Corruption in the UN... *gasp*

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » June 14, 2004, 10:56 am

More to come in the news but a few points:

1. Top level officials making millions on the oil for food program.
2. Reprisals against employees or the employees families if an employee attempted to report any wrongdoings in the UN.

Will be interesting to see what else comes out of this.

Arilain · Post by **Arilain** » June 14, 2004, 12:09 pm

Doesn't surprise me one bit. The UN is more corrupt than our own bloated bueracrasy. I lost respect for the UN when I found out that nations that are involved in serious human rights violations were in control of the UN human rights commision.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » June 14, 2004, 12:38 pm

You mean the UN and France didn't support the war because they were making millions, not necessarily because they felt it was wrong? Gosh no. This couldn't be.

Drolgin Steingrinder · Post by **Drolgin Steingrinder** » June 14, 2004, 12:53 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:You mean the UN and France didn't support the war because they were making millions, not necessarily because they felt it was wrong? Gosh no. This couldn't be.

Yeah like...the US invaded Iraq for purely altruistic purposes? You're just as bad as the 'evil leftie commie bastards' you dream up in your paranoid fantasies: can't resist taking a dig at your 'enemy'.

Seriously, why do I even bother...

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » June 14, 2004, 12:56 pm

Drolgin Steingrinder wrote:
Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:You mean the UN and France didn't support the war because they were making millions, not necessarily because they felt it was wrong? Gosh no. This couldn't be.
Yeah like...the US invaded Iraq for purely altruistic purposes? You're just as bad as the 'evil leftie commie bastards' you dream up in your paranoid fantasies: can't resist taking a dig at your 'enemy'.

Seriously, why do I even bother...

Like you do?

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » June 14, 2004, 1:25 pm

Not really a surprise. UN has been deadlocked since the cold war and seriously needs to be reconfigured. However, that would mean the US MUST be part of it as well, and not go their own way. Personally, I believe that is the only chance we have for a half decent future..

That said, don't be ridiculous Midnyte. It's not like there isn't money pouring into certain powerful Americans due to the war

Also, would probably be a good idea to stop wiretapping UN ministers.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » June 14, 2004, 1:34 pm

Kelshara wrote:Not really a surprise. UN has been deadlocked since the cold war and seriously needs to be reconfigured. However, that would mean the US MUST be part of it as well, and not go their own way. Personally, I believe that is the only chance we have for a half decent future..

That said, don't be ridiculous Midnyte. It's not like there isn't money pouring into certain powerful Americans due to the war Also, would probably be a good idea to stop wiretapping UN ministers.

Sure, but to have the world think the so-called, ROGUE U.S. NATION, defy the UN and go it alone, blah blah.....and make the world think it was because they felt it was wrong and how they should let the UN Inspectors have more and more time....when all they really wanted was to stall so they make more money, is wrong. I'm glad it will be exposed, but unfortunately the damage has been done already. Bush has been black balled over the years over lies, deceit and greed. It just sucks, but that is life. All powerful people do things for public reasons and the real reasons.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » June 14, 2004, 1:42 pm

Nice to see that the rest of the world is just as greedy, corrupt and evil as north america is! I feel better about my lumbering, soulless, self-stimulating, self-appointed representatives already.

The UN is just the devil we know. At least they're a bloated enough body that we can keep an eye on some of these pricks.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » June 14, 2004, 2:02 pm

The US lied. The Brits lied. The French lied. The Russians lied. There is NOTHING new there, and the reason we are all going to Hell.

Post by **Sylvus** » June 14, 2004, 2:09 pm

Did Norway lie, too?

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » June 14, 2004, 2:45 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:You mean the UN and France didn't support the war because they were making millions, not necessarily because they felt it was wrong? Gosh no. This couldn't be.

Everyone knows France had a cash cow in Sadam's Iraq, but that doesn't mean because they voted against it, Bush was right. Jackass.

As to the UN, I'm still waiting for your compelling proof that would enable the UN to support military action to be presented. Don't forget, their charter forbids them from removing a government by military means. By the way, that's any form of government, not just the one you're used to.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 14, 2004, 3:07 pm

There's your answer for why the spineless UN wouldn't back the U.S.!

Everyone is corrupt. I hate generalizations but it's true in this case. The human greed factor overrides all.

As a race, we are fucked. I give us 20 years.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » June 14, 2004, 3:42 pm

Sylvus wrote:Did Norway lie, too?

That is an interesting question actually since the current minister of defense is currently being questioned about bias/lies when it comes to military fighter jets. We are currently in the process of replacing our F16s, and the minister heavily favours American planes over the Eurofighter, for which reasons is unknown for most. So yes she is currently defending herself against accusations of lies.

As for the case with Iraq/Afghanistan.. we supported 100% Afghanistan, and were divided on Iraq. But most people did not support Iraq and did not lie about it!

Then again we have a priest as prime minister.. ugh... don't get me started on that whole mess..

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » June 14, 2004, 6:46 pm

Kelshara wrote:
Sylvus wrote:Did Norway lie, too?
That is an interesting question actually since the current minister of defense is currently being questioned about bias/lies when it comes to military fighter jets. We are currently in the process of replacing our F16s, and the minister heavily favours American planes over the Eurofighter, for which reasons is unknown for most. So yes she is currently defending herself against accusations of lies.

As for the case with Iraq/Afghanistan.. we supported 100% Afghanistan, and were divided on Iraq. But most people did not support Iraq and did not lie about it!

Then again we have a priest as prime minister.. ugh... don't get me started on that whole mess..

Maybe they were to busy covering up this?

UN inspectors: Saddam shipped out WMD before war and after

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, June 11, 2004
The United Nations has determined that Saddam Hussein shipped weapons of mass destruction components as well as medium-range ballistic missiles before, during and after the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program.

The briefing contained satellite photographs that demonstrated the speed with which Saddam dismantled his missile and WMD sites before and during the war. Council members were shown photographs of a ballistic missile site outside Baghdad in May 2003, and then saw a satellite image of the same location in February 2004, in which facilities had disappeared.

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UNMOVIC acting executive chairman Demetrius Perricos told the council on June 9 that "the only controls at the borders are for the weight of the scrap metal, and to check whether there are any explosive or radioactive materials within the scrap," Middle East Newsline reported.
"It's being exported," Perricos said after the briefing. "It's being traded out. And there is a large variety of scrap metal from very new to very old, and slowly, it seems the country is depleted of metal."

"The removal of these materials from Iraq raises concerns with regard to proliferation risks," Perricos told the council. Perricos also reported that inspectors found Iraqi WMD and missile components shipped abroad that still contained UN inspection tags.

He said the Iraqi facilities were dismantled and sent both to Europe and around the Middle East. at the rate of about 1,000 tons of metal a month. Destionations included Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2003 : Report: U.S suspects Iraqi WMD in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley

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The Baghdad missile site contained a range of WMD and dual-use components, UN officials said. They included missile components, reactor vessel and fermenters – the latter required for the production of chemical and biological warheads.
"It raises the question of what happened to the dual-use equipment, where is it now and what is it being used for," Ewen Buchanan, Perricos's spokesman, said. "You can make all kinds of pharmaceutical and medicinal products with a fermenter. You can also use it to breed anthrax."

The UNMOVIC report said Iraqi missiles were dismantled and exported to such countries as Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey. In the Dutch city of Rotterdam, an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, one of at least 12, was discovered in a junk yard, replete with UN tags. In Jordan, UN inspectors found 20 SA-2 engines as well as components for solid-fuel for missiles.

"The problem for us is that we don't know what may have passed through these yards and other yards elsewhere," Buchanan said. "We can't really assess the significance and don't know the full extent of activity that could be going on there or with others of Iraq's neighbors."

UN inspectors have assessed that the SA-2 and the short-range Al Samoud surface-to-surface missile were shipped abroad by agents of the Saddam regime. Buchanan said UNMOVIC plans to inspect other sites, including in Turkey.

In April, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Mohammed El Baradei said material from Iraqi nuclear facilities were being smuggled out of the country.

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Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 14, 2004, 7:37 pm

Here's what the only part the naysayers didn't mentally block out of your post Cart:

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With the UN running everyone in circles trying to make more money off oil for food scams in Iraq, Saddam had plenty of time rid his country of WMD.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » June 15, 2004, 4:04 am

Why isn't this story plastered on front pages everywhere?

nobody · Post by **nobody** » June 15, 2004, 4:31 am

Winnow wrote: Everyone is corrupt. I hate generalizations but it's true in this case. The human greed factor overrides all.

As a race, we are fucked. I give us 20 years.

i would have to second that emotion

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » June 15, 2004, 7:31 am

Forthe wrote:Why isn't this story plastered on front pages everywhere?

Because it's a story that makes Bush look better.

Drolgin Steingrinder · Post by **Drolgin Steingrinder** » June 15, 2004, 8:11 am

I'm still waiting for sources.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » June 15, 2004, 8:53 am

There will not be sources, this goes against what the media overall is pushing. They do not want the truth, they want what sells ad time, newspaper ads and pushes any opponents down in ratings or subscriptions.

France and Germany both had sweetheat food for oil deals, of course they did not want us messing with them, if ytou were unaware of that prior to this post then you are woefully unaware of what is going on in the world. For your godsakes go out, RESEARCH something instead of listening to Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh for your assignment of the day.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » June 15, 2004, 9:00 am

Kylere wrote:There will not be sources, this goes against what the media overall is pushing. They do not want the truth, they want what sells ad time, newspaper ads and pushes any opponents down in ratings or subscriptions.

France and Germany both had sweetheat food for oil deals, of course they did not want us messing with them, if ytou were unaware of that prior to this post then you are woefully unaware of what is going on in the world. For your godsakes go out, RESEARCH something instead of listening to Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh for your assignment of the day.

Do you really believe this? There are reputable right leaning news media organizations out there. Why would they not run this story?

I'll agree that US media is out to lunch but I'm not reading this story anywhere.

Denadeb · Post by **Denadeb** » June 15, 2004, 9:08 am

If I remember right they did have a few stories about this some time ago but I may be wrong.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » June 15, 2004, 9:12 am

I'm sold! You should be in commercial marketing. Buy Coca-Cola! It may or may not be a refreshing drink.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » June 15, 2004, 9:14 am

Dregor Thule wrote:I'm sold! You should be in commercial marketing. Buy Coca-Cola! It may or may not be a refreshing drink.

Great!!! One Dumb ass sees the light, No on to the next pussy.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » June 15, 2004, 9:23 am

Denadeb wrote:If I remember right they did have a few stories about this some time ago but I may be wrong.

Well there were stories about the program being abused and circumvented. The major abuse was on the border to Jordan. The security council, including the US, was fully aware of this. It has been suggested that Jordan was thrown this bone because they are heavily reliant on cheap oil from Iraq. I watched a CBC report where they actually filmed a convoy of oil trucks heading to Jordan. Saddam made a lot of money from this oil smuggling.

What I haven't seen reported are the allegations by Aruman (UN officials profiting) and Cart (Iraq smuggled out WMD).

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » June 15, 2004, 9:30 am

Those CBC assholes are some serious left-wing jew media whores!

Sorry, just wanted to see if that read as ridiculous as I thought it would.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » June 15, 2004, 10:22 am

Covering the poor management both by the UN and Saddam of Oil for Food
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... wstop.html

Much of the story about abuses in the system by French companies is covered at
http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/05/ ... 4337.shtml

Hey wait a second, TO HELL WITH ALL OF YOU, GO LOOK IT UP YOURSELF! I hate going over 50 sites to cut out the liberal and conservative nutcases and find decent sites. Germany and France both had sweetheart deals, and the Oil for Food program was pumping BILLIONS inot the UN Coffers, this is a fact, and if you do not think that influenced their decisions then you are as clueless as those that do not think oil influenced the US decision.

Drolgin Steingrinder · Post by **Drolgin Steingrinder** » June 15, 2004, 12:09 pm

I wasn't asking you to go out and dig up factoids for me, but in light of the original post

More to come in the news but a few points:

1. Top level officials making millions on the oil for food program.
2. Reprisals against employees or the employees families if an employee attempted to report any wrongdoings in the UN.

I was expecting some factual basis for the allegations, particularly the second ones. And you need to go put on your tin foil hat if you seriously think that no news sources would report a major corruption scandal. A target is a target, regardless of political affiliation. I'm not denying that some media sources might try and put a spin on it, but 'liberal media' paranoia stretching to the point of not reporting a story as big as that? Seems pretty far fetched to me.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » June 17, 2004, 9:47 am

Finally ....

Former CSIS chief probes oil-for-food program
Last Updated Wed, 16 Jun 2004 18:07:26
TORONTO - The former head of Canada's spy agency will conduct an investigation into allegations of corruption and fraud surrounding the United Nations' oil-for-food program in Iraq.

Reid Morden

Reid Morden, 63, who headed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service from 1987 to 1991, will oversee day-to-day operations of the Independent Inquiry Committee.

Morden, a former Canadian diplomat and senior Ottawa bureaucrat with corporate experience in forensic accounting, was chosen by the committee's three-member panel. The panel is led by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker.

"I think it's potentially important for the UN to either learn some lessons or to have the names of a number of people cleared – one of the two," Morden told the Globe and Mail.

The UN Security Council ordered the probe following allegations that Saddam Hussein, senior UN staff members and private companies conspired to skim billions of dollars from the program.

The $67 billion humanitarian aid project was shut down last year when the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq.

The oil-for-food program was supposed to be a humanitarian effort. Profits from Iraqi oil sales were to be used exclusively to buy food and medicine for the people of Iraq.

A report from an arm of the U.S. Congress has estimated that up to $10 billion US was skimmed off, with Saddam grabbing most of it.

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/06/16/ca ... aqun040616

Wulfran · Post by **Wulfran** » June 17, 2004, 12:31 pm

Heh with CSIS's track record that inspires a lot of confidence from me. Wonder what the political considerations were in this? That they could leave all the documentation in the backseats of taxis and they'd disappear?

VeeshanVault

Corruption in the UN... gasp

Corruption in the UN... gasp