Stephen Crouch

Stephen Crouch is chairman of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Conservative Association and lives in Redberth, near Tenby. The website of local Conservative MP Simon Hart states: " A veteran of a number of Conservative Westminster campaigns around the UK, Stephen is currently working in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq as an advisor to governmental, non-governmental, and economic institutions."

Kurdistan

Crouch worked in Iraqi Kurdistan in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, according to the Observer:

"The winter program is happening too late," said Stephen Crouch, British coordinator of the high-profile, low-budget Kurdish Reconstruction Organization. "Commitments should have been made at least six weeks ago. Then, by December, we could have turned our attention to agriculture."

Ian Black writes of this period that Crouch was "involved with Kurdish groups fighting Saddam Hussein":

Mr Crouch is dogged by controversy: he fell out with Kurdish leaders while working with the Kurdish Reconstruction Office in 1991 and is remembered, without any obvious affection, as a sort of "Lawrence of Kurdistan". He says he was an "independent consultant" working for a "private security company" but denies suggestions that he passed himself off as a British official. The Foreign Office insists he has nothing to do with them or the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.

He has been linked with the government of Kuwait - but refuses to discuss this or his relations with Iraq, though he boasts of close acquaintance with the British-educated deputy foreign minister, Riyad al-Qaysi.

Iraqi British Interests Group

As acting director-general of the Iraqi British Interests Group (IBI Group), Crouch told a London meeting on 23 January 1995 that British business was losing out because of the British government's strict interpretation of sanctions.

Crouch's contacts in his IBI role reportedly included "Henry Bellingham, parliamentary private secretary to Malcolm Rifkind, the defence secretary."

TheGuardian reported a few days later on the desire of British exporters to return to Iraq:

Iraq used to be a good market for Britain and its army still has a distinct Sandhurst polish to it. "Iraqis remember us as the people who pushed out the Turks," says Stephen Crouch, director-general of the IBI. "Most of their doctors went to university here. Many of their engineers studied here. They are firmly locked into our system. We want to maintain as much as we had in the past."

Ian Black's report continued:

At last week's presentation, Barbara Stapleton, author of a report on the oppression of the country's Shia Muslims, angrily accused businessmen of "seeking opportunities with a genocidal regime". Iraqi opposition groups are equally scathing.

Ms Stapleton's outburst was provoked by Mr Crouch's distinction between the Iraqi "state" and a "regime" which brands the foreheads of deserters and publicly amputates the hands and ears of thieves.

Among those suspicious of Crouch's activities were the Iraqi National Congress:

"Crouch is acting as a middleman for businessmen who are trying to rehabilitate Saddam's regime," complains one activist. "Once you start dealing with them and pursuing contracts you are saying they are going to be around to implement those contracts so you are giving legitimacy to the regime."

Latif Rashid, vice president of the INC, says: "These British firms are making a grave mistake. This will not help the Iraqi people - their suffering will be prolonged."

Crouch was part of a British delegation to Iraq which caused embarrassment to the government in 1995, when this colleague Edmund Sykes, head of the Iraqi British Interests Group called for an easing of sanctions.

Northern Iraq Medical Project

MP Emma Nicholson referred to Crouch in the following parliamentary question which was answered on 10 May 1995:

Northern Iraq

Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what monitoring was carried out of the expenditure of Overseas Development Administration assistance through Cornish-Kurdish Medical Aid and its temporary agent Mr. Stephen Crouch for a medical project in northern Iraq;

(2) if he will seek a report on the expenditure of the funds made available to Cornish-Kurdish Medical Aid for a medical project in northern Iraq.

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 28 April 1995]: In June 1991 ODA made a payment of £12,855 to Cornwall Kurdish Medical Aid. This reimbursed against detailed documentation the cost of medical supplies and personal effects for 17 volunteers provided by the non-governmental organisation as part of the 165-member ODA team in northern Iraq at that time.

Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring was carried out of the expenditure of Overseas Development Administrator's assistance by the Kurdish Relief Organisation and its associate Mr. Stephen Crouch for a medical project in northern Iraq. [21707]

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 28 April 1995]: Physical monitoring of ODA assistance to Kurdish relief agencies in northern Iraq in 1991 and 1992 was carried out by visits from British embassy officials based in Ankara. In addition, the agencies submitted written reports to the ODA.

Tony Buckingham donation

In 2010, Crouch secured a 5,000 donation to Hart from mercenary boss Tony Buckingham, according to This is South Wales:

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Tory MP Simon Hart said the donation had come through the constituency's former chairman Stephen Crouch, who was not available for comment.

The MP said he did not know Mr Buckingham personally but the party's safeguards were a sufficient enough check on donors.

Affiliations

• SACOR3D - VP of Business Development.