Posted on 03/26/2005 6:03:20 PM PST by saquin
KOFI ANNAN, the United Nations secretary-general, is said to be struggling with depression and considering his future. Colleagues have reported concerns about Annan ahead of an official report this week that will examine his son Kojo’s connection to the controversial Iraqi oil for food scheme.
Depending on the findings of the report, by a team led by the former US Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, Annan may have to choose between the secretary-generalship and loyalty to his son.
American congressional critics of the UN are already pressing him to resign over the mismanagement of the oil for food programme, and even his supporters have been dismayed by the scandals on his watch, including the sexual abuse of children by UN peacekeepers in Congo.
One close observer at the UN said Annan’s moods were like a “sine curve” and that he appeared near the bottom of the trough.
Kojo, 29, was employed by a Swiss company, Cotecna, but left before it won one of the contracts under the oil for food programme. Last week it emerged he received up to $400,000 from the company. The UN confirmed that Kofi Annan three times met executives of the firm, twice before the award of the oil for food contract and once afterwards.
Mark Malloch Brown, Annan’s British chief-of-staff, said the meetings were brief and had nothing to do with Cotecna’s contract. If some of the allegations against Kojo were confirmed, that would create “a very different situation, but for Kojo — not the secretary-general”.
Kojo and Cotecna insist he had no part in securing the oil for food contract and that his work related to activities in Nigeria and Ghana.
New scandals continue to erupt, however. One revelation last week was that the UN had agreed to pay legal fees for Benon Sevan, the disgraced head of the oil for food programme, out of the funds raised from the Iraqi oil sales.
“Kofi Annan is going to find his position increasingly untenable,” said Nile Gardiner, an expert on the UN at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “There is a strong possibility he will resign voluntarily because of his declining credibility.”
In the end Annan’s feelings may be more decisive than the facts.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
Awe?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.
?
Don't go away mad, just go away Annan.
"Depressed Annan close to quitting over UN scandals"
YIPPIE! How do we push him into retirement?
YAH HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Its no longer fun when you can't steal food from the mouths of Iraqi children. I hope the "insurgents" find is summer house.
Be careful what you wish for. He leaves, and Clinton steps in and takes over.
WHOOOOOooooOOOOPIE!!!!!!
Kojo, 29, was employed by a Swiss company, Cotecna, but left before it won one of the contracts under the oil for food programme. Last week it emerged he received up to $400,000 from the company. The UN confirmed that Kofi Annan three times met executives of the firm, twice before the award of the oil for food contract and once afterwards.<<
More than $100 K per meeting.
Nice pay, if you can land the job for doing nothing.
DK
...and return all of the silverware as you leave.
My heart bleeds oily tears, hasn't this poor man
suffered enough?
Answer: NO.
Couldn't the fathers of children who starved to death
because of the OFF corruption hound him for the rest of
his life?
That would be fitting.
He may be depressed, but all of Saddam's money he's stashed away should chipper him up.
He and his family have fed at the trough of the UN (and U.S. taxpayers) for far too long. I would pull his feeding tube without a decision by Judge Greer.
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please!
I think a totally incompotent and corrupt UN is a great thing. The last thing we need is reform which makes the UN a much more effective organization. GET US OUT OF THE UN NOW!
Boo-f*ing-hoo. I'm personally depressed that one dollar of my hard-earned income has been confiscated so as to be given over to the corrupt UN, including grifter Kofi and his grifter offspring. Although, I could be cheered if both were sentenced to 20 years hard labor, and if the UN building were turned into a sewage treatment plant or ant farm.
You think he might be worried that they are going to figure out that Kojo was the donkey between him and the oil for food?
It is depressing when you realize that you cannot steal any more jack.
Just go, and let the next thief into office.
Hello, bentmember?
You're up!
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