Posted on 05/05/2005 7:24:47 AM PDT by ArmyBratproud
NEW YORK — Sen. Norm Coleman (search) is preparing subpoenas in order to force two former Oil-for-Food (search) investigators to testify, FOX News has learned.
The Republican chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations could issue the direct challenge as early as Thursday to Paul Volcker (search), head of the Independent Inquiry Committee probing corruption in the $64 billion U.N. program.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
PING!
UN investigation starting to heat up.
ping
Last I heard they said UN trumps Congress.
Jonathan Hunt on Fox is reporting that these documents are said to be "very damaging" to Annan. Is it time to pop the popcorn yet?
Yes, something like that. I know the diplomatic immunity words were thrown around too.....
Just saw this report on Fox... it looks to be EXTREMELY damaging to Annan. I realize that he's an slippery SOB, but this would seem to be the beginning of the proverbial funeral procession for the Annan regime.
Way to go NORM! Tighten the screws...
Kofi Annan vows disciplinary action against Sevan
excerpt:
NICK GRIMM: Kofi Annan's Chief of Staff, Mark Malloch Brown, reading a prepared statement from the UN Secretary General, who's promised he'll waive diplomatic immunity against any UN staff member found to have committed a criminal offence.
MARK MALLOCH BROWN: I made clear from the outset that no one found to have broken any laws would be shielded from prosecution. I stand by that pledge.
~snip~
excerpt:
At the United Nations, the defense is being led by Mark Malloch Brown, the eloquent British official whom Mr. Annan recently promoted to chief of staff, with a brief to "renew" the organization.
"Benon Sevan has been a lifelong colleague and a dear, dear friend," he said. "But these are extremely serious charges of wrongdoing, and no one will be shielded from prosecution. If there are criminal charges, the U.N. will fully cooperate and waive diplomatic immunity of staff members, whoever they are."
~snip~
UN oil-for-food chief took Saddam bribes
excerpt:
However, the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, issued a statement later yesterday saying the UN would take disciplinary action against Mr Sevan and Joseph Stephanides, the former chief of the UN sanctions branch, who was also criticised in the report.
"Should any findings of the inquiry give rise to criminal charges, the UN will cooperate with national law enforcement authorities pursuing those charges, and in the interests of justice I will waive the diplomatic immunity of the staff member concerned," he said.
~snip~
It was clear at the time these statements were issued that weasel room was left to parse their way out of the pledged cooperation, however it doesn't hurt to keep the statements vowing to waive the immunity on hand.
now there is language we can agree on! :)
My favorite Senator besides Zell.
Or, as Norm himself says it, "Norwm".
Congress needs to wake up. Congress needs to be saying "Nothing trumps the Congress of the United States of America." That's what they needed to be saying in the Schiavo case, and that's what they need to be saying now.
Heck, some amoral Judge in Florida trumps Congress...
Nobody trumps Congress.....just ask Baseball!!!!
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