The moral and financial scandal at the heart of the United Nations continues to deepen. At least 3 senior U.N. officials are suspected of taking multi-million dollar bribes from the Saddam Hussein regime, and documents have surfaced that link U.N. Undersecretary General Benon Sevan and 270 prominent foreign officials to a scheme that allowed them to trade in Iraqi oil at cut-rate prices.
Instapundit summarizes the ABC News roundup, and links on where you can find even more. Roger L. Simon, a U.N. supporter who has covered UNSCAM diligently from Day 1, believes this is a crisis point for the organization - and links to a new blog that will focus on covering this issue. Austin Bay, a U.N. supporter who has seen its humanitarian works first hand in the field, has more (Hat Tip: Instapundit):
"So many of the self-righteous left still scream about "blood for oil" and maliciously accuse the United States of toppling Saddam in order to secure petroleum supplies. The truth is otherwise. Oil for Food lined the pockets of Saddam, his international political supporters, and corporate cronies, and that oil was paid for, hour by hour, with the blood of Iraqis slaughtered by his brutal regime."
Or, in other words, blood for oil - to prominent international "anti-war" forces, and to the U.N. itself in return for managing this corrupt mess. Disgusting.
You might be interested in a new blog related to this:
Friends of Saddam
The extent and scale of this corruption, leading to the very top of the organization directly impact's the UN's credibility as a moral or diplomatic force. It is incredible to me that they present themselves as partners in the development of electoral processes in IRAQ and elswhere, when they are composed in the main, of autocratic governments.
Everyone has dirty hands.
From the CPA memo:And: I know it's fun to be all "holier than thou" about this, but it appears that Iraq's corruption is endemic and pervasive enough that it taints all who come into contact with it.
Interesting article in "The Scotsman" today.
Some extracts:
"Claude Hankes-Drielsma, the British adviser leading the investigation, said ... ahead of testifying today at a United States congressional hearing...
"From the evidence I have so far, the report will produce some of the most disturbing information that you have ever seen.
"There is no question that where the evidence is beyond doubt, the US will take action to put people who defrauded the system to court, and for the courts to apply appropriate justice. That may be criminal courts as well as civil ones."
"It is not my intention at the hearing at this stage to name individuals, but if I am asked, I will confirm names. It is for the KPMG report to establish who did what."
"Every person within the UN knew what was going on, irrespective of whether they benefited."
He believes investigations will show that France and Russia, both staunch opponents of the Iraq war, were the greatest beneficiaries of the scheme."
The hearings look likely to be interesting.
And the KPMG report, when it comes out.
Perhaps the U.S. and U.K. should turn the administration of Iraq over to the French instead of the U.N.
It's a shame that this is occuring and how ineffective the U.N. has become. Kofi Annan should just step down and let someone have a fresh start to reform at the U.N. I'm guessing there are at least a couple more scandals waiting to be uncovered since there are so many programs at the U.N. and a few that operate as fiefdoms, which are unchecked and not closely supervised.
They should begin the search soon for a strong, bold, and capable leader to mold a new vision for the U.N. in today's world and the future.
And to think that none of this would have come to light without the liberation of Iraq.