Price Waterhouse and Partners worldwide, I saw in Baghdad what I believed to be something terrible that happened.
While the UN investigation proceeds, Father Benjamin is certain that it will exonerate him and he's not backing away from his support for Tariq Aziz.
Sunday mass at Father Benjamin's private chapel always attracts a small crowd of nuns and nearby farmers, but today there are two special guests - a pair of sympathetic lawyers who've joined the campaign to help the imprisoned Tariq Aziz. Like Father Benjamin, they are worried about his treatment as a high value detainee.
UGO BERTAGLIA, TARIQ AZIZ LEGAL TEAM,(Translation): After about two years of detention, Tariq Aziz only had one meeting with his Iraqi lawyer, that was granted last December, and he was granted leave to write to his family three times.
It appears that Tariq Aziz has had a hard time of it in prison. He has lost a great deal of weight and his lawyers feel he should be treated better as he was one of the first to give himself up to the American forces.
REMO DI MARTINO, TARIQ AZIZ LEGAL TEAM, (Translation): Tariq Aziz didn't flee. He called the Americans and said, "Come and get me. He gave himself up and declared that he wants to be respected as a person and he never tried to shirk his responsibilities. He wants to account for what he did.
But the thirst for revenge from those now running Iraq makes the lawyers worry about the prospects for a fair trial for their client.
UGO BERTAGLIA, (Translation): Since the two wars against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, were waged as wars against pure evil, as I said before. Tariq Aziz is automatically included amongst the evil-doers and therefore, in the opinion of people who are affected by that sort of propaganda, he's found guilty even before he's put to trial.
FATHER BENJAMIN: You know in Assisi, you have - the population is 9,000 person, but 7,000 person are priest, friars, sisters. This is like the Vatican here.
It was here in Assisi just over two years ago that Father Benjamin last saw his friend. With a US invasion appearing imminent Father Benjamin called on his Vatican contacts to organise a meeting in Rome between Tariq Aziz and the Pope - a last-ditch appeal for peace.
Afterwards Aziz came here to Assisi to pray for peace at the tomb of St Francis.
FATHER BENJAMIN: The tomb of St Francis, and this is the place that Tariq Aziz pray with the friar of Assisi and made the appeal for the peace in February 2003. It was in this place in front of St Francis tomb.
As perhaps the best known official of Saddam Hussein's regime - the case against Iraq's former deputy prime minister has assumed a high profile in the search for justice in post Saddam Iraq.
Two years after his arrest, no charges have been laid, but his lawyers have heard some of the allegations.
REMO DI MARTINO, (Translation): All we know so far is that Tariq Aziz is accused of a series of murders that happened within the Ba'ath party in 1979, but he held no position of authority within the party at the time.
There's also been speculation about charges relating to the invasion of Kuwait, but Aziz claims that he opposed it risking his life trying to persuade Saddam to ignore the advice of his war-hungry son, Uday. And now Tariq Aziz is facing a fresh hurdle. As the evidence about the oil-for-food scam continues to mount, his role makes him a key witness.
CLAUDE HANKES-DRIELSMA: He is certainly somebody who I believe will be questioned in depth, and needs to be questioned in depth, but he was one of the key people in deciding who should receive what. Already there's reference in the Volcker report that if they didn't feel that people were delivering, they started saying so and would complain.
In fact the interrogation of Tariq Aziz about the oil-for-food program has already begun. In late February, in the presence of US and Iraqi investigators, United Nations officials were able to question Tariq Aziz.
According to those present at the session, about 20 questions were put to Aziz about the involvement of certain Arab and foreign politicians in the oil-for-food scheme. The interrogation apparently ground to a halt when Tariq Aziz was questioned about his relationship with French President Jacques Chirac. Aziz refused to continue.
With the scandal of the oil-for-food program swirling around those connected to Saddam's regime, Father Benjamin is unrepentant and says the Vatican hierarchy supports his stand.
FATHER BENJAMIN: One years ago, 1.5, I receive a letter of the Secretary of State in the name of the Pope. The Pope ask me to send you "cordiali agure" - heart wishes - for everything you do for the Iraqi people and for you and your collaborators, my benediction, etc, etc. You think the Pope wrote me, and the Secretary of State, my bishop called me to congratulate if I am discredited? I don't think.
Jean-Marie Benjamin believes there are many more embarrassing revelations to come about the secret deals and corruption that shrouded the former Iraqi regime. And he suspects that the upcoming trial of former leader Saddam Hussein will be the catalyst.
FATHER BENJAMIN: But if they make a process to Mr Saddam Hussein, the public opinion in the world will be very surprised about some documents - not only oil-for-food, but a lot of things before the war, before the Gulf War.
It's quite clear that most of the oil that left Iraq during the embargo had nothing to do with the oil-for-food program. Most of it was trucked out to Turkey and Jordan in violation of the international sanctions and with the full knowledge, and it appears the blessing, of the US.
PAUL VOLCKER: And one of the interesting things about this is, in the case of Jordan and Turkey, in both cases the United States Government was aware of it, and provided a waiver from the provisions of law that said the United States could not provide aid to any country that is violating a UN sanction. That is a matter of public record.
Although the United Nations is unlikely to escape unscarred from the oil-for-food scandal Father Benjamin believes the allegations against him will one day be proven to be totally false.
He's also confident that his friend Tariq Aziz will soon be released from prison, possibly before Christmas. In the meantime he's vowed to continue to speak out against the US-led military occupation.
FATHER BENJAMIN: I love the Iraqi people. I never can imagine that if you love somebody, to go and bomb and to kill this person. You know, hundred of thousand of dead people and after these people are dead are liberated forever. It is the means that I condemn.