Posted on 11/30/2004 5:20:50 AM PST by Libloather
US Calls on UN Chief to Release All Oil-for-Food Facts
VOA 30/11/2004 10:48
Washington's ambassador to the United Nations has urged Secretary-General Kofi Annan to promptly release all information concerning the scandal-ridden Iraq oil-for-food program.
The world body was rocked over the weekend by revelations that a key oil-for food contractor made regular payments to Mr. Annan's son.
U.S. Ambassador John Danforth met privately with the secretary-general Monday to discuss the burgeoning investigation into alleged corruption in the oil for food program.
The meeting came on the heels of news reports that Mr. Annan's 27-year-old son, Kojo Annan, received monthly payments from the Swiss-based Cotecna inspections firm until February of this year.
During much of that time, Cotecna held a lucrative U.N. contract to monitor shipments arriving in Iraq under the oil-for-food humanitarian program.
U.N. officials had previously said that the younger Mr. Annan stopped working for Cotecna about the time it won the oil for food contract in 1998.
Ambassador Danforth called allegations of oil for food corruption "serious", and said he had advised the secretary-general to release all facts in the case promptly.
"It is important to have the facts presented in a comprehensive way so the public, the international public but certainly the American public is convinced there has been no cover-up, nothing has been withheld, everything is out there, everything has been investigated, every lead has been run down, every relevant piece of paper examined," he said. "All the facts are out there, everything is known. I'm not for prejudging anything. I'm for the absolute laying out of all evidence."
Secretary-General Annan told reporters Monday he had been surprised and disappointed to learn that his son had received payments totaling $30,000 a year from the Cotecna firm as recently as last February. He acknowledged that the payments create the appearance of a conflict of interest, but denied having any knowledge of the deal.
"He's an independent businessman, he's a grown man, and I don't get involved with his activities, and he doesn't get involved in mine," he said. "And also as I've stated earlier, I have no involvement with granting of contracts, either this Cotecna one or others."
Early this year, Mr. Annan appointed former U.S. Central Bank chief Paul Volcker to investigate charges of corruption in the oil for food program. Mr. Volcker has declined to share internal U.N. documents and other information pending completion of his probe.
But Ambassador Danforth Monday called on Mr. Annan to cooperate fully with U.S. congressional investigations.
"Clearly it is within the right of Congress to conduct investigations on matters that pertain to national policy, the international affairs of the United States, the relationship between the U.S. and the U.N. All this is clearly within purview of the U.S. Congress," he said. "Congressional committees are going to insist on that right, they have that right."
Secretary-General Annan Monday turned aside a reporter's question about whether he might consider resignation in light of the allegations. But he acknowledged that the current climate makes it more difficult to achieve his objectives, particularly his effort to reform the world body. A panel of eminent persons he appointed last year to recommend a reform proposal, including an expansion of the powerful Security Council, is due to publish its report this week.
Search warrants for the UN headquarters building should provide the US Marshals with the required evidence.
I saw an article earlier this morning talking about how the property the UN building is currently on is highly coveted by developers. [grin]
The U.N. is sovereign territory.
.....The U.N. is sovereign territory......
Tell that to the Federal Judge who issues the warrants.
It's a matter for the courts
No, I'm afraid you're quite wrong:
Proclaimed by the President of the United States of America July 9, 1970;
Entered into force with respect to the United States of America April 29, 1970. Convention on the Privileges and Immunities
of the United Nations
ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
UNITED NATIONS ON 13 FEBRUARY 1946
SECTION 3. The premises of the United Nations shall be inviolable. The property and assets of the United Nations, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether by executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action.
Hey Jeff -- And how about "reducing" the UN itself to rubble?
The term "sovereignty" has a practical meaning identical to that of any embassy in Washington, DC.
To wit, no U.S. law enforcement entity can serve warrants or do anything else without the express permission of that embassy. They can't even enter the premises. Period.
I'm not defending the U.N., just setting the record straight.
My response is let them sue.
Are you averse to the facts or something?
There is a United States treaty, approved by the Senate in 1970, which precludes search warrants from the U.S. or any other country. Period. End of story.
You're trolling. Buh bye!
Treaties are not sacroscant. The UN has screwed the USA royally and in such circumstance the treaty should not stand in the way of evidence gathering by force.
Is breaking a treaty a worse sin than has been comitted by Kofi et al?
By your logic we could and should have broken into the Soviet Embassy one thousand times over.
It is exactly and precisely the same pinciple.
Get off it. There will not ever be a warrant. Never. Ain't happening.
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