pot: kettle black!
by John at 1/15/2005 09:58:00 PM
I'm sure those who are currently pillorying the UN for mismanagement of the oil-for-food program will be quick to condemn the following:
1) The US knew about illegal trading just before the war began in 2003, yet did nothing to prevent it:
"In February 2003, when US media first published reports of this smuggling effort, then attributed exclusively to the Iraqis, the US mission to the UN condemned it as "immoral".
However, FT/Il Sole have evidence that US and UK missions to the UN were informed of the smuggling while it was happening and that they reported it to their respective governments, to no avail.
Oil traders were told informally that the US let the tankers go because Amman needed oil to build up its strategic reserves in expectation of the Iraq war.
Last week Paul Volcker, head of the independent commission created by the UN to investigate failures in the oil-for-food programme, confirmed that Washington allowed violations of the oil sanctions by Jordan in recognition of its national interests."
2) A watchdog group has reported to the UN that the US is mishandling oil revenues in post-war Iraq:
"U.N. Controller Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, who heads the International Advisory and Monitoring Board set up to oversee U.S. management of Iraqi oil, briefed the Security Council on the issue in a closed-door meeting.
He discussed problems tracking how much oil was produced and how the proceeds were spent, and how noncompetitive contracts were awarded to Halliburton Co., formerly led by Vice President Dick Cheney, the envoys said. Several said he repeatedly used the term "weaknesses" to characterize problems with the U.S. management.[...]
The board led by Halbwachs was created by the Security Council to watch over the stewardship of Iraq's natural resources during the U.S. civil administration of Iraq, which began in April 2003 and ended last June."
1) The US knew about illegal trading just before the war began in 2003, yet did nothing to prevent it:
"In February 2003, when US media first published reports of this smuggling effort, then attributed exclusively to the Iraqis, the US mission to the UN condemned it as "immoral".
However, FT/Il Sole have evidence that US and UK missions to the UN were informed of the smuggling while it was happening and that they reported it to their respective governments, to no avail.
Oil traders were told informally that the US let the tankers go because Amman needed oil to build up its strategic reserves in expectation of the Iraq war.
Last week Paul Volcker, head of the independent commission created by the UN to investigate failures in the oil-for-food programme, confirmed that Washington allowed violations of the oil sanctions by Jordan in recognition of its national interests."
2) A watchdog group has reported to the UN that the US is mishandling oil revenues in post-war Iraq:
"U.N. Controller Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, who heads the International Advisory and Monitoring Board set up to oversee U.S. management of Iraqi oil, briefed the Security Council on the issue in a closed-door meeting.
He discussed problems tracking how much oil was produced and how the proceeds were spent, and how noncompetitive contracts were awarded to Halliburton Co., formerly led by Vice President Dick Cheney, the envoys said. Several said he repeatedly used the term "weaknesses" to characterize problems with the U.S. management.[...]
The board led by Halbwachs was created by the Security Council to watch over the stewardship of Iraq's natural resources during the U.S. civil administration of Iraq, which began in April 2003 and ended last June."
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