Report: Saddam Hussein Skimmed $10.1B from UN Oil for Food Program

Houston Chronicle via AP ^ | 18 March 2004 | AP

[PetroniDE]

WASHINGTON -- Congressional investigators said today that Saddam Hussein's government reaped $10.1 billion in illegal revenues related to the United Nations' oil-for-food program -- much more than previous estimates.

The findings by the General Accounting Office come as the United Nations considers expanding its investigation of allegations of corruption in the program.

The oil-for-food program allowed Saddam's government to sell oil if the money was used to buy humanitarian goods and pay victims of the 1991 Gulf War. Other oil sales were prohibited under a U.N. embargo imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait. The program ended in November.

The GAO had previously estimated that Saddam's government had received $6.6 billion in illegal revenues from the program from 1997 through 2002.

But using updated data, the GAO has concluded that Saddam received $5.7 billion from oil smuggled out of Iraq and $4.4 billion in illicit surcharges on oil sales and purchases of commodities, according to testimony prepared for the House Financial Services oversight and investigations subcommittee.

On Wednesday, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said the United Nations had asked the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council and U.S.-led coalition to provide evidence of the corruption. The request followed reports that former Cabinet officials, legislators, activists and journalists had profited from Iraqi oil sales.

In its testimony, the GAO said the United States has had mixed results in recovering Saddam's hidden assets. The United States has seized about $926 million of the assets of Saddam's regime in Iraq and other countries have frozen about $3.7 billion of Iraqi regime assets. But little progress has been made in identifying and freezing most of Saddam's hidden assets. GAO said the regime was believed to have illegally acquired $10 billion to $40 billion.

[Guillermo]

Wow, surprising.

And the leftists will still claim that the US "killed 500,000 Iraqi children" due to the "emabargo."

[Just mythoughts]

Wonder how much the DNC skimmed?

[Mo1]

PING

[Terriergal]

Report: Saddam Hussein Skimmed $10.1B from UN Oil for Food Program

Bush made him do it! It's Bush's fault!

/sarcasm

[PetroniDE]

Here in Houston, they protest Halliburton at every opportunity, but stay silent on Saddam's crimes. I posted this story on a local liberal site.

If you want to follow that thread, here it is.

http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2004/03/27711.php

[PetroniDE]

I wonder when all of those in Houston that love to protest Halliburton (all 15 of them) will start protesting Saddam over this little episode of money laundering.. ROFLOL.

[Howlin]

Such a surprise, eh?

[cyncooper]

The very groups that cry "No War for Oil!" are the groups that got a cut of the action on this scam while innocent Iraqis suffered and did not get the food and medicine this program was supposed to provide.

[lilylangtree]

Yo Kofi man, just yesterday you were chastising Spain's former leader for participating in the coalition forces in Iraq. Yet under Kofi's watch, Saddam received $5.7 billion from oil smuggled out of Iraq and $4.4 billion in illicit surcharges on oil sales and purchases of commodities. Yo Kofi you incompetent dunce, this occurred under your watch. Speak up man! We can't hear you! Pres. Bush: Get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US!

[Fiddlstix]

Ping

[PhiKapMom]

How much did Annan's son get of this money?

[backhoe]

Let's cross-link:

-"No Blood for Oil"- Kojo & Kofi: Unbelievable U.N. stories--

[JmyBryan]

But, of course, "The sanctions were working."

/sarcasm

[Guillermo]

You fail to remember that Saddam Hussein was elected with 100% of the vote...

[alrea]

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said the United Nations had asked the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council and U.S.-led coalition to provide evidence of the corruption

Any World Government socialist Democratic Party operatives on the list?? The UN was already in control of Iraq long before the war.

[PetroniDE]

Anyone who didn't vote for him was declared insane, vote changed accordingly, and then the voter was executed.

Don't want to give the democrats any ideas though. Daley reminds me of the Sopranos (forgettabouttit).

[RetiredArmy]

$10.1 billion. Saddam's chump change.

[AMNZ]

One would have expected that Saddam would have done this. What is even more disturbing is the takings by Annan, Chirac, Schroeder, et al. Yet little is being said about their take by the media or other leaders world wide.

[Fedora]

Let's cross-link:

-"No Blood for Oil"- Kojo & Kofi: Unbelievable U.N. stories--

Thanks for the cross-link. BTW, since you're keeping track of this story, in your opinion has the Kojo scandal dropped off the media radar screen since the day it first broke? Just want to double-check to make sure it's not just me perceiving that because I missed an article or something.