Posted on 11/30/2004 5:04:35 PM PST by conservativecorner
It's time for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign. Over the past seven months, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which I chair, has conducted an exhaustive, bipartisan investigation into the scandal surrounding the U.N. Oil-for-Food program. That noble program was established by the U.N. to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people, then languishing under Saddam Hussein's ironfisted rule, as well as the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the U.N. after the first Gulf War. While sanctions were designed to instigate the removal of Saddam from power, or at least render him impotent, the Oil-for-Food program was designed to support the Iraqi people with food and other humanitarian aid under the watchful eye of the U.N.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
It doesn't matter. The UN could shove it.
Mr. Annan has named the esteemed Paul Volcker to investigate Oil-for-Food-related allegations, but the latter's team is severely hamstrung in its efforts. His panel has no authority to compel the production of documents or testimony from anyone outside the U.N. Nor does it possess the power to punish those who fabricate information, alter evidence or omit material facts. It must rely entirely on the goodwill of the very people and entities it is investigating. We must also recognize that Mr. Volcker's effort is wholly funded by the U.N., at Mr. Annan's control. Moreover, Mr. Volcker must issue his final report directly to the secretary general, who will then decide what, if anything, is released to the public.
There is absolutely no accountability in the upper regions of the UN - the vermin can steal, plunder, rape and pillage through the stolen money piles of the world's (mostly the US) taxpayers.
"Kofi Annan Must Go" at full speed, off the Manhattan Bridge.
Norm Coleman has been a pleasant surprise. I read reports what a hard worker he is, how he has really stuck with this UN investigation. God bless him.
Bump!! He should go --it is time for a clean sweep of the UN top!!
Try months. I first read about the oil for food scandal here on FR back in August.
Geshundheit!
UN = united nothings
Clinton is bucking for Kofi's job. Klinton made that clear a few weeks ago.
We'll second that and add that the UN must go.
I don't think it's feasible.
Per Sen. Coleman:
"As a former prosecutor, I believe in the presumption of innocence. Such revelations, however, cast a dark cloud over Mr. Annan's ability to address the U.N.'s quagmire. Mr. Annan has named the esteemed Paul Volcker to investigate Oil-for-Food-related allegations, but the latter's team is severely hamstrung in its efforts. His panel has no authority to compel the production of documents or testimony from anyone outside the U.N. Nor does it possess the power to punish those who fabricate information, alter evidence or omit material facts. It must rely entirely on the goodwill of the very people and entities it is investigating. We must also recognize that Mr. Volcker's effort is wholly funded by the U.N., at Mr. Annan's control. Moreover, Mr. Volcker must issue his final report directly to the secretary general, who will then decide what, if anything, is released to the public.
"Therefore, while I have faith in Mr. Volcker's integrity and abilities, it is clear the U.N. simply cannot root out its own corruption while Mr. Annan is in charge: To get to the bottom of the murk, it's clear that there needs to be a change at the top. In addition, a scandal of this magnitude requires a truly independent examination to ensure complete transparency, and to restore the credibility of the U.N. To that end, I reiterate our request for access to internal U.N. documents, and for access to U.N. personnel who were involved in the Oil-for-Food program.
"All of this adds up to one conclusion: It's time for Kofi Annan to step down. The massive scope of this debacle demands nothing less. If this widespread corruption had occurred in any legitimate organization around the world, its CEO would have been ousted long ago, in disgrace. Why is the U.N. different?"
PING...
Norm is much to kind .. the whole bleeping UN needs to resign
It is nothing but a corrupt institution that stands by and allows hundreds of thousands of people to be MURDERED .. and that's just in Iraqi
We haven't even discussed all the other countries where people have suffered at the hands of the UN
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