Saddam Bribery (and UN Corruption in Oil For Food Program)

WUSATV9.com ^ | April 22, 2004 | Derek McGinty

[me_newswire]

It was never much of a secret that Saddam Hussein was a crooked dictator. But there are allegations that the former leader of Iraq wasn't the only one who was corrupt.

The United Nations has agreed to an independent probe of the program it set up to let Saddam sell oil-- to feed his hungry people.

The investigation could uncover the dirty truth about a humanitarian program-- polluted by greed.

For years there have been allegations of corruption in the U.N.'s Iraqi oil-for-food program.

Now it's bubbling over into a full-fledged scandal. The corruption charges first surfaced last January-- when an Iraqi newspaper published the names of 270 people who profited from Iraqi oil sales.

The list included former government officials, activists, and even journalists from 46 different countries.

But now even top leaders at the U.N. are accused of turning a blind eye to some of the dirty deals.

Members of the Iraqi governing council hope this new probe will bring answers.

The investigation will be headed by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker.

His three-member panel will pore through hundreds of pages of U.N. contracts awarded over the years to international companies that did business with Saddam.

What they find could be more than just embarrassing for countries like France and Russia; a Congressional panel is also looking into the allegations.

And some suggest what investigators uncover could hurt the argument that the U.N. is the answer for the fixing the problems faced today in Iraq.

Virginia Congressman Tom Davis is part of the congressional panel looking into the U.N. oil for food program. Click "Play Video" to learn more.

========================================
ALSO SEE:

UN, House Investigating Iraq Oil-for-food Program - 4/22/2004
From:     http://www.farms.com/readstory.asp?dtnnewsid=992447

(DTN) -- An investigation into United Nations' Iraq oil-for-food program will be led by former U.S. Federal Reserve System Chairman Paul Volcker, and at the same time, a House committee will be determining whether there were violations of the terms of the program.

From December 1996 until the collapse of the government of Saddam Hussein, Iraq was allowed to sell oil to buy humanitarian goods under UN supervision in order to ease the impact of the sanctions imposed in 1990 after the invasion of Kuwait.

The panel will have the authority to investigate whether the procedures established by the UN for the administration and management of the oil-for-food program were violated; determine whether any UN officials, personnel, agents
or contractors engaged in any illicit or corrupt activities while on the job; and ascertain whether the accounts of the program were in order and were maintained in accordance with UN rules and regulations.

Journalists have alleged that Iraq exported under-priced oil, imported over-priced goods, and cashed in the difference. In addition, Saddam may have picked up some $5.5 billion from smuggling oil and fuel out of the country
in violation of the sanctions.

___________________________________________________

See current Middle East News links at Mideast Newswire:
www.mideastnewswire.com

_________________________________________________________

[backhoe]

Click the picture for everything I have on this so far:

[Grampa Dave]

Well, now I don't have to ping you on this thread.

Keep up the great work.

As I noted to Shermy on another thread, there has been a small group of us on top of this story for about a year now.

Finally it is perculating up to the top of the World Wide Rat Cesspool.

[Grampa Dave]

Why do I get the feeling that you have been here before in another life, er, posting name.

Welcome and thanks the good job on your threads, in particuliar the keywords.

Besure to ping Backhoe, Ernest at the Beach and Sea Mole so they can index your threads.

[McGavin999]

That's because it can no longer be ignored. With the free Iraqis hiring an independed accounting firm and LAWYERS the UN can no longer ignore this and the media can't pretend it's not happening. This is going to get ugly.

[Grampa Dave]

I wonder if this is why the rats pulled out about every dirty trick and trickster the past few weeks to electronically lynch GW?

This past year, they seem to do that when either bad news is breaking for them or good news is breaking for GW.

[Arthur McGowan]

I wonder how many of these millions from oil went into the Swiss bank accounts of the Rapist and Hillary!

[BlessedByLiberty]

You are correct - we are about to see some very ugly cruelty all done in the name of UN. The food that lay in warehouses, until our troops opened them up for the people.

When Hussein is put on trial for war crimes, I want to see the Iraqi people name half of the UN as co-conspirators in this sham of a program.

[backhoe]

Finally it is perculating up to the top of the World Wide Rat Cesspool...

Nice turn of phrase!

[cyncooper]

Just heard on Brit's show that Kofi Annan admits he met with Benon Sevan yesterday. Sevan's whereabouts have been uncertain and I thought it interesting (though not surprising) that Kofi knew where he was.

Annan claims the conversation was how Sevan claimed no wrongdoing.

Right.

[cyncooper]

The food that lay in warehouses, until our troops opened them up for the people.

And our media has footage of it and they do not show it. Thank God for the embedded reporters who "showed and told" when it was found, only to have it buried.

Brit roundtable taking up the issue of the scandal right now.

[chiefqc]

I understand that coffee and his son creamer are involved up to their eyeballs.

BOY, WHAT A SURPRIZE THAT IS!!!!!

[alrea]

And our media has footage of it and they do not show it.

Much of the media exists now to nudge votes to Democrats and to keep socialist politicians in power. No one doubts that this is not an intent of a majority of them.

Iraq and the Middle East is a cesspool of corruption in which leaders and the UN are becoming so ineffective that they have resorted to sending children to blow up other children as political symbolism.

Millions are slaughtered in aides ravaged Africa and there is very little attention because there is no money for bribing socialists and dictators.

[alrea]

With the free Iraqis hiring an independed accounting firm and LAWYERS the UN can no longer ignore this and the media can't pretend it's not happening

But are you not aware that Michael Jackson was indicted yesterday?

[Shermy]

Check out this new blog on the Oil for Food Scandal! It's A+

Friends of Saddam

[gaspar]

MEMRI Report no. 27, March 18, 2002 discusses the Saudi economy. About 3/4 of the way down there is an interesting paragraph on Saudi complaints that the Oil for Food program was being mismanaged. There was noted that a Saudi attempt to open a road into Iraq which could be used to supply oil was not completed because of UN/Iraq malfeasance. It is a new angle on the problem, and the article can be accessed on the MEMRI website.