I’ve been a big fan of Norm Coleman ever since I volunteered for his 2002 campaign. He’s been on the vanguard of confronting the UN over the Oil-For-Food scandal and now he’s indicated that he has no intention of backing off from demanding full accountability including his call for Kofi Annan to resign:
For six months, I have insisted that Annan be held accountable for the U.N.’s gross mismanagement of the Oil-for-Food Program. Last week, the U.N.’s own investigators issued a report criticizing Annan’s own conduct — including his failure to resolve a serious conflict of interest concerning his son — and the conduct of his chief of staff.
The Volcker report did not “exonerate” Annan, as many have claimed; to the contrary, it pointed the finger directly at him. Indeed, one member of Volcker’s committee, Mark Pieth, made that point loud and clear: “We did not exonerate Kofi Annan.”
Senator Coleman is taking a lot of heat for his stance on the UN, both from the pro-UN sycophants on the left and the Bush Administration on the right. It’s not a popular stance in many areas, but Senator Coleman understand that the only way that the UN can ever prevent more horrendous scandals like the Oil for Food scandal is by reforming itself and ensuring that those responsible for this scandal are punished. Sen. Coleman is one of the few who are willing to hold Annan’s feet to the fire and demand accountability, and for that his constituents should be proud.
