Posted on 11/17/2004 10:42:01 PM PST by kattracks
The depth of the corruption of the United Nations' oil for food program is beyond stunning. It's sickening.
Saddam Hussein manipulated the humanitarian program to enrich his regime, fund the Iraqi military and support terrorism. And he did so with the willing participation of the ``world community'' President Bush [related, bio] is being inveighed upon to ``rejoin.''
Congressional hearings this week on the ongoing investigation revealed that Saddam reaped some $21.3 billion, more than double previous estimates, through a sophisticated smuggling and oil-sale kickback scheme involving foreign government officials, corporations and journalists.
``The humanitarian program was corrupted and exploited for the most horrible and aggressive purpose,'' said Sen. Joseph Lieberman [related, bio] (D-Conn.), referring to the use of the funds to build up the military.
A particularly grotesque new finding was that Saddam's regime made some $2.1 billion by purposely importing rotting food and damaged goods, paying full price to the exporting companies, and then receiving a kick-back for the difference.
Why should we be surprised that a man who sent so many of his fellow countrymen - and women and children - to mass graves would be completely indifferent to meeting their basic needs for food and medical care?
It has also long been known that Saddam supported the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Clearly, he used the aid program to make those $25,000 per terrorist payments. And that makes the contention that Iraq is a ``diversion'' from the war on terror even more offensive.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) suggested his investigation was being stonewalled by the U.N. which hasn't produced needed documents or provided access to key officials. It makes us wonder what else they're hiding.
``This is like an onion - we just keep uncovering more layers and more layers,'' Coleman said.
And the smell will permanently taint Secretary General Kofi Annan and the body he leads, whether the U.N. was complicit or simply oblivious.
There's more French there lately?
Jail the whole lot and pull the plug on the stinking UN.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
I hope they choke on it.
(The stench)
This is BREAKING NEWS? Great bloody G-d, this is like announcing that Julius Caesar is still dead.
they ran out of mouthwash again
If the Bush admin wants to pull the US out of the UN,
and kick the UN out of the US, all it has to do is
not drop this investigation.
Tell the UN to fully cooperate and punish the perps,
or else. The odds that they'll cooperate are not high.
Meanwhile, Condi needs to be working on the replacement
organization.
His silence is deafening, the media's silence sickening.
The sad thing is that our government will still play along with the U.N. It's time to just kick the organization out of the U.S. and drop out.
Of course our best friends the French and most likely other Europeans would soon join China and Russia against us for having done so.
Our nation would be a lot better off with about 90% of local, regional and national commissions being disbanded. It would also be better off if we kicked any organization that has anything to do with the U.N. whatsoever, out of this nation, or at least put it on record that they would no longer have an ear with any of our elected officals.
So much for the leftist canard that it was America's fault that Saddam's people were starving to death.
I'll tell you one thing...Norm Coleman is impressing me more and more. For a former Dem the guy sure seems to have his head on straight. Other than his leaning towards environmentalism he seems to be as conservative as anybody, which is impressive coming from Minnesota.
Part II would be that all personnel depart the building on the East River on Manhattan Island in NYC, NY, USA
Part III would be to implode/level the UN building.
I'd suggest if you follow my logic, then, please send these same sentiments to the White House.
But exposing real scandals aren't "stunning" or "sickening" enough for the MSM...
Naah, they're too busy with the important business of running bogus "murder" stories of a U.S. Marines who are doing their duty, or the slandering the entire U.S. Armed Forces.
US OUT OF UN
Isn't it about time to REALLY INSIST not only on an "investigation", but INSIST that every detail
be MADE PUBLIC, and PUBLISHED. The true rot of this
organization MUST be exposed, and once it is, we must
DEMAND that they take up residence elsewhere, with or without us. Why do I always think of the unforgettable
title of an article by Brit historian David Pryce-Jones:
"Corruption rules the world".???
Well, well, here's a mission for the new, and hopefully improved Central Intelligence Agency. Follow the money and name the names. Leak that to the media, why don't you?
(taking a deep breath near Kofi Annan) "Ahhh, that Turd-World audacity! Smells like perpetual failure, envy and corruption."
bttt
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