A Vital Role for the UN
From Yahoo News (USA Today):Today, evidence suggests U.N. officials abused the program, enriching themselves, Saddam and favored foreign companies. The Iraqi Governing Council has hired accountants and lawyers to investigate Iraqi documents it says provide proof of corruption and fraud in the oil-for-food program.
Iraq's media have cited at least 270 suspects, including French and Russian firms, a senior U.N. official and a company linked to the son of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Last month, a U.S. congressional investigation estimated that Saddam siphoned $10 billion or more from the program in kickbacks and bribes.
The charges could be shrugged off as the unfortunate but all-too-typical type of corruption that defines both dictators and international aid programs, except for one thing: The scandal tars an organization that could play a crucial supporting role in U.S. efforts to turn Iraq into a stable democracy
Matt's Chat
The more we discover, the less likely I am to support a UN role in Iraq. I think the UN should clean house...starting with the Secretary General. That would go a long way towards restoring faith in an organization that has clearly failed the people of Iraq.Mark's Remarks
You know, at one time, I can remember sitting around joking and making fun of the people suspicious of the UN and its motives. The more I hear and research, however, the more I see those people were on to something. The UN is nothing more but another Blame America First lobby, which puts regimes like Syria and Cuba in charge of human rights, even though every sane organization lists them as some of the biggest violators. This Oil For Food fiasco drives it home. The UN became insignificant and anathema to its own stated mission. It became a power broker for money, not for peace. It should be reformed, and of course, Kofi and son have got to go.
