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| Iraq |
| UN: Russia, France, China led Saddam's kickbacks list |
| 2005-10-28 |
| New York (dpa) - Russian, French and Chinese companies that did business with the U.N. oil-for-food programme paid the bulk of some 1.8 billion dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, who also received billions more from oil smugglers, independent investigators said in their final report Thursday. Governments approved private-sector contracts with the United Nations and Baghdad during the 1996-2003 programme with the former Iraqi regime - an involvement that has led to charges of corruption at the highest levels. When the oil-for-food began, companies from all countries signed on. But by 2000, the report said, Saddam's regime gave preference to companies in Russia, France and China because those three countries favoured lifting U.N. economic sanctions imposed on Iraq in 1990 after it invaded Kuwait. Paul Volcker, the former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman who led the two-year inquiry, concluded the probe by saying reform of the United Nations was urgent. Already, the fallout has included the jailing in France two weeks ago of former U.N. ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee, 68, accused of taking bribes from Saddam. Other governments have been less conspicuous in tracking down corrupted officials. All revenues from the seven-year programme were deposited in escrow at France's Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP), for use in a humanitarian programme that distributed daily food rations to up to 60 per cent of ordinary Iraqis, who were suffering under U.N. sanctions. Volcker's final report found that a total of 4,500 companies from 66 countries signed contracts under the former programme to buy Iraqi oil and sell everything from food and medicine to machines and farm products to Iraq. Companies and individuals were involved in illicit kickbacks, including 40 countries that paid the illicit surcharges on oil purchases imposed by the Saddam Hussein government beginning in 2000. The surcharge was 50 U.S. cents on top of the price for each barrel of oil. It said the former dictator received at 1.8 billion dollars in kickbacks, an amount dwarfed by payments from oil smuggling by neighbouring countries, which was estimated at about 11 billion dollars. The oil smuggling was carried out outside the oil-for-food. U.N. headquarters received warnings it was going on, but nothing was done, the report said. Saddam's regime had authority to choose customers and the amount to be sold to each customer, the report said. The programme ended after U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003. Volcker said the U.N. was responsible for mismanagement in the oil-for-food scheme and had been "weakened" by the scandal. "That is why reform is so urgent," Volcker said in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Financial transactions from 1996 to 2003 for the oil-for-food stood at more than 100 billion dollars, including 64.2 billion dollars deriving from purchases of Iraqi oil which were deposited into BNP, directly or through one of the bank's affiliates. The rest of about 39 billion dollars were for the purchases of food supplies for the Iraqis. |
| Posted by:DanNY |
| #7 How long before the Islamofascists atack the soul of their operations (UN)? O.K. How long before someone attcks the UN in the NAME of Zarkawi? Karl? Where are you when we need you? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-10-28 22:50 |
| #6 Time for the League of Democracies, led by the Anglosphere. That's about the size of it. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2005-10-28 21:52 |
| #5 Time for the League of Democracies, led by the Anglosphere. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-10-28 10:13 |
| #4 Condemn that old, delapidated UN building. The East Side of Manhatten could use a new nature park. Birds and squirrels will accomplish a great deal more anyway, and they would be considerably more exciting to watch. Move the entire worthless tit of an operation to Harare. Just think of money that could be saved on lodging and meals alone. What is it, 4 hours flight time from Kumasi to Harare via Aroflot or Air France? No direct flights you say? Well there it is, another commercial marketing opportunity. Grace Mugabe is said to fed up with Air Zim anyway. The Chinese can run the food concessions. Koffi can work from home! Whats not to like? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2005-10-28 09:53 |
| #3 I don't want to sound like a nihilist, but more than reform is needed, a total overhaul is what is needed. When one country like russia or china has the authority to veto a resolution, nothing will get done. China says it will veto a security council resolution against N.Kor, and Russia says it will veto a s.c. resolution against Iran. Same for Zimbabwe, same for anything else that needs to be done. What good are these ass clowns to us? Name one benefit we get from being in the U.N., go ahead, I challenge any of you. |
| Posted by: Hupunter Speremble8661 2005-10-28 09:30 |
| #2 "That is why US withdrawal from this cesspit is so urgent," |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2005-10-28 08:35 |
| #1 "That is why reform is so urgent" Reform starts at the top - Sack Koffi! Vaclav Havel for UNSG. |
| Posted by: doc 2005-10-28 07:35 |