[OESY]

Let the hearings begin! It's time we got to the bottom of this scandal.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

then they in particular have an obligation to ensure that the world body is both effective and free of corruption.

But then the UN Headquarters would be an empty building!

[kcvl]

Shakir al-Khafaji, who funded Scott Ritter's anti-sanctions "documentary" and arranged a trip to Baghdad by three Democratic congressmen:

Al-Khafaji first came to public notice after revelations that he gave former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter $400,000 to produce a film that criticized the United States for its role in the inspection process. Al-Khafaji, who is listed as a "senior executive producer" of the film, arranged meetings for Ritter with high-level officials in Saddam's government, a feat New York Times magazine writer Barry Bearak found "impressive." Ritter had previously been an outspoken critic of Saddam Hussein, and issued dire warnings about the status of the Iraqi dictator's weapons of mass destruction. His sudden flip--he is now a leading apologist for Saddam's regime--and revelations about Ritter's 2001 arrest for soliciting sex with minors have fueled speculation about the nature of his relationship with al-Khafaji.

Al-Khafaji has long claimed that he cares only about the Iraqi people, an assertion too preposterous even for Ritter, who told THE WEEKLY STANDARD in 2001 that his patron was "openly sympathetic with the regime in Baghdad." That stands to reason. The Falcon Trading Group, a company that al-Khafaji founded in 1993 in Johannesburg, South Africa, has done nearly $70 million of business with Saddam's regime.

Al-Khafaji told Baghdad Radio on June 14, 2000, that he hoped to arrange a delegation so that members of the U.S. Congress could "get acquainted with the Iraqi people's suffering as a result of the unjust embargo clamped on it." He got his wish two years later, when he accompanied Reps. Jim McDermott, Jim Thompson, and David Bonior to Baghdad last fall.

McDermott, in particular, caused quite a fuss when in a September 29 appearance on ABC's "This Week" from Baghdad, he claimed, "The president of the United States will lie to the American people in order to get us into this war." Moments later, despite 12 years of evidence that the Iraqi regime had lied about its weapons program, McDermott said, "I think you have to take the Iraqis on their face value."

Al-Khafaji also contributed $5,000.00 to McDermott's legal defence fund. (He's being sued for defamation by a GOP congressman.) The congressmen may be useful idiots and nothing more, but shouldn't this be getting at least some attention outside of the Weekly Standard?

[Doc-Joe]

bump

[mewzilla]

Screw the internal investigation. The Iraqis should sue. Those billions belong to them.

[The G Man]

"The prima facie evidence of mismanagement alone is strong enough to call into question the remainder of Mr. Annan's tenure ..."

Paging Senor Aznar, Senor Jose Maria Aznar ... time to fire up the resume!

[GailA]

MASTER LIST OIL FOR FOOD SCANDAL

[Allan]

Ping

[rightazrain]

"Ms. Raphael also reported that the company in charge of inspecting goods destined for Iraq under the program was Cotecna, which employed Mr. Annan's son Kojo.

Let us not overlook this little factoid.

[BIGZ]

Afirmative action in action.

[Porterville]

:) Did we ever expect otherwise? Bush knew that these guys were crooks and the Iraq war helped to expose the sick-disgusting- illegal UN activities. I think the World Court should put these guys in jail.