Kofi Annandersen: Enron-style accounting at the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program.

Opinion Journal (WSJ) ^ | March 10, 2003 | Claudia Rosett

[Cicero]

Who is Saddam Hussein's biggest business partner?

The United Nations. The same U.N. whose secretary-general, Kofi Annan, stands as one of the chief ditherers over removing Saddam. Here are the ingredients of a conflict of interest.

Under the U.N.'s Office of the Iraq Program, which supervises the six-year-old Oil-for-Food Program, the U.N. has had a hand in the sale of more than $55 billion worth of Iraqi oil. Iraq ships oil out to U.N.-approved buyers under the terms of the sanctions agreement. The U.N. vets the inflow of "humanitarian" imports into Iraq.

[McGavin999]

Incredible. Time to demand an audit of these funds. This money held in escrow rightly belongs to the Iraqui people and should be used to help rebuild the infrastructure of the country.

I'm sure that Bush has been aware of this for quite some time.

[Cicero]

So what we can conclude from this article is that, for all the talk about how many children have died in Iraq since 1991, Kofi had the money to save them?

Sure. Anyone with sense knows that already. What's really pathetic is that evidently the UN is complicit in letting Saddam buy weapons instead of food and medicine.

And of course Russia, France, and Germany are complicit too. They all have sweetheart contracts with Saddam.

[swheats]

Soviet-style central planning, which by rationing goods and controlling people's livelihoods serves as a powerful tool for political control.

Sounds like the liberals in America. They've been busy.

[Canadian Outrage]

If this isn't enraging and pathetic I just don't know. I have always detested Annan. Never knew really why. I don't trust the man, he's an Arab butt-kisser and he's a professional liar. He no more cares about the starving people of Iraq than Sadman!!

[kcvl]

That's billions with a B! Right? These people really care whether the Iraqi's are slaughtered. /sarcasm

But, we(the United States)are just in it for the money. /sarcasm

They make me sick!

[ex 98C MI Dude]

This suprises us how? When we follow the money trail, I wouldn't doubt that some of our favorite people in the UN are collecting the interest on that money and depositing the funds in numbered Swiss accounts. They are swine.

[eddie willers]

So what we can conclude from this article is that, for all the talk about how many children have died in Iraq since 1991, Kofi had the money to save them?

And deprive him of his Dom Perignon?
How bourgeois of you!

[Cicero]

This article makes a pretty good bookend with the one that was posted here a little earlier:

Annan Says U.S. Will Violate Charter if It Acts Without [UN] Approval

[Canadian Outrage]

This falls along the same lines as their World Confernce on hunger where these freaks sat and talked about all the hungry people in the world over plates of steak and lobster and all the trimmings!! Can anyone say B A R F!!

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for the ping, I guess. And here I gave up gin for Lent.

When I was a young woman I used to see those John Birch Society signs about getting out of the UN and I thought "those weirdo extremists."

Now, not only do I want us out, I want them all out of the country and the place leveled.

I am sure there is a good reason diplomatically for staying in the UN, but from a personal, emotional point of view I am having a hard time seeing it right now.

[LaGrone]

Excellent Read. The UN is so corrupt; their greed and incompetence may have them on their last leg before long. Sure hope so. Kofi may have to change his lifestyle. He may not command the bucks in the future that he does at the UN.

[Brett66]

The UN works hand-in-hand with Saddam to propagate this lie. The UN gives voice to terrorist nations that should have none. The UN supports and emboldens terrorist states that have sworn to destroy us. They are a terrorist-supporting organization, we are better than that, we have no place in such a corrupt psuedo-terrorist organization. Kofi, Chirac and cohorts need to be jailed and their bank accounts confiscated!

[ex 98C MI Dude]

suprise = surprise
Eye usd tu now how to spel

[kcvl]

Oil-for-Food Program

The United States is at the forefront of UN efforts to enable Iraq to use its resources to acquire goods needed to improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis. These international efforts, initiated by the United States and administered by the UN under the Oil-for-Food Program, have prevented a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq. Instead, basic humanitarian needs are being met in Iraq, and the quality of life has been improving since Iraq belatedly accepted the Oil-for-Food Program in 1996. Continuation of this trend is up to Baghdad, and its willingness to cooperate fully with the United Nations. Unfortunately, the UN effort is hampered by Iraqi non-cooperation.

More...

[Howlin]

How bourgeois of you!

Don't you curse me with those.......those.........those...nasty French words!

[DoughtyOne]

I love when these things come to light. All the soft shoe dancing at the United Nations suddenly make sense doesn't it.

[lakey]

ping to you.

[TexKat]

Annan Says U.S. Will Violate Charter if It Acts Without [UN] Approval

Then Annan so be it, UN Charter violated.

[kcvl]

Iraq's decision to suspend oil exports until Israeli troops withdraw from Palestinian territories will exacerbate financial problems facing the U.N. humanitarian aid program in Iraq.

Halting exports will result in an estimated revenue loss of $1.3 billion for the oil-for-food humanitarian program which is funded by Iraqi oil revenues, according to the U.N. Office of the Iraq Program.

The program was already facing a revenue shortfall this year as Iraqi oil exports slumped by about 25 percent because of what Iraqi officials say is a controversial pricing policy instituted by the U.N. committee monitoring sanctions on Iraq.

Iraq announced Monday that it was halting its oil exports through the oil-for-food program for 30 days or until Israel pulls out its troops and tanks. As a result of the announcement, the U.N.'s Iraq Program projected total revenue generated by oil sales during the current six-month phase of the oil-for-food program at $4.2 billion, down from an early estimate of $5.5 billion. The current phase ends on May 30.

Because of the expected loss of revenue, the oil-for-food program is now $3.6 billion short in funds to purchase humanitarian goods already ordered by Iraq. The oil-for-food program was created in 1996 to help ordinary Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Under an exemption to sanctions, the program allows Iraq to sell unlimited amounts of oil to buy humanitarian goods for its civilians.


According to the most recent U.N. figures, Iraqi oil exports have averaged about 1.5 million barrels a day over the past month, down from a more normal average of about 2 million barrels a day.



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[Freedom2specul8]

Bookmarked to read..and WILL pass along

Just reading the first two paragraphs tells me that this is going to be ugly.

Hey, is the author of this from wall street journal? IS that was WSJ stands for? (see source at top)