A Qatari journalist reportedly cut a deal with Iraqi authorities during Saddam Hussein’s reign, to promote the regime in his reportage in exchange for monetary benefits.
Eleven documents found in the former Iraqi Intelligence offices reveal the pact, as reported in the Saudi-run London-based daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat.
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One of the documents published in A-Sharq Al-Awsat.
The documents suggested that the journalist had a heavy debt to a Qatari bank and the deal supposedly would help him pay it off.
One of the documents was attributed to Tah Yasin Rama’dan, the former Deputy President of Iraq. All the documents were signed by the head of the Iraqi General Intelligence.
A-Sharq Al-Awsat did not publish the name of the journalist but claimed he is well-known.
The paper reported that other documents of a similar nature were also found, exposing deals with other journalists and politicians who offered to support Saddam in exchange for money.
The journalist, who was reportedly given lucrative oil contracts for his supportive media coverage, vociferously denied the allegations, and claimed “the people who forged [the documents] are the same who fabricated reports of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” He claimed he never defended Saddam, but defended Iraq, adding that he is “against occupation of any country.”