Oil For Food Scandal Update

It seems that the Oil For Food scandal that involved so many anti-Iraq War people is carrying more credibility than that left wanted it to. However, the story is still being buried somewhat by the MSM.

First the bias. The New York Times, as of lunch time today, had the story 3rd on their World Page. The LA Times had it 10th on its World page (behind older news of Netanyahu's resignation and the Soviet sub rescue). The Star Tribune had the story 14th on its World page...behind stories about Netanyahu, three stories about Peter Jenning's death this weekend, a skinny dipper, a trucker's complaint about a spanking, and you get the idea. They are trying to bury the scandal that provides further evidence that the United Nations is irrelevant and unnecessary.

Now the update. Source: (Here and here.)

Investigators probing claims of wrongdoing in the Iraq oil-for-food program on Monday accused its former chief, Benon Sevan, of corruption for taking illegal kickbacks and recommended his immunity be lifted for prosecution.

Then the media's efforts to minimize the issue:

Some critics have accused the United Nations of squandering millions - and even billions - of dollars in its mismanagement of the program. Yet Volcker's team found that Sevan appeared to have received kickbacks of just $147,184 from December 1998 to January 2002.

And Sevan's reaction?

"As I predicted, a high-profile investigative body invested with absolute power would feel compelled to target someone and that someone turned out to be me," Sevan wrote. "The charges are false, and you, who have known me for all these years, should know that they are false."

The report also had another "target".

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan waived the diplomatic immunity of Alexander Yakovlev, a former procurement official accused by the investigators of taking nearly $1 million in bribes outside the program.

Annan was acting on a request from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Yakovlev apparently had been taken into custody, said Mark Malloch Brown, Annan's chief of staff. U.S. officials had no immediate comment.

Now the UN has done its share of protecting the accused.

Benon Sevan, the former executive director of the program, is to be accused of getting cash for steering Iraqi oil contracts to an Egyptian trader and of refusing to cooperate with the Volcker panel, his attorney Eric Lewis said. Sevan has denied the allegations.

On Sunday, Lewis distributed a letter from Sevan, 67, to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan resigning from his current job, which he was given after he retired.

The $1-a-year post carries immunity and was meant to ensure he would cooperate with the probe. But Sevan may have preempted a dismissal from this arrangement as the United Nations in the past has taken action against staff fingered in the Volcker report.

There is also evidence that Kofi Annan knew more of his son's involvement than Kofi orginally let on.

The report touched briefly on U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his son, Kojo. It said new e-mails suggesting Annan knew more than he said about his son's involvement in the program raised questions that would be answered in the committee's final report, expected in September.

I have been saying it for quite some time...the UN provides little service compared to its cost. It needs to be brought to a quick end.