Posted on 11/21/2004 9:44:46 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
The United Nations knew that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was stealing from the oil-for-food program - and, by extension, starving his own people - but did little to stop it, according to a special report by the BBC at the weekend.
After a six-month investigation, the BBC said it had evidence that Saddam took billions from the oil-for-food program, and that "these abuses were widely known about at the time". The BBC said there was evidence that Saddam demanded a kickback from companies that wanted to do business with Iraq under the oil-for-food program.
Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, evidence has emerged that Saddam found many ways to skim billions from the program. Some of that money allegedly went to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. It is also alleged that Saddam paid foreign journalists and sympathetic foreign officials, as a way of getting them to campaign to get the sanctions lifted. Around 270 people are alleged to have received vouchers to sell oil for millions of dollars in profit.
Among the people accused of taking these bribes are the former president of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, and, most explosively, the head of the UN's oil-for-food program Benon Sevan.
(Excerpt) Read more at theage.com.au ...
"It is also alleged that Saddam paid foreign journalists and sympathetic foreign officials, as a way of getting them to campaign to get the sanctions lifted."
I'll bet Scott Ritter is on that list.
The UN is corrupt?!? Shocking!
I know, I can hardly believe it.
I'm shocked and deeply saddened that this information has been disclosed. This is a breach of UN Security which is essential to free debate and deliberation by UN Staff.
They must be free to accept gratuities from dictators in order to perform their jobs.
What really shocks me is the BBC reporting it!
There must be even more incriminating evidence to come.
Only a matter of time before Kofi and his son make a bee-line to Switzerland.
Gee, if the MSM would actually start reporting the truth, the UN would be put where it belongs.
In the dustbin of history.
This was on the Bush Bashing Channel (BBC)? That is more shocking than the Oil-For-Food scandal.
The BBC reported this - Wow --
It would be hard to believe the UN didn't know everything - they are a bunch that sticks together - no matter how many people are dying -
"Did little to stop it"? They were benefiting from it, why would they want it stopped?
There were hundreds of thousands of innocent people murdered by Saddam and these corrupt individuals allowed it to continue so they could get their billions in black market oil money.
This is true evil.
AND YET...the BBC is still going off on us for taking down Sadaam? Whaaa....? Those guys need to pick a side and stick with it!
I wonder what Saddam has told the US about this. Seems he would be the one who knows the big picture.
"I know, I can hardly believe it."
I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
;o)
The people who took these bribes have committed crimes against humanity. How they sleep at night is beyond my comprehension.
"It is also alleged that Saddam paid foreign journalists and sympathetic foreign officials, as a way of getting them to campaign to get the sanctions lifted."
Pft- a waste of money, with all of the ones around who would do it for free.
Aw C'mon guys! That's classic BBC "mock horror"!
They want you to key in on the UN "knew" ...as if they are naughty innocent bystanders to this mega-scandal.
This may help explain why the scandal has been almost totally suppressed by the UN.
You mystery buffs are already on to the old "Guilty Dog barks first" style employed by our BBC friends.
Just as a side note,.....Another name that was on the oil voucher list was "Rich", as in the guy Clinton pardoned in his last days because he got "some"(money) from "Rich's" ex-wife.
Once a crook, always a crook.
The sooner we resign from this corrupt organization and kick them off our soil, the better.
"I'll bet Scott Ritter is on that list."
Everyone high up in the WMD inspection team probably has a nice retirement nest egg.
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