70 Nobel Winners Back U.N. Chief Annan

AP ^ | 01/27/05 | NICK WADHAMS

[Pikamax]

70 Nobel Winners Back U.N. Chief Annan

NICK WADHAMS

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS - Seventy Nobel laureates have signed a letter backing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has weathered calls for his resignation amid a spate of scandals in recent months.

The letter, supported by Peace Prize winners Jimmy Carter and Elie Wiesel, among others, was made public Thursday. It expresses the laureates' "deepest respect and support for Kofi Annan and the values he has embraced in his lifetime of work for peace and security."

The idea for the letter was spearheaded by the Better World Campaign, a nonprofit group that seeks to improve appreciation for the United Nations. The group is a sister organization to the United Nations Foundation, created in 1998 toward fulfilling CNN founder Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to support U.N. programs.

U.N. Foundation press secretary Christina LoNigro said the push for the letter began in earnest in December when Annan, himself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was under the most intense fire.

Annan was sharply criticized for a string of U.N. scandals including allegations of corruption surrounding the oil-for-food program; claims that U.N. staff were guilty of sexual harassment; and investigations into sexual wrongdoing and other alleged crimes by U.N. peacekeepers.

He has also been criticized for his son Kojo Annan's employment at a Swiss company that had an oil-for-food contract. Kojo Annan, who denies any involvement in wrongdoing, received payments from the Swiss firm for more than four years after his job ended.

[Darkwolf377]

"The letter, supported by Peace Prize winners Jimmy Carter "

Stevie Wonder could see THAT coming.

[tomkat]

...further proof that lotsa the world's 'smart' folks don't have sense enough to come in outta the rain.

[silent_jonny]

supported by Peace Prize winners Jimmy Carter

I knew without even reading the article that Jimmah would be backing Kofi. If Arafat were alive, he'd be right there with him.

[eddie willers]

Good thing Linus Paulding is dead on it would have been 71.

[bfree]

I thought it said "whinner Jimmy Carter", I guess it should have.

[silent_jonny]

Stevie Wonder could see THAT coming.

LOL

[bahblahbah]

[Indy Pendance]

Isn't that noble of them.

[Indy Pendance]

I know, what a waste of talent.

[NorCalRepub]

so they back him......so what....they were not there when the scandals broke......are they saying he is innocent too???????

[Darkwolf377]

And Arafat would have made it 72

[Big Digger]

Then let the 70 Nobel Sh..heads pay for the UN. I'm sick of this liberal/commie feelgood club trying to tell us chickenshit is chicken salad.

[waterman478]

Funny how, when backing their horse, liberals are always willing to shed their "values".
"Oh gee, never mind sexual harrasment, child rape, oil exploitation, and a little nepotism. He's really a fine man"

[muawiyah]

Jimmy Carter, one of the signers, also received payoffs from Saddam.

Makes you wonder about those others.

[Soul Seeker]

I knew Jimmy would head the list.

Did anyone doubt? LOL

[Dog Gone]

I can't think of a more damning endorsement.

[TheBrotherhood]

These Nobel winners are traitors.

That's what happens when they starting giving away Nobel prices left and right to people who do not deserve it.

[nightdriver]

"The group is a sister organization to the United Nations Foundation, created in 1998 toward fulfilling CNN founder Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to support U.N. programs."

Did ol' Ted acutally give the U.N. $1bil, or did he just establish another fund-raising foundation for them?

[Williams]

What would these 70 know about whether there was corruption in the oil for food program? This has nothing to do with Annan and everything to do with left wing politics.