Follow-Up to Kofigate (Oil for Food UN Scandal)

The New York Times ^ | March 29, 2004 | William Safire

[Piranha]

WASHINGTON — Never has there been a financial rip-off of the magnitude of the U.N. oil-for-food scandal.

At least $5 billion in kickbacks went from corrupt contractors — mainly French and Russian — into the pockets of Saddam and his thugs. Some went to pay off his protectors in foreign governments and media, and we may soon see how much stuck to the fingers of U.N. bureaucrats as well.

Responding to a harangue in this space on March 17, the spokesman for Kofi Annan confirmed that the secretary general's soft-spoken son, Kojo, was on the payroll of Cotecna Inspections of Switzerland until December 1998. In that very month, the U.N. awarded Cotecna the contract to monitor and authenticate the goods shipped to Iraq.

Prices were inflated to allow for 10 percent kickbacks, and the goods were often shoddy and unusable. As the lax Cotecna made a lot of corporate friends, Iraqi children suffered from rotted food and diluted medicines.

The U.N. press agent also revealed that Benon Sevan, Annan's longtime right-hand man in charge of the flow of billions, was advised by U.N. lawyers that the names of companies receiving the contracts were "privileged commercial information, which could not be made public." Mr. Sevan had stonewalling help.

To shift responsibility for the see-no-evil oversight, the U.N. spokesman noted that "details of all contracts were made available to the governments of all 15 Security Council members." All the details, including the regular 10 percent kickback to the tune of $5 billion in illegal surcharges? We'll see.

To calm the belated uproar, Annan felt compelled to seek an "independent high-level inquiry," empowered by a Security Council resolution, as some of us called for.

Nothing doing, said France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sablière. The money for the huge heist known as the Iraq-U.N. account passed exclusively through BNP Paribas. French companies led all the rest (what's French for "kickback"?), though Vladimir Putin's favorite Russian oligarchs insisted on sharing the wealth. That explains why Paris and Moscow were Saddam's main prewar defenders, and why their politicians and executives now want no inquiry they cannot control.

Nor are the White House and State Department so eager for a real investigation, because as the truth emerges, the U.N. may use the furor as cover for refusal to confer its blessing on the new Iraq. Our present and former U.S. ambassadors to the U.N. would have to take issue with Annan if he tried to hide under their wing. Peter Burleigh and Andrew Hillman, our frequent representatives on the "661 committee" — so named for a sanctions resolution — are not about to be the U.N.'s scapegoats.

If the secretary general appoints a Franco-Russian Whitewash Team, to whom can the world turn?

1. The Iraqi government-in-formation. Spurred by Kurds who have been blowing the whistle on this superscam for five years, free Iraq has hired accountants and lawyers to sift through captured bills and contracts in Baghdad. Former spooks are freelancing usefully. Paul Bremer, our man in Baghdad, has placed a trove of additional half-corrupted tapes and damaged and damaging documents under seal to be turned over after June 30, Sovereignty Day.

2. The House International Relations Committee's chairman, Henry Hyde, whose interviewers are in New York today, will hold initial hearings on April 21. Congress's investigative arm, the General Accounting Office, will testify about the scope of the chicanery that it estimates at $10 billion (including Saddam's clandestine oil smuggling to Syria and Jordan). It's a start that should awaken Senate Foreign Relations as well as Justice.

3. The press, stimulated by U.N. stonewalling, is on the trail.

Al Mada led the way. Already denying the feisty Iraq newspaper's findings are a former French interior minister, a pro-Saddam member of Britain's Parliament, Arab writers and a financier reportedly behind a Scott Ritter film. The Times, Wall Street Journal and Sunday Telegraph have been exposing the outline of what Newsday admits is "the most underreported story of the year." Among magazines, National Review is out front with no interest shown by The New Yorker and Newsweek.

All of us need an embittered whistleblower. If an ex-U.N. type named Shaukat Fareed reads this — call me.

[Piranha]

Let's let the UN govern our foreign policy.

[I still care]

Clarkegate is nicely pushing this out of the news.
Amazing it's in the NYTimes at all, even with Safire's byline.

[eureka!]

"....to whom can the world turn? 1. The Iraqi government-in-formation. Spurred by Kurds who have been blowing the whistle on this superscam for five years, free Iraq has hired accountants and lawyers to sift through captured bills and contracts in Baghdad. Former spooks are freelancing usefully. Paul Bremer, our man in Baghdad, has placed a trove of additional half-corrupted tapes and damaged and damaging documents under seal to be turned over after June 30, Sovereignty Day. "

Wouldn't be surprised if this is the plan. Methinks W & Co. has no love for the UN and to have the New Iraq take the lead with our support would be cool. *fingers crossed*....

[Redcoat LI]

"the spokesman for Kofi Annan confirmed that the secretary general's soft-spoken son, Kojo,

That the name of my neighbors dog.

[MamaLucci]

The panel on Fox News Watch ALL said that they thought this would not become a big story. I was flabbergasted, and pray to God that they are wrong.

[martin_fierro]

[Calpernia]

Lets not forget about this story either. We never heard a follow up to the cause of death that was under investigation.


Security guard found shot at UN HQ
( 2003-12-02 09:37) (Agencies)

A U.N. security guard was found dead inside U.N. headquarters at midday on Monday with a gunshot wound to the head, the head of U.N. security said.

Michael Holton's body was found in a third floor lounge shortly before noon. He was discovered by two officers who were sent to check on Holton after he did not return to his duty station following a break, said Michael McCann, the U.N. security chief.

Holton, 41, was found in a lounge area where U.N. employees often take their breaks. He was seated in one of the chairs and his gun was on the chair next to his leg, McCann said.

Asked whether the death might have been a suicide, McCann said the incident was under investigation by the New York Police Department and by the FBI.

He said there was no prior indication of psychological problems and that no note was left near the body. He said there were no witnesses and no one was known to have heard anything unusual.

"He's one of my officers; someone well respected. It's not easy answering these questions," McCann told reporters.

[eureka!]

Re#5 It probably won't, sadly. The lefty presstitutes have spent too much capital propping up the corrupt UN and, in light of the election, don't want to damage it--especially when Ketchup Boy is using it as a "united" thing. They make me sick.

On the bright side, the majority of Americans think little of the UN already. With talk radio and the 'net, the story will still out and further damage to the UN will be done. My hope of hopes is that (putting aside the lack of mainstream coverage) the New Iraq with the W administration will be able to put a huge dent in the UN and damage it further....

[tom h]

"Let's let the UN govern our foreign policy."

Better yet, let's let them control the Internet, as was proposed last week. They're such a level-headed, fair, impartial bunch. [/sarcasm]

[MamaLucci]

Well, if handled correctly, delousing and DEFUNDING the UN could be a GREAT campaign issue. If the public was made aware of the totality of the UN's corruption, and that protecting Saddam and themselves was the basis of their ant-Iraq war stance, the american people might DEMAND that the government stop funding these crooks. It would also put Kerry way out on a limb, since he has stated that we should basically turn our security over to the UN.

[eureka!]

Re#10 For us true believers, yes. Too complex of an issue for many voters. Just do it...

[Steve_Seattle]

Apart from Safire, has the Times news or editorial staff given any play to this story? It's a major story, but since it is capable of a pro-Bush and anti-U.N. spinn, it is not likely to get "legs" in the mainstream media. It will most likely float around, unnoticed by the general public, on page A7.

[Steve_Seattle]

The oil-for-food program was only a big story when the Left was accusing the U.S. of starving 5,000 Iraqi children every month. This current scandal isn't useful to the Dems, so it won't get much play.

[q_an_a]

someone in Congress should tell the UN that as long as they stonewall NO US MONEY!! After all they got plenty from Saddam

[lepton]

bookmark bump

[fella]

we may soon see how much stuck to the fingers of U.N. bureaucrats as well.

Don't bet your ranch on it. There will never be a pulitzer prize in this story so do not expect any mainstram coverage.

[mewzilla]

3. The press, stimulated by U.N. stonewalling, is on the trail.

Gee, not according to the panel of Newswatch on FNC. They all seem to think the story doesn't have legs. Like the money is all there is to this, though the amount involved in unimaginable. Talk about not seeing the forset through the trees. This is about a lot more than money. Which is why the story needs to come out, and not just for the sake of the Iraqi people.

[mewzilla]

BTW, Sen. Kerry, what did you know about Oil For Food and when did you know it?

[Piranha]

Safire wrote in his next-to-last paragraph that the Times, among others, has been digging into this story. I don't think he would flog a scandal that he expected his paper to ignore. I think we can see a lot more about this over the next few months in the Times.

[aardvark1]

Corruption at the UN? Kofi, say it ain't so.