Free Republic

WASHINGTON and TORONTO — Canadian Maurice Strong agreed to step aside Wednesday as a special envoy for the United Nations, but vowed to clear his name after being linked to Tongsun Park, a Korean lobbyist charged in connection with the Iraq oil-for-food scandal. At the same time, new details emerged about a Calgary oil company in which Mr. Strong and his son, Fred, were major investors during the 1990s together with Mr. Park -- whom the younger Mr. Strong described as "a spooky guy." Shareholders in Cordex Petroleums Inc. also included CSL Group Inc., the holding company owned by Prime...

Annan exoneration claim too hasty - U.S. Thu Apr 21, 2005 05:43 PM ET By Irwin Arieff UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Thursday U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan had been too hasty to claim he had been exonerated in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal and would not rule out he might eventually resign. "That report did not exonerate him," said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark Lagon, referring to the findings of an inquiry into the U.N. oil-for-food program led by Paul Volcker, the former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman. On the possibility Annan might one day resign,...