In your dreams. Every Scoop Jackson and Barbara Jordan the RATS have had are now on the Right.
The RATS are dead. They just don't know it.
Posted on 12/06/2004 12:32:37 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
As we argued last week, one of America's most urgent foreign policy needs is to retool international organizations and traditional alliances to provide collective security against the global threat of jihadist terrorism. The United Nations can and should be a central part of this new collective security system, but only if the organization is systematically reformed to serve that purpose.
Unfortunately, the United Nations' credibility has been steadily eroded by its own misdeeds, with a burgeoning scandal over its incompetent and sometimes corrupt management of the Iraq oil-for-food program being the most damaging example. Last week it was reported that the son of U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan received a series of payments from a Swiss firm that won a lucrative contract under the oil-for-food program. This development has fed growing doubts that the United Nations will be able to own up to its problems or reform its operations so long as Annan remains at the helm.
The appearance of a payoff to the secretary general's son was just the latest in a series of revelations about the oil-for-food program. Begun in 1996, the program allowed Baghdad to sell oil and use the proceeds to buy food and other humanitarian goods in order to soften the impact on the Iraqi people of the sanctions imposed on the country after Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A U.N. committee supervised the program; vetted contracts for food purchases; arranged payments; and hired inspectors to ensure Iraq did not import material that could be used for arms.
But mismanagement, corruption, and manipulation of the program by Saddam Hussein allowed his regime to amass at least $21 billion outside of the United Nations' control, with the great bulk of that sum -- $17.3 billion -- pilfered between 1997 and 2003 on the secretary general's watch. In effect, the United Nations colluded in Saddam's successful evasion of U.N. sanctions. The most damning charge so far -- that a former chief of the oil-for-food program, Benon Sevan, accepted bribes from Saddam's regime -- was made in October by former U.N. weapons inspector Charles A. Duelfer, who led a Senate investigation into the scandal. The program is now the subject of at least four congressional investigations, three U.S. federal investigations and the U.N.-appointed commission of inquiry led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has underscored the urgency of such investigations, noting not only that the size of the fraud is "staggering," but also that some of Saddam's vast illicit stash might right now be funding terrorists and costing American lives. In an opinion piece in last week's Wall Street Journal, Coleman urged Annan to resign. "As long as Mr. Annan remains in charge, the world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that occurred under the U.N.'s collective nose."
Annan's handling of the fallout over the past week has done nothing to improve his perceived credibility: He has refused requests from congressional committees for access to the United Nation's 55 internal audits and other reports, or for the chance to interview U.N. officials who oversaw the program, saying that it would interfere with the Volcker inquiry. That inquiry is expected to release an interim report in January. The full report could take another year and cost as much as $30 million -- to be funded with leftover cash in the oil-forfood program.
Annan's intransigence should not deter the Senate subcommittee on investigations or other congressional investigations. Volcker can hardly be expected to conduct a thorough and unbiased inquiry into a scandal in which the U.N. secretary general and his son are involved. The world deserves a full and thorough accounting of what transpired. The sooner the United Nations can get past this matter, the sooner it can get back to the important business of making itself an effective instrument for collective security against terrorism, failed states, and acts of genocide, a goal that Annan has strongly supported. The secretary general should place this critical mission ahead of his personal interests, and step aside. Given his own lack of credibility on the oil-for-food program, this step is the price Annan must pay to help restore the U.N.'s credibility, and to salvage his legacy as secretary general.
Is it any wonder why the DLC is so HATED among DU'ers?
Good for them. There really is a good party underneath all the Kerry's and Kennedy's and Clinton's and Daschle's and McAuliffe's, whether we agree with them or not.
Beware of Democrats(Socialist) bearing gifts!!
Their interpretation of "RE TOOLING" may be more than we can bare!
"Good for them. There really is a good party underneath all the Kerry's and Kennedy's and Clinton's and Daschle's and McAuliffe's, whether we agree with them or not."
Dude, the Clintons OWN the DLC.
The DLC is Clinton, Daschle and McAuliffe. It's just that they reject the extreme liberalism of Michael Moore, et al, not because they disagree with them, but because they know it causes them to lose.
They might have held control over it, but half the stuff on their website, Daschle and Clinton would never go for. If it's not pure socialism, they don't like it.
"Dude, the Clintons OWN the DLC."
Hasn't Clinton hinted that he wants to be Sec. General?
Slick can hint all he wants, it's not legal.
Duck---- there surely must be pigs aloft.
Funny, I heard on Rush's show earlier a clip from some big-wig in the Democratic Party (I think his last name was "Hataway") talking with Wolfie on CNN. This guy was asked about the UN Oil for Food scandal and he said it is not a real problem. He says the US has made it up to get back at the UN for being against the Iraq War. He went on to say that it is President Bush who should resign over Haliburton.
I am very surprised any democrat is coming out against the UN.
Yes, I smell something here too. They've let the dogs out on Annan. Is this a dodge to attract attention from somewhere else?
Yep the Clinbton machine gets rid of Kofi and we ensure the UN is based in France with predominately French funding when he takes over as Sec. Gen.
In your dreams. Every Scoop Jackson and Barbara Jordan the RATS have had are now on the Right.
The RATS are dead. They just don't know it.
Wishful thinking, ya? Yea, you're probably right. I keep trying to think to myself "I don't hate Democrats, I just hate criminals", but it seems like there's rarely a difference these days.
Whaaaaat?
THIS came from the the DLC?
The same DLC that brought us Slick Willie?
Excellent! They have separated themselves from the clinton faction.
(Oh, I know the "finger in the air" clintons will probably join the crowd, but there is no mistaking that their ilk were leading the "Annan is being picked on by mean partisan Republicans for 'payback'" crowd)
I would rather be a ROGUE NATION, than to lay with these Fea Bitten Dogs. They have a Socialist Agenda just as the Deomcratic Party. They mean to ensnare the US into agreements that would only hasten the destruction of this Republic and bring it into the fold of Socialism.
If we manage to break away, then we must form a Union of Democracies or Republics. These Socialist are noithing more than the old Marxist Communnists of the 1920's with a Twist. New World Order and all.
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