US Suggests Honoring Past Iraq Oil, Food Contracts (UN Food for Oil)

Reuters ^ | May 2, 2003

[Shermy]

Ping.

[Dog Gone]

While the United States could just let the oil-for-food program lapse on June 3 by vetoing any resolution to renew it, such an action could raise legal problems and possibly deter multinational companies from doing business there.

Our leverage will increase as that date approaches, and business always goes where the money is. That last phrase is baloney.

[adam_az]

"If I were an adviser to George Bush, I would say: 'Listen to Colin Powell, not Donald Rumsfeld,"' he said when asked how he would advise Bush on managing post-war Iraq.

Now we know why this guy isn't an advisor to George Bush. :)

[pgyanke]

In a move to win allies, the United States is considering honoring contracts made by Saddam Hussein's government under the U.N. oil-for-food program if the Security Council lifts sanctions against Iraq, diplomats said on Friday.

NOOOOOOO!!!!

[Dog]

I'm going to get flamed for this opinion.....but I say let's do it..

Give the Russian's the money that is owed to them.

We need to end the Oil for Food...ASAP.

[kritikos]

"The proposal was made by U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte during a meeting of council members and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday and reported by several participants in the session. It would reimburse firms whose contracts had been approved and funded under the multibillion dollar program."

As long as they simply reimburse the firms and not seek fulfillment of contracts...what the heck would Iraq need with more weapons and munitions?

[My2Cents]

Sure, why not honor agreements that allowed graft and corruption, and allowed nations such as France to sacrifice the welfare of the people of Iraq for the promise of cheap oil. Sure, we should protect these corrupt bargains.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Russia is owed those contracts like Hussein's heirs are owed all his stolen riches.

[pgyanke]

Give the Russian's the money that is owed to them.

I agree to a point--but it's a very small point. So dumb and Insane ran Iraq like it was his own piggy bank. With him out of power, I would treat it like a bankruptcy and carefully scrutinize all debts. No has yet argued that the Iraqi people had any say in their former government, therefore they should not be saddled indefinitely with the criminal deals made by it.

[FairOpinion]

Are you suggesting that we should allow Russia & France blackmail us into honoring their billions of dollars of programs, after they were obstructing us?

We might as well just lie down, so Chirac can kick us better.

[cake_crumb]

" 'If I were an adviser to George Bush, I would say: 'Listen to Colin Powell, not Donald Rumsfeld,' he said when asked how he would advise Bush on managing post-war Iraq."

Who is this idiot Greenstock? Is he advising Blair in the same way??

[Dog]

Nooooooo....

Offering the Russians that 8 billion that is owed them.....will peel them from France and Germany.

[cake_crumb]

Don't be too worried about the oil for food scam. It can't be the same now. Saddam is gone, and the Kurds are after the $4 billion bucks the UN owes them for their oil.

I can't see how the UN can get away with allowing millions of Iraqis to starve now that the world is watching them, so a version of an oil for food program may be just the ticket.

If I were you, I'd be a heckuva lot MORE worried that PM Blair seems to want the UN to GOVERN Iraq. No way. The country would dissolve into permanent civil war within a week of the UN taking control of governing it.

[Dog]

I would treat it like a bankruptcy and carefully scrutinize all debts

This is how I would handle it.

[cake_crumb]

"No has yet argued that the Iraqi people had any say in their former government, therefore they should not be saddled indefinitely with the criminal deals made by it."

BUMP!!

[GailA]

MASTER LIST Useless Nation's Oil for Food scam + galloway

[may18]

quote
______
If I were you, I'd be a heckuva lot MORE worried that PM Blair seems to want the UN to GOVERN Iraq. No way. The country would dissolve into permanent civil war within a week of the UN taking control of governing it.
____

Well blair is naieve in thinking the un is relevant

but i saw him with putin in their incredibly hostile meeting, he stated then

"american and british lives were lost in iraq, it is inconceivable that control will just be handed to the UN"

he wants a role for them,

I personally dont want the un heavily involved. But its clear they wont be in charge

[MadIvan]

I don't want the UN involved at all. As the Scotsman reported, the UN gets a cut of Oil for Food. French and Russian banks get a cut. French and Russian oil companies get a cut. Then the Iraqi's people cut is reduced to a simply expressed amount - bugger all.

Regards, Ivan

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Mr. Negroponte is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy. He is former chairman of the French-American Foundation.