Galloway begins legal action

Galloway denies accepting cash from Saddam

George Galloway has issued libel proceedings against a newspaper over claims he accepted money from Saddam Hussein.

The Glasgow Labour MP is taking action against the Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper's editor, Charles Moore, said it will defend the action, standing by its allegation that Mr Galloway took a cut of oil money worth at least £375,000 a year.

The claim against Telegraph Group Ltd, the newspaper's publisher, is for damages and an injunction to refrain further publication of specific allegations or any similar defamatory allegation of or concerning Mr Galloway.

Speaking tour

Last week, an American newspaper apologised to Mr Galloway after it too alleged that he accepted millions of pounds from Saddam Hussein.

We have complete confidence in our story, our reporter and the authenticity of our documents

Charles Moore
Daily Telegraph editor

The Christian Science Monitor admitted that a set of documents upon which it based its story on were "almost certainly" fake.

Mr Galloway, who is on a speaking tour of the UK, has always strenuously denied that he took any money from the Iraqi regime.

On Friday he said he did not want to comment on the forthcoming legal battle.

He said: "The issuing of writs speaks for itself, I think.

"This is now a legal matter and I don't really want to add anything to the fact that the writs have been issued."

'No bearing'

The MP has refused to accept the apology from the Christian Science Monitor and has demanded an inquiry into the forgery.

He pledged to continue his legal action against the newspaper, which is published by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Last week, Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore said the Christian Science Monitor's retraction had "no bearing" on his newspaper's report.

He said: "Our story was based on a different set of documents found in a different set of circumstances. They were not supplied or given to us but unearthed by our reporter, David Blair, in the foreign ministry in Baghdad.

"We have complete confidence in our story, our reporter and the authenticity of our documents."

Mr Galloway is currently suspended from the Labour Party over comments he made in an interview to an Arab television station branding Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush "wolves".

Both the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, and the Charity Commission, are also conducting investigations into allegations that he accepted Iraqi cash.