Kofi Annan 'forced' Volcker to save self, son!

The Indian Express ^ | Tuesday, November 08, 2005 at 0105 hours IST | SUMIR KAUL

[Gengis Khan]

New York, November 6: With his report on Iraqi oil deals creating a political storm in India, its author Paul Volcker, in a startling revelation, has said he agreed to change the language that referred to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's son Kojo's business dealings.

Volcker, who investigated allegations of corruption in the UN's USD 64 billion Iraqi oil-for food programme, said he had no idea how much the 18-month probe would expose the vulnerabilities of the world body and how close he would come to toppling the Secretary-General as its leader.

"It had that potential from the start," Volcker said in an interview to Los Angeles Times. But when it came to the moment when he realized that Annan's job hung on his words, "I felt uncomfortably," he said.

The daily said that the U.N. Chief and his lawyer asked Volcker to change the language about business dealings by Kojo Annan that they thought could force his father's resignation, hours before the publication of the draft forward of the report in September.

Volcker agreed. "It was merely a part of the due process," he was quoted as saying.

Before releasing the September report on Annan, Volcker met with the U.N. Chief and his lawyer to discuss the harsh conclusion.

"The wording we had was that Annan's performance did not meet the standards of the United Nations," Volcker said, adding "And there was more, along the same vein."

[zarf]

[Mr_Moonlight]

"It was merely a part of the due process,"

Meaning: Business as Usual

[Petronski]

If this is true, Volcker is a world-class chump and a significant assh**e.

[Brett66]

"The wording we had was that Annan's performance did not meet the standards of the United Nations,"

How about "exceeds naughtiness expectations"

[RJL]

Remember the investigators on Volker's team who quit and turned over a pile of documents to Henry Hyde?

Has anyone heard when those will be released in their entirety?

[cpdiii]

If this is true, Volcker is a world-class chump and a significant assh**e.

NO not at all. He is simply corrupt and that is the reason he was chosen for the job.

[NormsRevenge]

Volcker ,, CFR and Trilateralist, once and always.

[henderson field]

Did anyone doubt that this excercise would be a coverup from the very beginning?

[the invisib1e hand]

If this is true, Volcker is a world-class chump and a significant assh**e.

Well, I thought there was a good chance he was a slimeball from the beginning. But hey, wdik?

[mad puppy]

You can bet Volker had quite the pay day.

So much for 'independent' investigations. But this is the UN and lets face it, we should have expected it.

[operation clinton cleanup]

"The wording we had was that Annan's performance did not meet the standards of the United Nations,"

Is it physically possible to set the bar any lower than that?

[Moonman62]

Remember the investigators on Volker's team who quit and turned over a pile of documents to Henry Hyde?

Has anyone heard when those will be released in their entirety?

I heard that they are now stuffed in Sandy Berger's socks and underwear.