the Centrist

Oil for Food … the concept was sound. It seemed like a humanitarian way around the trauma the first coalition had placed on the Iraqi. Much of the Iraqi population, including the children, were starving and most thought this was a reasonable solution. It was to be completely overseen by the United Nations. Rather than make certain these funds were used to stop starvation, they gave the accounting and banking control exclusively to banks in France where they processed, approved, and distributed funds … billions. To this date, these bank records have not been disclosed. The French then brokered the deal with Saddam. Ideally he would be allowed to trade his oil on the market, much of it going to the United States, for market value, in exchange for monies provided explicitly for humanitarian aid … food …for his starving population. This is important because the United States was now involved on two levels … the first being the support of the U.N. (America provides over 20% of the UN’s total budget … the largest contribution by any single country), and the second the purchase of oil at market value.
Skeptics said we couldn’t trust the three main players, the U.N., Saddam, and the French … they were correct. Perhaps the greatest travesty was the next step taken by the French … giving control of the program directly to to Saddam. Many companies hired for services and goods were bogus. According to Fox News, many businessmen such as Mark Rich (the notorious international lawbreaker pardoned by President Clinton), were sold the oil at less than market value, and in turn re-sold it at market value to the United States and other countries. Virtually every barrel of oil sold, as well as every company supposedly providing aid, paid Saddam graft. What little food provided was likely to be spoiled … and most importantly … the starvation continued under the ‘watchful eye’ of the vaunted United Nations. This austere international body never once objected … or checked … as many, many Iraqi children died of starvation. Congress has revealed that Kofi Anan’s top aid and son were part of the scheme. The amount of monies pilfered from this program has already eclipsed any on record and at this time, all of the ‘beans’ have not yet been counted. Saddam personally received in excess of 22 billion dollars of which only 8 billion has been recovered and or accounted. We know that he used some of this money to buy weapons. Weapons subsequently, and possible still, being used against American troops. These weapons were purchased illegally from American ‘allies’ … France, Germany, and Russia. Saddam also used some of those funds to kill citizens as he supported terrorists in Israel.
While it is undeniably true that the U. N. has many humanitarian branches, including those of immunization and emergency care; it is also true that it has been woefully inadequate in its attempt to stop genocide. For instance genocide continues in places like the Sudan, with little more action than debate at the U.N. It seems to this observer that as long as radical Muslims are killing any other group of people, the U.N., turns a deaf ear. Let those people defend themselves, i.e. the United States or Israel, and they are subject to the wrath of that body. Thus, it seems that no actions needs be taken in the Sudan as African Muslims and Christians are systematically killed by Arab Islamists.
Due to these inadequacies prominent members of Congress have asked for both reform starting with the resignation of Kofi Anan. Were Anan not the darling of the leftist media we would be hearing an outcry not only for his resignation and incrimination, but also the return of funds pilfered by these rogue individuals and nations. Kofi Anan must take responsibility for the atrocities committed under his charge. I agree with those who say: it is time, not only for full disclosure, but also for reform. Both would be ‘jump started’ by the immediate resignation or removal of Kofi Anan.