The testimon[e]y at this week's trial of Tongsun Park, indicted for acting as an unregistered agent for a foreign government, in the oil for food scandal is nothing short of riveting. You would think with all we've heard from Claudia Rosset's Pulitzer deserving expose(s) of the largest scandal in human history, that nothing would shock us. You'd be wrong. The details were so stunning even John Gott Jr. was pricking up his ears in the prison cafeteria to hear the salacious details of courtroom testimony.
It was no wonder Saddam was confident no harm would come to him. He had the UN in his back pocket (the pocket with the wallet in it.) The following is in today's New York Sun. None of the dinosaur media goes near oil for food story -- the UN is their sacred mad cow no matter how decadent and bespolied.
Read it all in the New York Sun. I'll post the direct link when it goes online later-- it's PAID only now).
"I Am Not A Crook"
With the trial of Tongsun Park now underway, guess who just popped out of his rabbit hole with a denial?
- Having served UN Secretaries-General since 1970 in several advisory and executive capacities I have had no involvement or connection whatsoever with the UN’s Iraqi oil-for-food program or any other of its Iraqi activities. Indeed I cannot recall a single instance in which I had any contact or discussion on the program with any of the officials responsible.
- In 1997, Mr. Park invested on a normal commercial basis in an energy company with which I was associated that had no relationship with Iraq.
- I have continued to maintain a relationship with Mr. Park. Indeed, as a native of North Korea he has advised me on North Korean issues in my role as UN Envoy.
- I will make myself available to both the Volcker Commission and the US Attorney’s Office to provide any further information which would assist in the expeditious resolution of this matter so as to have this cloud removed as soon as possible.