Posted on 12/02/2004 3:03:15 AM PST by Mia T
Americans' Role Eyed in U.N. Oil Scandal
Were American Oil Brokers Involved in Iraq Oil Kickback Schemes?
By BRIAN ROSS and RHONDA SCHWARTZ
Dec. 1, 2004 -- Former American fugitive Marc Rich was a middleman for several of Iraq's suspect oil deals in February 2001, just one month after his pardon from President Clinton, according to oil industry shipping records obtained by ABC News.
And a U.S. criminal investigation is looking into whether Rich, as well as several other prominent oil traders, made illegal payments to Iraq in order to obtain the lucrative oil contracts.
"Without that kind of middleman, the system would not work because the major oil companies did not want to deal with Iraq because there was a mandated kickback," said human rights investigator John Fawcett.
Another broker was New York oil trader Ben Pollner, head of Taurus Oil, who investigators say handled several billion dollars worth of the transactions now under investigation.
Pollner told ABC News he paid no bribes or kickbacks to the Iraqi regime.
Rich is still living in Switzerland and unavailable for comment.
The roles of several American oil companies, including ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil, are also under investigation. ChevronTexaco received subpoenas requesting information for two separate grand jury proceedings, and said they were cooperating fully with both investigations.
The U.N. oil-for-food corruption scandal only continues to grow in scope. Today, Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who is leading the congressional investigation into the program, said that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan should resign because the scandal occurred on his watch.
"I think there's a terrible stain on the credibility and the reputation of the United Nations, there's no doubt about that," said Coleman. "If we're ever to get to the bottom, how can you get there if the guy who was in charge during the course of this fraud and corruption is the guy now who is supposed to be ferreting it out?"
Top officials of the U.N., including Annan, are accused of looking the other way as some $21 billion meant for humanitarian aid was stolen by the Saddam Hussein regime.
Uncovered in the federal criminal investigation were previously undisclosed payments to Annan's son, Kojo, from his employer Cotecna. The Swiss company had been specifically hired to monitor the oil-for-food program.
Annan's son left the company in 1998 but received payments until this year.
Secretary-general since 1997, Annan said this week he was unaware of the payments. "Naturally I was very disappointed and surprised, yes," he said.
Also under criminal investigation is the U.N. official Annan put in charge of the program, Benon Sevan.
Documents discovered by U.S. forces in Iraq suggest Sevan received payments in the form of oil contacts from the Hussein regime, although Sevan has denied any wrongdoing. |
pro-islamofascist-terrorist radical chic
|
Q ERTY2bump
THE INTERMINABLE clintons
It's time to take out the trash...
A Senate en passant capture is THE MOVE...
not a commercial, but.... ;)
ping
The Media Hive is finally starting to buzz over stories- and names- we have known about for years.
I just KNOW the Clintoons are somewhere at the bottom of this.
Isn't amazing that Rich's pardon was not even mentioned. Did they think that we are all senile??
The Marc Rich/West Virginia connection...in case you didn't know.
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0212-04.htm
Kerry has both .......... a rich wo-man AND a bag.
;-)
*******
Rich is still living in Switzerland and unavailable for comment.
Disguting! This guy (Rich) is just a high rent and pernicious pimp.
Come on!?! Dont you know that a presidential pardon makes you as pure as the new driven snow!!
A TRAITOR as would be President....
A convicted crook as deal broker for the biggest den of theives on the planet.......
....all is well in Whooville.
bump
Oh man...like a case of tropicla intestinal disease, we'll never truly be rid of that SOB and his FOB's. We have been splattered so many times with krintons kriminal network, I had actually hoped that Rich was pardoned only because X42 got a taste of Rich's ill-gotten gains and a piece of Denise. Just goes to show that you cannot fathom the bottom of the septic tank by looking at the scum on top.
I am succumbing to the easy belief it would be much easier to simply label ANYONE on the left as a dupe or criminal - no exceptions. Then we could deal with them straight up and in a forward manner without the complications and continuing crisis that a civil accord allows.
Thanks Mia.
Good one BP67.
thanks.
Mmmm - Marc Rich. Why do I feel that Vince Foster is not too far behind? The guy just won't die!
Unbelievable, but this is the first I've hard of this...wonder if El Rushbo knows?
"King of the Ho's"
(To be sung to Roger Miller's "King of the Road")
Traitor EX-President...
Nukes sold to ChinaMen...
Waco...we shan't fergit!!
Toddlers charred like cigarettes!!
Yeah, Slick...snorts coke like a vacuum...
Bill puts...his ol' friends in their tombs!!
Still Slick's...Lib'rals kneel fer their King...
King of the Ho's!!!
Slick's ceegars sure do stink...
Masturbatin' in his sink.
Hill's a worn-out dried-up shrew...
Bill ain't touched her in many moons!!
Yes, folks...li'l Willard gets around...
Short...and not too big around!
Left prays...to their King on their knees...
King of the Ho's!!
Slick bombed Kosovo, li'l Sudan, and Saddam Hussein...
Killed many young children but hasn't no shame!!
Slick's got his hand out in every town...
Yet, we'll FReep his House and FReep Fer Justice and we'll bring him down!!
I sing...Traitor EX-President...
Nukes sold to ChinaMen...
Waco...we shan't fergit!!
Toddlers charred like cigarettes!!
Yeah, Slick...snorts coke like a vacuum...
Bill put...McDougal in his tomb!!
Still Slick's...Lib'rals kneel fer their King...
King of the Ho's!!!
Traitor EX-President...
Nukes sold to ChinaMen...
Waco...we shan't fergit!!
Toddlers charred like cigarettes!!
FReegards...MUD
*****
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - John Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has resigned after less than six months in the job, it was disclosed on Thursday.
******
Danforth is the ultimate insider. It smells to me like he's getting out of his position because he doesn't want to be too close to anything too rancid. Or am I just imagining things?
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