US Wheat farmers set to fail

Australia’s monopoly wheat exporter, AWB, is facing a US class action after an inquiry has revealed it paid kickbacks to retain Iraqi sales.

A group of US producers are accusing the wheat exporter of engaging in a global campaign of racketeering, money laundering, fraud and bribery.

It seems all of those charges are true, but opinion is that it will be difficult to argue the case that US farmers were hurt by AWB kickbacks, because the US had sanctions against trading with Iraq.

Corporate spokesperson Peter McBride says AWB would fight any such legal suit.

"Such actions are ill-conceived and if any action is formally brought against AWB we will vigorously defend," he said.

The odd part of this attempt is that US Wheat Associates initially denied all knowledge of it. Given their role in raising it in the first place, soon after the Iraq invasion, then backing off after apparently conferring with then Secretary of State Powel, USWA should be the first target of growers.

The second target, on evidence revealed at the Sydney inquiry, is the US administration itself. There is ample to show that they and the Australian government colluded on the kickback’s to Saddam, even before the invasion began.

I wish Kansas wheat farmer Veryl Switzer and his buddies well, but I would suggest, resptfully, that their lawyers should take another look at their strategy.

Alan Tracey, of USWA, knows at the very least why his group was warned off. Senator Norm Coleman has a pretty good idea why his committee was told to back off several times. Of course neither are likely to be the type to kiss and tell, so that leaves the poor bloody farmers to find out the hard way.

It seems, like the Australian wheat farmers, these guys are going to be screwed all sides to breakfast. They are up against one of the biggest, dirtiest trade/war collusions to ever come to light.