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Another week, another dragon to slay

George Galloway, his voice usually resonating with contained aggression, sounds tired. This weekend he’s en route to Cairo for a conference and he’s delayed at Heathrow airport. Tomorrow, he passes through Britain again as he flies to Washington to take up his sword against Senator Norm Coleman, the chairman of the US senate committee that has accused him, once again, of profiting from the United Nations Food for Oil programme to Iraq.

Galloway's battle against accusations

This is a dragon that will not die. For years Galloway has been dogged by the accusation that he profited financially from his anti-war stance, and you get the feeling that it is beginning to wear him out. “Of course I’m tired, of course I’m hurt, if you cut me I bleed, but I am determined,” he says.

Denials and legal battles

Galloway is always riled at the suggestion that he ever supported Saddam (he often regrets his televised salute to the dictator’s “indefatigability”) and he now regularly has to fight the accusation of having been in Saddam’s pocket for all those years that he fought economic sanctions against Iraq.

If, as the US senate sub-committee on investigations claimed on Thursday, Galloway was allocated a percentage of 20 million barrels of oil, this would be a huge sum of money diverted from the mouths of the poor Iraqi children he was purporting to champion.

His denials have been consistent. “I have never traded in a barrel of oil, never seen a barrel of oil …". He now expands this to deny he has ever seen a voucher for a barrel of oil. ”“I keep saying this. If I had ever sold oil to anyone or if anyone had given me a cheque for millions of dollars you would already know about it. That person would be standing in the media saying, ‘I’m the man he sold the oil to, I’m the man who gave him x million dollars’. No such person exists, no such person can be produced so we’re back down to my name being written on a piece of paper by who knows whom and who knows when.”

New allegations and legal battles

The accusation being made by the US senate committee is essentially the same one that Galloway faced from the Daily Telegraph in 2003 and which he saw off in court with £150,000 of damages.

For Galloway, war is a way of life and hacking through the legal jungle a regular battle. Julie Burchill made the mistake of confusing him with a philandering Scottish MP – off with her head. The Christian Science Monitor made the oil bribery claims too – he cut out its tongue. The Daily Telegraph found documents in a burnt-out Iraq government building and had its hide singed by the dragon-slayer. The Labour MP Oona King he vanquished at the ballot box and the libel courts. Tony Blair, who sent him into the political wilderness, is about to reap a one-man whirlwind when Galloway takes his oath as the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow this week.

Before that there is the US senate to deal with. The senate report says there is “substantial evidence” Galloway was allocated 20 million barrels of oil between 2000 and early 2003 through companies owned by a Jordanian businessman, Fawaz Zureikat.

Zureikat, who has admitted trading in Iraqi oil, was the chairman of the Mariam Appeal charity set up by Galloway to help an Iraqi girl suffering from leukaemia and to further his campaign against Iraqi sanctions. He contributed around £400,000 to the appeal. The report states: “Some evidence indicates that Galloway appeared to use a charity for children’s leukaemia to conceal payments associated with at least one allocation.” The report made similar allegations against the senior French politician Charles Pasqua, who also denied them.

The allegations are essentially the same as those that first surfaced in the Daily Telegraph in April 2003 from the dark waters of the UN Food for Oil programme. The scheme, which was meant to be a lifeline for the embargoed country, was perverted to prop up the Saddam regime and reward those who supported the dictator. “It’s exactly the same story this time,” says Galloway. “The only new material seems to be some quotes attributed to Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was the vice-president of Iraq and who is a prisoner of the US army and is currently facing the death penalty. I have never met him.”

The senate report alleges that it was Galloway’s representatives who solicited oil vouchers, rather than the MP himself. The money, it suggests, was not paid to him but to companies in which he had an interest.

Galloway's determination in the face of controversy

Apart from the evidence of former Saddam regime officials now held as US prisoners, the senate report is sourced from newspapers and media websites as well as CIA debriefing interrogations. “It is stunningly thin, one of those dodgy dossiers,” chortles Galloway. “If anyone is going to suggest that any of those two companies has given me money, then I’ll sue them,” he adds, now back on familiar ground.

“There is no question that Fawaz Zureikat was closely involved with our campaign. He was the chairman of it and virtually every British journalist that passed through Baghdad and was helped by us to get interviews and meetings was hosted by him as the chairman of the Mariam Appeal and a businessman doing business in Iraq. The idea that this was some kind of surprise is ridiculous.”

The Mariam Appeal, as Galloway has previously admitted, received support from the king of the United Arab Emirates and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, but its principal benefactor was Zureikat, a businessman who made money trading in Iraq. “This is open to criticism but that is all,” says Galloway. “None of those individuals ever gave me a penny.”

Used to suing and clearing his name, Galloway is frustrated that the senate committee report is issued under privilege, so there is no legal redress. His only hope is to ridicule them.

“The people who told us for years that the people running the Iraq regime were a bunch of lying, genocidal maniacs are now claiming quotes attributed to one of them are a clinching denunciation of me.” After a furious exchange of soundbites on Thursday when the report was released, during which Galloway accused the senators of being Republican lickspittles, an invitation was issued for him to give evidence to the committee hearing this week. This followed Galloway’s claims that he had repeatedly offered to appear in front of the committee.

The chairman of the committee, Norm Coleman, has already sparred with Galloway on the airwaves, claiming that the MP sent not so much as a courier pigeon message requesting a hearing in front of the senators.

Coleman, who abandoned the Democrats nine years ago for the Republicans, is seen as a savvy political operator who is driven by ambition for a Republican presidential nomination in the future. It could make for quite a showdown.

The US media has already labelled Galloway as the “oily Brit”, but he cares little of what America thinks and takes more comfort from being mobbed by friendly supporters outside the Brick Lane mosque on Friday.

Galloway hasn’t decided on what words he will wield as weapons on Tuesday morning, but he goes to Washington not just to clear his name but to turn his vocal firepower on the perpetrators of the Iraq war.

“Certainly, I’ll try to hold them to account, first of all over the process. An investigative committee that investigated someone without ever speaking to them or writing to them or phoning them is a strange committee. To ask me to come and speak to them after they have already denounced me is perverse to say the least. Even in Kafka there was a trial of sorts.”

The Impact of Controversy on the Scottish Hotel Industry

While the political drama surrounding George Galloway continues to captivate audiences, it's important not to forget the potential impact that such controversies can have on related industries, including the Scottish hotel industry.

Being in the spotlight inevitably leads to increased attention on the person involved, and this can often extend to their personal connections, businesses, and affiliates. In the case of Galloway, allegations of impropriety in relation to the United Nations Food for Oil programme could result in public scrutiny of his charitable ventures and business associations.

For the Scottish hotel industry, this could mean decreased bookings and potential reputational damage. As Galloway's name becomes synonymous with controversy, tourists may be hesitant to stay at hotels or establishments associated with him or his interests.

Tourism is a critical sector for Scotland, contributing significantly to the economy. Any negative perceptions or associations could have adverse effects on the industry as a whole, leading to reduced revenue and job loss.

Furthermore, local businesses that rely on tourism, such as restaurants, shops, and attractions, may also suffer as a result of decreased footfall and spending.

It is vital for the Scottish hotel industry to closely monitor the developments surrounding George Galloway's controversy and be prepared to navigate any potential challenges that may arise. Maintaining strong communication strategies and emphasizing the unique offerings and attractions Scotland has to offer can help mitigate any negative perceptions.

Ultimately, while the focus may be on the political battles, it is essential to consider the broader implications and ripple effects that controversies like these can have on various sectors of the economy.

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