I usually avoid non-Korea related posts, but I just saw this piece on U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan’s interview with ITV and figured some might get a kick out of the following:
Annan also dismissed any suggestion that France, Russia and China had been prepared to ease sanctions on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in return for oil contracts.
Iraq tried to manipulate foreign governments by awarding contracts ?? and bribes ?? to foreign companies and political figures in countries that showed support for ending sanctions, in particular Russia, France and China, the final report by the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group said earlier this month.
But Annan said it was “inconceivable” Saddam’s activities could have influenced policy in the countries concerned.
“I don’t think the Russian or the French or the Chinese government would allow itself to be bought…” Annan said.
“I think it’s inconceivable. These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics.”
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I don’t think anyone in Korea has seen it yet. It just came out Yesterday in America, will be a while before it hits the other side of the pond.
2 words: Darfur Sudan
oh wait, 4 more words
Oil-for-Food bribery
Oil for Food - the UN scandal that no left-wing media outlet will pursue.
I for one am waiting for the big one to drop. I suspect that Saddam did in fact provide funds to al Qaeda as part of his tripple prong strategy for ending sanctions and inspections: Bribe France, Russia, and China to push for ending UN sanctions and inspections, win friends in neighboring Arab countries by giving them cushy contracts and giving money to anti-Israel terror groups, and covertly fund terrorist groups attacking the US with political demands including ending sanctions and attacking US military facilities and personel used for enforcing the embargo and no-fly zones in an attempt to force to US to let go of containment in pain. The funds would come from either oil smuggling operations or through the oil for food program.
Now it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if one of the bribed countries, particularly France since a French bank was used for Oil-for-Food transactions, discovered that someone of the middlemen had ties to terror groups like al Qaeda and did not tell the US or other countries either to protect their contracts with Iraq under Saddam or to cover up the corruption which their officials and companies were involved in.
It would also be “inconceivable” in Kofi’s warped world that his son is implacated in the oil for food scam.
It would be “inconceivable” to not give subpoena power to the UN investigating body formed by Kofi.
It would be “inconceivable” for Kofi to send letters to companies telling them not to cooperate with the investigation.
But alas - it all happened - in Kofi’s “inconceivable” world.
By the way what is the Korean reaction to Dear Leader’s role as the villain in Team America: World Police? They got pretty huffy about the last Bond movie, if I remember correctly. And isn’t Kim Jong Il supposed to be big movie buff? Will he add Team America to his library?
I don’t know if Annan is that naive or just plain corrupt. The fact that his son is involved with the oil for food mess and that “investigation” isn’t on the up and up makes me believe he is as corrupt as the best of them.
Come on!!! France and Russia both were benefiting from the oil for food program and had locked up huge future oil contracts with Iraq once sanctions were lifted. Look what is happening in Darfur. 50,000 killed and millions displaced and some key members such as Russia and China don’t want to do anything about it. Why? Because they have huge oil interests. This guy is unbelievable. I had little respect for Annan, and the UN for that matter, and it is getting less and less.
I didn’t realize Kofi was such a comedian. Is he going on Letterman next? I mean, this is classic:
?橫I don??t think the Russian or the French or the Chinese government would allow itself to be bought?????
You can’t make this stuff up:
Annan is now using Oil-for Food proceeds to fund the UN’s half-hearted investigation of itself over Oil-for Food bribery.
Doesn’t that money belong to the Iraqi people? For things like reconstruction or, say, food?
What? No Princess Bride references? I’m shocked!
Inconceivable!
I wonder if Kofi Annan will get as much flack for the banana republic comment as the Taiwanese Foreign Minister Chen Tan-sun’s lovely booger comment http://blog.marmot.cc/archives.....s-n-korea/
If he could have worked something in about fondling Iraq’s balls somewhere, it would have been cool. I forget does Iraq still have ‘em?
The United Nations’ one remaining principle had been non-interference in the internal affairs of governments, no matter how illegitimate, brutal, or contemptuous of the U.N. itself.
Kofi has evidently carved out an exception for the “hyperpower”–the only nation with the means and will to enforce the U.N.’s own words, which it can’t and won’t enforce itself. The majority of the American people are now so overwhelmingly hostile toward the U.N., it’s hard to see where they’ll ever get the troops for peacekeeping, or possibly even the funds for graft, er, administration costs.
Someone explain to me: what exactly does the U.N. stand for? They really ought to just stick to vaccinations and condoms.
And I’m sure that Kojo Annan’s possible involvement in Oil-For-Food has nothing to do with Kofi’s denial.
This is messed up, but pretty typical:
http://rabble.ca/columnists_full.shtml?x=34560
american prosecutors are preparing charges against kojo. i can’t find the link that i read that on though.
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