POLITICS: U.N. Oil For Food Scandal Grows. Possibly the Largest in Human History., page 1
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Topic started on 29-4-2004 @ 09:07 AM by dbates
The "Oil for Food" program that the United Nations started in 1996 to help the citizens of Iraq, is turning out to be the largest scandal in human history. Under the program, Iraq was allowed to sell oil for purchasing food and medical supplies for Iraqi people in general. The first major flag that comes up is the fact the U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan, appointed a Swiss company that his son was a consultant at, a contract to review what was shipped to Iraq. No one brought up this huge conflict of interest. The Oil for Food program became a cash cow for the U.N. who received 2.2% commission on every barrel of oil sold, which accounts for over $1 billion dollars in revenue. French and Russian companies were also profiting in the amounts of $3.7 billion and $7.3 billion respectively. No wonder these countries vetoed every decision to take Saddam out of power. George Bush should rename the "coalition of the willing", to the "coalition of the honest."

Heritage.org
There is mounting evidence that the United Nations Oil-for-Food program, originally conceived as a means of providing humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people, was subverted by Saddam Hussein's regime and manipulated to help prop up the Iraqi dictator.

Saddam's dictatorship was able to siphon off an estimated $10 billion from the Oil-for-Food program through oil smuggling and systematic thievery, by demanding illegal payments from companies buying Iraqi oil, and through kickbacks from those selling goods to Iraq--all under the noses of U.N. bureaucrats.

The members of the U.N. staff administering the program have been accused of gross incompetence, mismanagement, and possible complicity with the Iraqi regime in perpetrating the biggest scandal in U.N. history.
Read the full article from heritage.org. (A must read)

In keeping with the conflict of interest theme, the U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has handpicked a team of U.N. members to investigate the Oil for Food program. This is illogical in the same manner that a bank cannot audit itself. This decision is a laughable as George Bush handpicking the 9/11 Commission. An independent team that has no personal interest or involvement in the U.N. must be used to make an unbiased decision.

Who benefited from the illegal sales and trading of oil under this program, and how? The list includes a number of high ranking politicians and officials such as former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, and U.N. Assistant Secretary General Benon V. Sevan, executive director of the Oil-for-Food program. Sevan denied any wrongdoing, has taken an extended vacation, and has decided to retire from the U.N. this month. The list of names goes on to include 46 Russian, and 11 French names of individuals who benefited from the program. Saddam was smuggling oil through a pipeline to Syria, where the oil was sold to companies at below market value. Saddam then demanded kickbacks from these companies to keep the cheap oil flowing.

The political and military ties between Baghdad, Paris, and Moscow were extensive. Russia is believed to have sold weapons and arms to Iraq right up until a week before the war started. Documents found in Baghdad show that Paris shared sensitive information from talks with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and President George W. Bush with the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

President George W. Bush was correct in saying that the U.N. risked becoming irrelevant as a decision-making authority. As more and more evidence comes to light, it will be clear that the U.S., Britain, and their allies in ousting Saddam, were the most honest members of the world community. Now the U.N. wants a larger role in the restructuring of Iraq, but can they be trusted to make honest decisions. Information in today's New York Post reads," The vast majority of the United Nations' oil-for-food contracts in Iraq have mysteriously vanished, crippling investigators trying to uncover fraud in the program, a government report charged yesterday." Unless the U.N. is reformed, it appears to have lost most if its credibility, and influence.


Additional Information:
U.N. OIL PAPERS VANISH
UN chief hits out at fraud claims
How to Buy a French Veto
GAO denied access to oil-for-food audits
Kerry and Kofi's scandal

Related ATS Discussions:
Anti-war nations 'took bribes' before war began.


[Edited on 30-4-2004 by dbates]


reply posted on 29-4-2004 @ 09:54 AM by dbates
Originally posted by SpittinCobra
I dont understand why you cant trade oil for food.

If you have oil and you need food. WTF who cares.
Can someone explain to me why its wrong?

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait. These sanctions were to make it harder for Iraq to buy weapons. In order for the Iraqi people to get supplies the U.N. set up the Oil For Food program.

Under this program Iraq was to sell oil through the U.N. and the money would stay in a safe account. This money was to only be spent on U.N. approved items such as food, medicine, ect. The U.N. set up the bank accounts, and monitored the entire operation, including the amount of oil sold. (Remember, the whole idea was to keep Saddam from having the money to buy more weapons.)

What ended up happening is that Saddam sold more than he was supposed to sell. To encourage companies to buy this illegal amount of oil, Saddam sold it at lower than market value. The companies could then turn around and resell the oil at market value and make a nice profit. In return Saddam asked for large kick backs from these companies. The amount we are talking about here is tens of billions of dollars. Not small change.

The biggest problem is that the sale and profit of this oil was tied to major political parties and members, who made large amounts of money themselves.

A case comparison would be if you were in charge of this program, and you made your son's company in charge of giving the ok on all sales and transactions. Then you put your best friend in charge of the entire operation. Your circle of friends would grow and grow as the money poured in. Meanwhile you and your friends are pocketing billions of dollars that belongs to the Iraqi people who are dying from food shortages, and lack of medical supples. If they had been given this money, there would have been no shortages at all. Its amazing what you can buy for a few billion dollars.

If you believe that stealing all the goverment assistance money from all the poor and homeless in England is cool. And you don't mind watching them die from starvation, and diesase. Then you would have no problem with the whole idea. Of course then you would be a ruthless dictator, or politician.

[Edited on 29-4-2004 by dbates]
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