An investigation into the UN’s “oil for food” program has revealed that Saddam Hussein personally pocketed $10.1 billion dollars in UN aid right under the noses of the UN. William Safire has a scathing editorial on the UN’s complicity in this affair:
Kofi Annan’s right-hand man, Benon Sevan, had been named by the secretary general to head the oil-for-food program and report directly to him. Though he could not deny a favored French banking connection, Sevan branded as “inaccuracies” charges by Ms. Rosett and me of secrecy, citing a hundred audits in five years. But he refused to make public what companies in what countries got Saddam’s largess.
Now, thanks to evidence of systematic thievery on a huge scale, discovered by free Iraqis in Baghdad, the whole rotten mess of 10 percent kickbacks on billions in contracts is coming to light. In detailed accounts, Susan Sachs in The Times, Therese Raphael in The Wall Street Journal, and Charles Laurence and Inigo Gilmore of London’s Daily Telegraph have flipped over the flat rock of corruption.
The “oil for food” program was nothing more than slush fund for UN bureaucrats who recieved massive kickbacks, oil revenues, and illegal bribes from the Hussein regime. The $10.1 billion currently uncovered could easily be only the tip of the iceberg – and the UN wants its own internal auditors to investigate all this – clearly in order to whitewash the entire issue.
The UN clearly was complicit in fueling Saddam Hussein’s oppression of his people, giving money for palaces rather than food and medicine – while handsomely profiting in return. The actions of the UN in this case is inexcusable and the UN should not be trusted with the opportunity to profit from the Iraqi people ever again.
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As with any weath distribution program, a lack of oversight on the UN’s behalf has lead to corruption. How could the UN not have know what Saddam was using the money for. In terms of today’s political reteric, they should have included a sunset clause to the aid, in so that the program would have mandated reviews of how the funds are being used. If Saddam did not comply he would be fined. If he did no pay the fine the program would be scrapped. It might have worked.
the UN should not be trusted with the opportunity to profit from the Iraqi people ever again.
Certainly not while American companies have the opportunity to do so.
The difference being that American companies are profiting from the reconstruction of Iraq, while the UN was taking money from the same people who were raping, murdering, stealing, and impoverishing Iraq.