Posted on 02/04/2005 4:45:26 PM PST by Indy Pendance
No one who cares about the United Nations can afford to be complacent about the findings of the investigation into the Iraqi oil-for-food programme. Its author, Paul Volcker, the ex-chairman of the US federal reserve, is highly regarded, and it is entirely right that Kofi Annan, the secretary-general, has pledged to discipline any official proved to have violated the standards of integrity of the world body
This interim report - another one is due in June - takes us back to the time when the UN was trying to ease the effect of the sanctions imposed on Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait. It allowed the Baghdad regime to sell oil to buy food and humanitarian supplies, though the system was abused as well as massively circumvented by Saddam Hussein, with the certain knowledge of the US, Britain and other security council members.
Mr Volcker makes clear that Benon Sevan, administrator of the $69bn programme - the largest ever run by the UN - solicited allocations of oil on behalf of a company owned by a relative of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Mr Annan's Egyptian predecessor. Mr Sevan has denied any wrongdoing. Mr Volcker also found "convincing and uncontested evidence" that the selection of banks to run the lucrative escrow account did not conform to tendering rules. No systemic abuse of funds has been found however, and UN officials are insisting that procedures have since been tightened up.
The UN is often blamed for the failings of others, and it is only fair to point out that with governments anxious for the Iraqi leader to cooperate, they also pushed their own political and commercial interests; the UK, for example, lobbying on behalf of a bid by Lloyds Register. Poor auditing and planning led to a lack of transparency and accountability.
Mr Annan, who opposed the Iraq war, has been under fire from the sort of rightwing US Republicans who tend to see black helicopters and global plots on New York's East River. But having commissioned this report in the first place, he has taken its conclusions on the chin. (The role of his son, Kojo, is to be dealt with in the next one). It takes courage to stand firm in the face of suspicion that the Bush administration, though less hostile since the Asian tsunami and the Iraqi elections, is relishing his weakness. Other security council members remain supportive: there are the millennium goals and a weighty reform agenda to think of. It is right that Mr Annan will be the main speaker at a government-sponsored conference in London next week. Friends of the UN will want him to carry on being candid at this difficult time.
^
Interesting article from the "Guardian". Help me out-- which planet publishes that paper?
A whole lot of fertalizer in that one.
...less hostile since the tsunami...
For crying out loud, what a jackass.
This is what they're referring to: UN Millenium Project. The project is socialist to the core.
...and it is entirely right that John Gotti, the capo di tutti capi, has pledged to discipline any made man proved to have violated the standards of integrity of the Gambino Family.
Or see corruption and will not stand for it like eurotrash seems to.
"global plots"
AKA "Food for Oil"
ahhh, to carry on with something, don't you first have to start it
That's what I see too, 21 billion worth.
"a blue-ribbon team of 265 of the world's leading development experts today proposed a package of scores of specific cost-effective measures that together could cut extreme poverty in half and radically improve the lives of at least one billion people in poor"
AKA - World Tax on you and me - lotsa money to flow thru' the fingers at the UN - after all, that Iraqi oil money is going to be shut off by the new Iraq any day now - they've given their orders
this sounds like the post last night about agenda 21. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1335656/posts
Yah, the Guardian is as left as one can go without falling off the planet...
Uranus?
Liberals are stupid.....consistently.
>Uranus?
Not MINE, thank you very much!
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