Mon Dieu ! Qu'un Suprise !

Did anyone ever doubt that this worm would turn?

Tariq Aziz, the former Iraqi deputy prime minister, told the ISG that the "primary motive for French co-operation" was to secure lucrative oil deals when UN sanctions were lifted. Total, the French oil giant, had been promised exploration rights.

Tariq Aziz, Saddam's foreign minister, awarded several French "individuals" substantial oil vouchers in return for using their influence to help lift sanctions.

Iraqi intelligence officials then "targeted a number of French individuals that Iraq thought had a close relationship to French President Chirac," it said, including two of his "counsellors" and spokesman for his re-election campaign.

Aziz was singing a different tune in 1998 when Iraq's UN Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon presented a letter by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, excerpts follow:

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Following are excerpts of the letter by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, given to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Saturday:

"On the basis of what was stated in your letter, and in appreciation of the content of the letter of President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation and Mr. Yevgeny Primakov, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and the positive positions expressed and conveyed to us by China, France, Brazil and other States, and in order to give a further chance to achieve justice by lifting sanctions commencing with the implementation of paragraph 22 of resolution 687 (1991), the leadership of Iraq decided to resume working with the (U.N.) special commission (UNSCOM) and the IAEA and to allow them to perform their normal duties in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and on the basis of the principles which were agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding signed with you February 23, 1998.

We offer this chance not out of fear of the aggressive American campaign and the threat to commit a new aggression against Iraq, but as an expression of our responsibility, and in response to your appeal and those of our friends.

We affirm that the people of Iraq would not relinquish their legitimate right in having the iniquitous embargo lifted and to live normally like other nations of the world. We will be looking forward to seeing the outcome of your efforts and the review."

It's only a matter of time until Kofi Annan is proven to be tainted as well.