More on Oil-for-food
Robert Novak writes in todays Chicago Sun-Times:
Coleman said this week's hearings will show that ''the scope of the ripoff'' at the U.N. is substantially more than the widely reported $10 billion to $11 billion in graft. But more than money is involved. These hearings also should expose the arrogance of the secretary-general and his bureaucracy. At the same time that he has refused to honor the Senate committee's request for documents, Annan has inveighed against the Fallujah offensive sanctioned by the new Iraqi government while ignoring the terrorism of insurgents. This is an unprecedented showdown between a branch of the U.S. government and the U.N.
The scandal is not complicated. Money from Iraqi oil sales permitted by the Saddam Hussein regime under U.N. auspices, supposedly to provide food for Iraqis, was siphoned off to middlemen. Billions intended to purchase food wound up in Saddam's hands for the purpose of buying conventional weapons. The complicity of U.N. member states France and Russia is pointed to by the Senate investigation. The web of corruption deepened when it was revealed that Annan's son, Kojo, was on the payroll of a contractor in the oil-for-food program.
As many American soldiers are fighting and dying for freedom and democracy worldwide, the U.N. is taking bribes to preserve tyranny and oppression.
Just a thought...Can you imagine a more fitting form of poetic justice than ripping down the U.N. headquarters in N.Y and putting in a Walmart?
Update: "This is like an onion — we just keep uncovering more layers and more layers," said Sen. Norm Coleman.
Coleman said this week's hearings will show that ''the scope of the ripoff'' at the U.N. is substantially more than the widely reported $10 billion to $11 billion in graft. But more than money is involved. These hearings also should expose the arrogance of the secretary-general and his bureaucracy. At the same time that he has refused to honor the Senate committee's request for documents, Annan has inveighed against the Fallujah offensive sanctioned by the new Iraqi government while ignoring the terrorism of insurgents. This is an unprecedented showdown between a branch of the U.S. government and the U.N.
The scandal is not complicated. Money from Iraqi oil sales permitted by the Saddam Hussein regime under U.N. auspices, supposedly to provide food for Iraqis, was siphoned off to middlemen. Billions intended to purchase food wound up in Saddam's hands for the purpose of buying conventional weapons. The complicity of U.N. member states France and Russia is pointed to by the Senate investigation. The web of corruption deepened when it was revealed that Annan's son, Kojo, was on the payroll of a contractor in the oil-for-food program.
As many American soldiers are fighting and dying for freedom and democracy worldwide, the U.N. is taking bribes to preserve tyranny and oppression.
Just a thought...Can you imagine a more fitting form of poetic justice than ripping down the U.N. headquarters in N.Y and putting in a Walmart?
Update: "This is like an onion — we just keep uncovering more layers and more layers," said Sen. Norm Coleman.
posted by Wonderdog | 1:10 PM | Permalink
|
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home