[coconutt2000]

The problem with the United Nations was that its charter was too idealistic. It didn't have the built in checks and balances necessary to be effective. In fact, its charter was designed to be taken advantage of, and the only checks and balances built in was the veto power of the Allied powers in the Security council.

Why did we give veto power to France anyhow? They were a defeated nation.

[take]

Annan in historic meeting with Supreme Court &Congress/is believed to be unprecedented.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b0c30a81760.htm

[conservative in nyc]

I question the timing of the Slimes' release of this story on the day McGreevy announces he will resign. This may be on the front page (not posted yet) but nobody will read it.

The U.N. was shocked - SHOCKED - to find out Saddam was taking kickbacks as the French, Germans, Russians and Kofi Annan's son were making out like bandits. Sure.

[marron]

Mr. Sevan, the Cypriot who headed the program, has denied that he received any kickbacks and would only say in a statement that his office was not responsible for ferreting out corruption.

Senior Iraqi leaders ordered ministries to notify companies that they had to pay an amount equal to 10 percent of the contract value into secret foreign bank accounts

"When the 10 percent came in, companies came and asked us what to do," said Jacques Sarnelli, who was the commercial counselor of the French Embassy in Baghdad at the time. "We said it's illegal, you do it at your own risk, we don't want to know about it, and we are against it."

But no attempt was made to recover the surcharge payment or to investigate which companies paid.... "You couldn't ask the committee for guidance because you'd never get an answer," Mr. Tellings said. "It was nobody's responsibility."

ping

[backhoe]

Crosslinked-- click on the nasty little logo:

[OESY]

After others have done the spade work, The Times pursues a favorite strategy: Publish a humongous article on the embarrassing subject (so you can't be accused of hiding the news altogether), then walk away from it. A drip-by-drip story presentation would hurt Democrat favorite-son and UN-francophile John F. Kerry.

[MEGoody]

Hmmm. . .seems to me the ones who were involved in this corruption are the same ones Kerry wants to pander to in order to get their 'approval' before we take any steps to protect ourselves.

[OESY]

Caught in the headlights: Benon V. Sevan directed the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq.
Not to mention Saddam Hussein, Kofi Annan, UN, Jacques Chirac, France, Russia, etc.

[mewzilla]

LOL. Better late than never. Gee, maybe that should be the new motto for the NYT.