A New Job for Kay - Let him investigate the U.N. Oil-for-Food scam.

The Wall Street Opinion Journal ^ | February 25, 2004 | CLAUDIA ROSETT

[Cincinatus' Wife]

When David Kay recovers from his weapons hunt, there's another Iraq-related quest I'd like to send him on. It's time a top intelligence team went scavenging for the real numbers on the United Nations' Oil-for-Food Program--that gigantic setup through which the U.N. from 1996 through 2003 supervised more than $100 billion worth of Saddam Hussein's selling of oil and buying of goods.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

1996 - A Miasma of Corruption: The United Nations at 50***The United Nations is under increasing attack by critics in the United States and other countries. At the heart of the organization's mounting problems is an almost total lack of accountability, which gives rise to suspicions of wholesale corruption. Existing evidence indicates that corruption and mismanagement go beyond the routine fraud, waste, and abuse of resources that mark all public-sector enterprises.

UN budgets are shrouded in secrecy, and the actual performance of the myriad bureaucracies is translucent, if not opaque. There is no reliable way to determine whether the various and often competing specialized agencies (at least two dozen UN agencies are involved in food and agricultural policy) are doing their jobs, and many UN activities, even if they are of some value, can be carried out better and more efficiently by other groups. Other activities should not be undertaken at all.

Available evidence coupled with the United Nations' unwillingness to undergo a thorough audit raise serious questions about its mission and the means used to carry it out. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's rationale that the world body is accountable to all its 185 member-states is meaningless. Such an amorphous standard of accountability is akin to saying no one is responsible.

The United Nations is in dire need of reform, starting with a comprehensive, independent audit. Even if a complete audit were performed, however, there is no guarantee anything would be done about the problems identified. And radical change may not be possible, no matter how obvious the need. Given all the earlier, failed attempts to put things right, even on a limited basis, optimism about meaningful reform may be an exercise in wishful thinking. ***

[dc-zoo]

He would just come back and say he found no food or oil and that none ever existed and then resign again.

[whadizit]

LOL!!!

However, someone DOES need to investigate the oil-for-food program! How can we just let it go? None of these yo-yo's at the UN hesitate to throw stones our way so why not throw a little "let the truth be known" to them? I don't get it.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I see your point but following that theme, we'll find it reaches into Pakistan, North Korea, the Philippines, China, France, Africa, Central and South America.....Oh hell, the U.N. has been skimming off the top and supporting socialism for its entire lifetime.

[stylin19a]

oh good grief ! just check Kofi Annan's bank accounts.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The U.N. pays for teachers who produce terrorists - but they're running a little short. I guess money just doesn't go as far as it should. The U.S. always foots the bill to protect the world, while the U.N. supports dictators.

__________________________________________

1997 - (AP)Palestinians clash with Israeli troops Also yesterday, about 150,000 students who study at U.N. schools in Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip staged a strike protesting the organization's decision to charge tuition. The schools are run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. Until now, students did not have to pay tuition, but officials say they had to start charging because of a $20 million budget deficit.

Arafat said the Palestinians and agency commissioner Peter Hansen have started contacting donors to help cover the deficit. ***

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/898147/posts?page=1
Master list FR posted articles on UN Food for Oil program
GailA ^ | 4/22/03 | Various

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I had a feeling you might have a LINK or two!

Bump!

[GailA]

btt

[happygrl]

Sigh.

You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

The UN is reflective of the countries which it embodies.

Count me in the camp of those who want to see it dissolved.

Money for international charity should come from private sources, such as Ted Turner and Bill and Meredith Gates.

[Shermy]

Hey!

Shermy link

"Kay said the team he headed, the Iraq Survey Group, found widespread corruption in the United Nations oil-for-food program, which allowed Iraq to sell oil while it was subjected to sanctions. "There are going to be red faces among a lot of our allies and friends as to this because a lot of people took part in what was clearly a scam.""

If Kay wants to do some good for the world he should position himself as the public figure exposing the oil for food program, and helping Iraq get its money back.

[Grampa Dave]

Your response explains why my old mind when it reads David Kay thinks of Scott Ritter.

Something happened to both of them!

[gcruse]

How Oil for Food checks out.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping.

" The Owner's Manual
A melange of humor and news by Gary Cruse« Mysteries of Sleep | Main | Best of Me Symphony: Opus 12 »

Sunday, February 22, 2004
UN purges Iraq documents with $15-bn in question
Mineweb
"Well placed sources tell Mineweb that sensitive records and correspondence related to the oil-for-food programme have been purged from the computer system at UN headquarters in New York."

Gee what a surprise, a left wing organization purging data from their computers when we find out about that data.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt