Hussein Skimmed Billions from UN Food for Oil Program

New York Times ^ | 2/29/2004 | Susan Sachs

[bukkdems]

Follow the money. Saddam not only manipulated foreign supporters with profitable oil vouchers, he also skimmed off an average of 10% commision on every product delivered to Iraq through the Oil for Food Program. Much of the stuff was unuseable junk. UN inspectors winked.

[bukkdems]

Saddam regularly had dead babie's bodies paraded to display the inequities of UN sanctions.

[Conspiracy Guy]

When I first head of the billions he skimmed, I was totally shocked. He seemed like such a nice despot who cared about women's rights and all.

CG

[marlon]

This is obviously Bush propoganda. Hussein would never do such a thing he loved his people more than life itself. Furthermore, Kofi was in charge and would never allow money to be misappropriated. On a final note no less a great American Senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton told us just last week that women were much better off under Sadaam than they are now.

Evil right wing propoganda I tell you!

[brownsfan]

When I first head of the billions he skimmed, I was totally shocked. He seemed like such a nice despot who cared about women's rights and all.

Yeah, wasn't he all about tough love?

[pabianice]

Gasp!

[anniegetyourgun]

"UN inspectors winked."

Must be tough for the NYTimes to admit this about their favorite charity.

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898147/posts
Master list FR posted articles on UN Food for Oil program
GailA ^ | 4/22/03 | Various

[budman_2001]

This is *shocking* news. Just simply shocking!

[Jaded]

Is this NEW or is the NYT just SLOW on the uptake? /so

[kabar]

This is a blockbuster story that needs further investigation and disclosure. It shows how corrupt this program was and why countries like France and Russia were fighting to keep Saddam in power. The UN role in all of this needs to be thoroughly investigated and the corrupt officials fired and jailed.

[anniegetyourgun]

Yeah...that'll happen.

[cripplecreek]

Meanwhile back in la la land, democrats are whispering about the newest idiot conspiracy theory about the former Hatian president.

[dfwgator]

I tell you I'm shocked, just shocked.

[hut1hut2]

This merits a

"Let the sanctions work" bump

[richardtavor]

"UN inspectors winked."

UN / Inspectors = Oxy / moron

[Allan]

This story has been followed for months
by Claudia Rossette
of the Wall Street Journal
who reports regularly on the Batchelor (Alexander) Show WABC.

Good to see that the New York Times finally has caught up with the story.

[prophetic]

not really news to me.

I've always known that Kofi Annan was getting his US $300k per month kickback from Uncle Saddam.

[ravingnutter]

This is a blockbuster story that needs further investigation and disclosure.

Some blockbuster... Freepers have known about this corruption for over a year now.

[Mitchell]

Yes, this story has been around for a long time. It's easy to go after Saddam for skimming funds. What about others, in the U.N., Europe, or the U.S.? Presumably there was plenty of corruption to go around.

[doug from upland]

Hans Blix winked. He couldn't find his butt with both hands.