Corruption in the U.N.?

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

Guess this provides a better idea of why the U.N. was opposed to taking actions against Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/06/ ... index.html

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Investigators probing the United Nations' oil-for-food program said Tuesday they are reviewing an e-mail that suggests a communication between Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the company that won a lucrative contract and employed his son.

[miir]

I believe that the UN would oppose the invasion an occupation of any sovereign nation without just cause or proof.

[Aabidano]

I'll reply for our left of center friends:
blah blah blah Republicans blah Bush blah blah bourgeois blah conspiracy. Blah blah proletariat blah blah blah evil blah Americans.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

I believe that the UN would oppose the invasion an occupation of any sovereign nation without just cause or proof.

Or perhaps Annan was quite content with getting kickbacks and perks for keeping military actions away from the Saddam regime?

[Nick]

I'll reply to our right of center friends.

Blah blah mindless ignorance blah blah party line blah lack of comprehension blah stupidity blah blah patriotism blah blah blah

[Pherr the Dorf]

Yes they opposed the war not because it broke the laws that are clearly stated but simply to hold onto one of the 1243363252382836455453453 kickbacks they get yearly...

[Aabidano]

I believe that if you follow the money you can usually find the motivation for most political actions. The UN isn't any different.

A large bureaucracy with little accountability and no direction is asking for problems.

[miir]

Or perhaps Annan was quite content with getting kickbacks and perks for keeping military actions away from the Saddam regime?

Regardless of kickbacks, the UN had plenty of reasons to oppose the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

----


USA : We think Saddam has WMDs and he's going to use them!!!
UN : In the past 10 years, our weapon inspectors have found no proof of bio/chem weapons nor any facilities to produce such weapons.
USA : But we have intelligence that says Saddam has them AND HE'S GOING TO USE THEM!!!!!!
UN : Ok, we will step up our inspections and put more pressure on Saddam.
USA : Fuck you, we're invading them anyway. We start bombing in 24 hours, make sure you get out of our way.

[Seebs]

Absolute power corrupts Absolutely - Vinny Barbarino

[Wulfran]

The thing is, Anan doesn't vote on the security council. He may have been able to put pressure on some nations sitting on the council who could vote but he does not cast a ballot himself. So while he may be "corrupt" that:

a) doesn't explain why the US's case for invasion was based on WMD that were never found (and later changed to whatever convenient excuse they could come up with for the press conference)
b) why there are repeated allegations, with supporting evidence as strong as any linking Anan to the oil-for-food, that Bush's advisors fixed the intelligence reports to say what he wanted them to say
c) why the US chose to ignore the UN weapons inspectors and not allow them more time to discover these MWD that were so common in Iraq

Also tell me you honestly believe that every federal politician you elect is 100% free from corruption. I know thats not the case in my country and we're not so different from you.

I'm not anti-American even though I live in Canada. I personally could have supported a properly justified action against Iraq, and I think many Canadians (aside from former PM Chretien whose son is tied up with French oil companies) could have. Where I see fault with the US, is that for the "good guys" you ignored international law and didn't give the accused "due process". IF you would have done that and still not found answers to your satisfaction, then I daresay my gov't would have supported you.

As far as the failure of the UN, I also see blame on the other side as well, when the French, who also have a permanent seat on the security council adamantly refused to entertain any type of military action, regardless of WMD or not. They refused to deny the US their "due process" in a way, as well. And perhaps if the French (and Russians) HAD been willing to discuss punitive measures, things might have been different. But they were not and thus are not free from blame: you don't openly antagonize someone with a weapon at someone's throat and not expect some bloodshed.

[Voronwë]

i certainly think that the Oil for Food scandal is bad, and it looks like it stinks from the top.

that being said, the governments of China, Russia, France, and Germany do not report to Kofi Annan. and as others have posted, the assertion that he wields that much power to get their votes lined up to save his money is pretty far fetched.

they all had their own financial reasons to preserve the status quo.

just as we had some financial incentive to shake it up. i'm not saying the war was simply about business, i understand the ideology regarding politically engineering the region (and am somewhat in agreeance (quick Jim Rome listeners...remind me who used that word)) with the central precept.

but let's get crazy for one second.

let's pretend we live in a world where it isn't "US" and "THEM". where there are people who can actually have different opinions about a situation even though they are drawing their conclusions from the same data.

let's pretend for a second that the current war in Iraq doesn't necessarily serve the interests of everybody as much as it does the United States. And as a result, maybe they weren't so thrilled with the propect of it.

[miir]

let's pretend we live in a world where it isn't "US" and "THEM".

A concept like that is so completely foreign to people like Midnyte that pretending such a world exists might make his head assplode.

[Arborealus]

I believe that if you follow the money you can usually find the motivation for most political actions. The UN isn't any different.

Halliburton....Exxon/Mobile....Cheney's Back Pocket...the RNC...yeah let's us do follow the money...

A large bureaucracy with little accountability and no direction is asking for problems.

Like the US Executive Branch and Congress...They're only truly accountable to their contributors...

[Aabidano]

Halliburton....Exxon/Mobile....Cheney's Back Pocket...the RNC...yeah let's us do follow the money...

Like the US Executive Branch and Congress...They're only truly accountable to their contributors...

No argument from me at all, they aren't the subject though.

[Winnow]

i certainly think that the Oil for Food scandal is bad, and it looks like it stinks from the top.

that being said, the governments of China, Russia, France, and Germany do not report to Kofi Annan. and as others have posted, the assertion that he wields that much power to get their votes lined up to save his money is pretty far fetched.

they all had their own financial reasons to preserve the status quo.

France had plenty of reasons to be assholes with all of their oil investments in Iraq that they lost. Germany was selling chemicals to Iraq. China and Russia just like to feel important by being difficult in world affairs.

[kyoukan]

France had plenty of reasons to be assholes with all of their oil investments in Iraq that they lost. Germany was selling chemicals to Iraq. China and Russia just like to feel important by being difficult in world affairs.

once again winnow, your poltical analysis are so staggeringly accurate that I am amazed you don't have your own radio show.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

If you can't refute that the U.N. that you all declared was the supreme pinnacle of conscience and goodness was not getting perks or kickbacks from Iraq, then stay out of my thread. If you want to bash Winnow, find a lefty thread to do it in.

[Winnow]

Cut kyoukan some slack Kilmoll. She's been taking a beating lately on this board.

[kyoukan]

If you can't refute that the U.N. that you all declared was the supreme pinnacle of conscience and goodness was not getting perks or kickbacks from Iraq, then stay out of my thread. If you want to bash Winnow, find a lefty thread to do it in.

or how about I post wherever I want to post, you stupid cumstain?

the UN is a bureaucracy. in any bureaucracy of a significant size you are going to have people using the bureaucracy to benefit themselves. what staggers me is that you can invade a country, kill thousand upon thousands of civilians, throw thousands more into abusive prison camps, steal it's natural resources, and then point your fingers at a few people in the UN and going "HOLY FUCK LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING!" do you think I don't see how retardedly fucking hypocritical and transparent that is? do you actually think that were as stupid as you and think you are putting forth a convincing argument?

holy christ, the most insulting thing you have ever done to me by far is putting out a worthless line of crap like this and expecting me to take it remotely seriously.

[Zaelath]

If you can't refute that the U.N. that you all declared was the supreme pinnacle of conscience and goodness was not getting perks or kickbacks from Iraq, then stay out of my thread. If you want to bash Winnow, find a lefty thread to do it in.

Pardon? The UN doesn't have to look hard for an excuse to avoid supporting the war in Iraq, it's clearly against their charter to militarily change a government.

If you want to complain that they're just as corrupt as everyone else, well ok, though the source seems to be every bit as reliable as that which handed you "proof" that Iraq had WMD.

[Arborealus]

If you can't refute that the U.N. that you all declared was the supreme pinnacle of conscience and goodness was not getting perks or kickbacks from Iraq, then stay out of my thread. If you want to bash Winnow, find a lefty thread to do it in.

Hehe the supreme pinnacle of goodness...damn I missed that thread...germain to your complaint...you cannot prove a negative logically...ever...so go ahead and take all your threads and go home or whatever...I think the point is you have failed to show how kickbacks/perks to even Annan himself influenced the SC's vote...It is not necessary to refute that kickbacks were taken in point of fact it clearly appears that there were some kickbacks...Your arguement assumes that Kofi Annan exercised undue influence on the Security Council and made them vote against the will of the states they represent...I think it's pretty clear they didn't vote against the will of their nations for the most part

edited: syntax

[kyoukan]

Cut kyoukan some slack Kilmoll. She's been taking a beating lately on this board.

in your dreams. well, maybe the dreams where you aren't sodomizing hillary duff circa the first cody banks movie with your tiny penis.

[miir]

the U.N. that you all declared was the supreme pinnacle of conscience and goodness

Yet another "I'm going to pretend that you said retarded shit so the retarded shit that I'm saying seems less retarded" comment from the mouth breeder brigade.

I'm starting to see a trend.