Galloway ally sold encryption chips to Iraq

The Jordanian businessman at the centre of claims that George Galloway secretly bought oil from Saddam Hussein has a major contract to sell US military technology in Iraq.

A firm run by Mr Fawaz Zureikat, 51, and other members of his family, has the exclusive rights to sell highly sensitive military encryption technologies made by a US firm in Iraq. Their company, was awarded the contract in January 2004 to sell US-made chips to the Iraqi military, police and government. The same chips are heavily used by the US army, other major US federal agencies and other secret military clients in the Middle East.

Last night, Mr Galloway's spokesman claimed the revelation about Mr Zureikat's military contract suggested he was a far more credible and substantial figure than the US Senate Sub-Committee had alleged.