Posted on 12/09/2004 1:46:02 PM PST by yoe
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Last week, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), chairman of a Senate committee investigating the growing scandal in the United Nations Oil for Food program called for Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign. Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign followed Coleman's lead and also asked for Annan to step aside. This week, more Republican members of Congress joined the chorus seeking to oust the man who presided over the largest scandal in world history.
On Monday, Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced a nonbinding resolution in the House that calls for Annan to resign. Nearly two dozen of Wicker's colleagues have already signed onto the resolution.
"The Oil for Food program is a scandal of enormous proportions, and it may reach into the highest levels of leadership at the U.N.," said Wicker. "Mr. Annan should step aside to ensure that these serious charges are fully and independently investigated."
Wicker added, "There needs to be an accounting of what happened to the billions of dollars in the Oil for Food Program and whether U.N. officials may have been complicit in helping Saddam Hussein subvert international law. I do not think that is possible as long as Mr. Annan remains as secretary-general."
It is estimated that Saddam Hussein was able to skim over $20 billion from the U.N.-administered program. Some of those funds are believed to have funded payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and weapons now being used against American troops in Iraq.
Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) likened this situation to the corporate scandals that sent several CEOs to prison.
"Not only did they have to resign, but Congress reacted and implemented laws to ensure good governance at the corporate level," Fossella said. "The same standard, really, should apply to the United Nations, and nothing less."
New Jersey Republican Rep. Scott Garrett suggested criminal charges should be considered.
"To me the question should not be whether Kofi Annan should remain in charge," Garrett said. "To me, the larger question is whether he should be in jail."
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) fears that Annan's removal might end the investigation. He is seeking a thorough examination into the program's administration and full disclosure of its findings.
He expressed a belief that the scandal involves other officials, saying, "It's much deeper than Kofi Annan."
Not all members of Congress think the beleaguered secretary-general should go. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell in support of Annan.
Kucinich wrote, "There has been no hint of impropriety on the part of the secretary-general, who on numerous occasions has proven his honesty and integrity."
Independent Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders joined 19 Democrats who signed the letter.
Democratic Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) sent a "Dear Colleague" letter around the House in support of Annan.
The secretary-general has so far refused to resign, saying, "I have quite a lot of work to do and I'm carrying on with my work. We have a major agenda next year, and the year ahead, trying to reform this organization. So we'll carry on."
Independent Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders joined 19 Democrats who signed the letter.
no hint of impropriety on the part of the secretary-general???? Who are these people who refuse to see crime and corruption when it is right in front of them!
It would be ironic if the first 'criminal' actually tried by the International Criminal Court turned out to be UN Secretary General Annan and cohorts.
lol
After that mission is accomplished, they can kick the entire UN out of the US.
Whoa. There's one to chew on...
Bringing socialism and corruption by UN mandate.
And, you'd never know it if you watched the ABC/CBS/NBC newscasts
It makes Enron look like petty theft!
REUTERS
Bush Administration Expresses Confidence in
Annan
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Bush administration has
confidence in U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and is not
calling for his resignation, U.S. Ambassador John Danforth said
on Thursday.
Several Republican congressmen have called for Annan's resignation,
accusing him of presiding over corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program
for Iraq, administered by the United Nations but supervised by the
15-nation Security Council.
But Danforth said he was representing the opinion of the White House and
the State Department in supporting Annan.
"We are expressing confidence in the secretary-general and his
continuing in office," Danforth told reporters.
"No one to my knowledge has cast doubt on the personal integrity of the
secretary-general. No one," Danforth said. "We have worked well with the
secretary general. We anticipate working with him in the future."
But he said the administration still advocated investigations into the scandal.
"The only way to dispel the cloud is to let the sunlight in," he said.
Previous statements by the White House emphasized the importance of an open
investigation but did not make personal comments about Annan. In the past
week, African nations, the European Union and other countries have openly
expressed support for Annan, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Independent Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders joined 19 Democrats who signed the letter.
IIRC, Bernie Sanders is an independent because the DNC is too conservative for him. IOW, he's a raging socialist, not the "moderate" that the term 'independent' suggests.
"Black-Hearted Lib'ral!!"
(To be sung to Led Zepellin's "Black Country Woman")
Shall we roll it JimRob?
We're rolling on ah...[Number one.] One? Ah one again.
A-hah. I'm tryin'a get this aeroplane off.
Nah, leave it. Yeah.
Hey, hey Lib'rals...what's the matter here?!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...why you act so queer?!!
Ya didn't have to tell US that ya love Slick so...
Right's gonna haveta whupya, Commies...Let US ROLL!!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...what'chu really FEAR?!!
Ya didn't have to be such a National Disgrace...
Ya didn't have to make me put my fist in yer face.
Hey, hey Lib'rals...why ya act so queer?!
Folks, it's all Right...We're Voting 'Gainst Left's Fears!!
Hey, hey Networks...why you treat Right mean?
Oh, oh Med'yuh, why won't you come clean?! Oh yeah. Ah yeah.
Ya didn't have to slaughter children like you did...
Ya didn't have to tell me "MUD, yer just a kid."
Hey, hey Lib'rals...why'd ya treat Right mean?!
Ya didn't have to say you'd support FELONS with Pride...
Ya didn't have to tell Slick Left Approves ArkanCide!!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...why you treat chicks mean?!
Folks, that's all Right, I'll know young Chelsea, too!!
Oh yeah, Let's ROLL!!
Ya didn't have to tell me that ya love Slick so,
Ya didn't have to leave US, Lib'rals...yer Slick's HO's!!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...what is wrong with you?!
Ya didn't have to make yerselves a National Disgrace...
Ya didn't have to make MUD put his fist in yer face!!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...what is wrong with you?!
Ahh but that's alright, I'd be the same way too.
Oh yeah-yo.
Roll Man! ROLL!!
Now now, Lib'rals...folks, you didn't haveta tyrannize US like you did...
Ya didn't have to tell me, "MUD, yer just a kid."
Hey, there Lib'rals, why d'ya promote FEAR?!
RATS didn't have to tell folks why Big Guv'ment's grown...
We shouldn't have to deal with whiners...Let US ROLL!!
Hey, hey Lib'rals...what is wrong with you?
FReepers'll Fight...we'll whup HildaBeast, too.
Ooh yeah~yeah. Ooh yeah.
Ooh yeah~yeah.
Ooh yeah~yeah. Ooh yeah.
Oh!
Next, I'm comin' fer you, Bubba!! < Whistle!>
Heh heh heh...MUD (10/30/2002)
You sound surprised.
:-)
democrats run the largest eastern and mid-western cities of the u.s for decades with the assistance of the mob. many of them sympathized with lenin and stalin.
democrats then, and now, have no problems with corruption or totalitarian governments.
>>>>Who are these people who refuse to see crime and corruption when it is right in front of them! <<<<<
They are the same anti-America crapheads who wanted to hang Cheney without evidence or a trial. The same ones who asked, What did Bush know after 911 .Now they want us to wait and see about Kofi Annan. They are disgusting, They make me want to puke. What kind of Clymers voted these bastards into the Congress?
El Presidente Bush is hard of hearing.
Democrats. Who Else.
Git the UN Outta the US!!
Git the US Outta the UN!!
FReegards...MUD
Since when does the UN SG have to be indicted for criminal activity before folks are justified in calling for his removal?
How about GROSS INCOMPETENCE! Oil for Food, Sudan, Kosovo, anti-Israel, anti-US, and so on, and so on, and so on...
Can his ass!! Even better, send in NY's finest to evict them. I'm sure NYPD won't have any problem with that - they're sick of diplomatic immunity and with the UN's coddling of the folks who killed so many of their brothers and sisters.
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