Posted on 05/12/2003 8:44:10 AM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion
Let's talk a little about the systemic corruption of the United Nations, shall we? Here's a recent news story that reveals the UN mentality, and should warm the cockles of your heart. It was aired on local television in the greater New York City area -- On Friday, May 2nd, UN cafeteria and restaurant workers walked off their jobs in a "wildcat strike". UN employees, including diplomats, then participated in an extensive looting spree, stealing all available food and even stripping the UN's five eateries of their silverware.
Nice bunch! I'm sorry to be so blunt, but these UN employees are unmitigated creeps. Ask yourself this -- Given a similar walkout among food workers at a major New York company, would this mass thievery have occurred? Could you see people over at IBM grabbing the food and silverware in a frenzied looting spree? Of course not! More than likely, local charitable organizations would have been called in to collect the bulk of food for distribution at homeless shelters.
Now, let's discuss more audacious UN crime.
The UN leadership, and its vociferous cohorts opposed to war in Iraq, are now distraught that the "oil for food" program is coming to an end. In essence, the program is passe - It's nothing more than a vestige of Saddam Hussein's corrupt regime that's akin to a criminal racket perpetrated by organized crime. And by "cohorts", I'm particularly referring to the politicos and apparatchiks of France, Germany and Russia, the usual suspects that have been on the "Saddam gravy train" and are now loathe to disembark. Significantly, special deals were cut and bargain oil prices were generated.
The UN "oil for food" program is a relic of the past, ostensibly created as a humanitarian effort to counterbalance the sanctions on Iraq. For the sake of the Iraqi people, their oil must garner fair market prices. Undeniably, Iraq's greatest material asset is its oil reserves. Why should nations such as France and Russia continue to expect inexpensive oil from Iraq?
And here is the pivotal point --The "oil for food" program was always of minimal benefit to the Iraqi people, but a tremendous boon for privileged UN elites and Saddam-friendly nations that derived a host of ill-gotten gains from the debased bureaucracy. Instead of being an effective vehicle for feeding the poor Iraqi masses, the "oil for food" program was really all about "oil for weaponry", "oil for luxury items", "oil for high tech equipment" -- all funneled to Saddam, his family, and his henchmen, with significant kick-backs to those that helped perpetrate the fraud. Reportedly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been at the helm of this program, with the United Nations receiving more than 2% of oil revenues. Sadly, Iraqi thugs, the UN, and nations such as France, Germany and Russia, lined their pockets at the expense of the Iraqi people who have been mere pawns among powerful forces.
In the wake of Iraq's liberation, the US wants the UN Security Council to lift all sanctions on Iraq (except for an arms embargo) and to dismantle the concomitant "oil for food" program that would be phased-out over a period of several months. As noted by the Washington Post, "It would also end UN control of Iraq's oil revenues, putting them instead into an 'Iraqi Assistance Fund' controlled by the United States and Britain under international observance" for the purpose of rebuilding Iraq. Clearly, the UN would like to play a role during the "nation-building" period, but the US is committed to blocking such a move.
In a nutshell, the UN-run "oil for food" program has been a profound disgrace that is on the verge of being terminated. It's been improperly administered, and is nothing more than a "Sopranos' Scheme" as Rush Limbaugh is apt to say on his radio show. Essentially, the program has been rife with malfeasance on the order of thuggery and bribes throughout its existence. And it's salient to remember the following -- France, Germany, Russia, Syria and other Saddam-friendly nations didn't care one iota that Saddam and his gang were on the receiving end of oil revenues, extravagant goods, military apparatus, etc., while the average Iraqi lived in profound poverty and lacked sufficient sustenance. Thankfully, Iraqi assets will now be protected, rather than plundered, during this period of American and British economic control.
Lastly, let's examine one of the latest ethical lapses of the United Nations.
As indicated by the American Enterprise Institute on May 5th, "Perhaps some of you were surprised, even shocked, by the re-election last week of Cuba to the UN Human Rights Commission, a matter of days after Fidel Castro arrested nearly 80 human rights and pro-democracy activists."
To be honest, most individuals who follow media accounts on UN matters were not the least bit astonished. The irony is that this particular commission is consistently comprised of nations such as China, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Libya that are among the most egregious human rights violators. The United Nations practices a sort of moral relativism that supports the privilege of even despotic regimes (which torture and oppress their citizens) to serve on a commission such as this. And it's just one more reminder that the United Nations has evolved into an unscrupulous world organization that the United States must ultimately break with.
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