Britain, France, Germany Back Annan; Bush Waivers

[maddezmom]

~snip~

"Mr. Annan is doing an excellent job as secretary-general," said Foreign Minister Jack Straw of Britain, a major U.S. ally on Iraq (news - web sites), said in a statement released in New York as other major powers and U.N. members showed support for Annan.


~snip~


The plan, administered by the U.N. secretariat and supervised by the 15-member Security Council which includes the United States, allowed Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s Iraq to sell oil to buy civilian goods in an effort to ease the impact of U.N. sanctions, imposed in mid-1990.


~snip~

U.S. officials told Reuters the administration was in no hurry to defend Annan because of differences on Iraq, especially his reluctance to field more election staff.



Charles Duelfer, a former U.N. arms inspector, who did a detailed survey on Iraq in September, said Saddam earned $3 billion by cheating the $64 billion oil-for-food program and another $7.5 billion outside of the program. Coleman's committee, using Duelfer's data, has doubled this amount.


On Thursday, President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany voiced strong support for Annan after their meeting in Luebeck, Germany.


more:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041202/ts_nm/iraq_un_annan_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

[neuvocat]

1. I wonder if it will sink in.

I mean, its not like Bush doesn't have more to lose by straining relations with the U.N. He does and he's gonna have to figure it out that there are people out there who are tougher than him.

[maddezmom]

2. who was on the security council at this time for the US???

Negroponte :shrug: Wonder how many files he's shredded while in Iraq?

[Just Me]

3. Seriously, this man deserves to have the international community,...

,...to come to his defense. The right-wing attack machine in this country is freakin' merciless and its members deserve to have targets of character assassination on their own backs!!!

On edit: THERE'S PLENTY OF SKELETONS IN THE RIGHT-WING RADICALS' CLOSET!!! STOP BEING NICE TO THESE DAMNED BULLIES!!!

[maddezmom]

15. China and Russia are on board for Annan...looks like* is on his own again

China's U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya told reporters that Annan enjoyed strong support among U.N. members. "He has done a good job."





Russia's deputy foreign minister, Yuri Fedotov, told the Interfax news agency that the "surge of criticism" of Annan "is groundless in our opinion."

The current president of the Security Council, Algeria's ambassador, Abdallah Baali, told a news conference that there was no discussion among U.N. members about whether Annan should resign. "As far as we are concerned, Algeria and the other members of the United Nations, the secretary-general has been elected for five years," Baali said.

Baali attended a meeting with Annan on Wednesday, along with the ambassadors of Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, South Korea (news - web sites), Spain and Turkey, all of whom voice support for Annan, participants said.

[St. Etienne]

4. Ermm

I do not think Annan is personally a bad person, but he should let any investigations into the Oil for Food program go on. Any sign of him being a hindrance to such investigation simply acts as fodder for right wing talking heads. Plus I think his son is a shady character.

If the US gov is truly serious in its suspicions of Kofi in any corruption involvement, then this is a serious blow into US-Britain relations. This is no surprise from France and Germany.

[Just Me]

6. He is NOT blocking investigations and that's why RW radicals are,...

,...attacking him. They are a source of the corruption (perhaps even the core of it). Annan is merely a patsy.

These evil radicals operate in a very consistent fashion: attack before being exposed.

[maddezmom]

7. Annan isn't stopping any investigations

IIRC the Congress had 5 seperate ones going one and the UN is doing thier own. Also, Chalabi was trying to investigate the OIL for Food program in Iraq at one point...then he was labeled a spy for Iran by the CIA. Perhaps is the case, but the US military and others ransacked his office and took loads of files.

[Just Me]

12. Oh, my,...I missed those particular nuances.

Do tell.

[maddezmom]

14. I'll try to dig up some links, but now I can't search the archives

I posted frequently on it at the time, so I'm sure I'll be able to find them. :)

[ashiebr]

26. I think you'll find the US...........

.......is trying to blame everybody but US companies.

However, when one thinks of oil, one normally thinks there might be a bit of US interest in there somewhere. But I haven't noticed any of that on Fox...but then I haven't noticed many facts either!

[maddezmom]

27. here's a couple

The FBI, for its part, is probing whether Lawrence A. Franklin, a Pentagon official, passed to Israel, by way of a pro-Israel lobbying group, classified intelligence about Iran. That examination follows another FBI probe that began in the spring into Iraqi figure Ahmed Chalabi, a former Pentagon ally who may have compromised U.S. intelligence by leaking sensitive information to Iran.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35234-2004Nov8.html

The rise and fall of Ahmed Chalabi

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1279506,00.html

The Langley Lobotomy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20889-2004Nov29.html

[fertilizeonarbusto]

8. Even if there is corruption in said program

it pales in comparison to lying your way into war. This is just the usual RW hypocrisy and pointing out of motes while beams are in their eyes. They just figured that while Annan is Sec. Gen. the UN will never go into Iraq on the only terms the RW recognizes: their own. I hope they get their heads handed to them on this one.

[Straight Shooter]

17. Yeah, the right wing screams bloody murder at everyone else's "crime"

In the hopes that no one will hear the screams of their own victims.

I wonder if that moral leper, bush, has a clue how pathetic he looks to the world.

[Just Me]

20. Exactly!!! The epitome of an abuser!!!

It's unbelievable!!!

They have the art of psychological/emotional abuse absolutely mastered!

[fertilizeonarbusto]

5. Good!

Fuck you, George!

[Harlan James]

9. Not Great Britain!

You mean to say that Tony Blair's 'Shrub Ass Kiss Reflex' isn't kicking in for Der Bushler on this one?

Hmmm...English muffins....Freedom Muffins!!

[gottaB]

13. lol

My wife love those things. I'll spring this on her tomorrow morning. "Hey, hun, would you like an egg with your freedom muffin?"

:D

[Endangered Specie]

10. Does this mean we're gonna invade Germany again?

[Vincardog]

11. Why don't we look into the Haliburton link to to the Oil For Food program

It came out before the election. But is was buried by the Cheney's 0 daughter story. Once again what about Haliburton

[maddezmom]

18. searching now, but did happen upon this: Halliburton and bribes in Nigeria

company -- best known for its political ties to former chief Dick Cheney and its controversial contracts in Iraq -- has issued new information indicating that it may have paid bribes in an effort to secure a multibillion-dollar project in Nigeria. In a regulatory filing on Friday, Halliburton said that the company understands "from the ongoing governmental and other investigations that payments may have been made to Nigerian officials."

Since then, however, Halliburton has downplayed the significance of the disclosure and stopped well short of saying that any bribes took place.

"This is not new information, and our updated disclosure only reflects media reports since our last filing about the non-U.S. investigations," Halliburton spokeswoman Wendy Hall told TheStreet.com on Monday. "Halliburton's ongoing investigation has still not found any evidence that supports there were any bribes paid."

Halliburton is one of four companies involved with a big liquefied natural gas plant in Nigeria that's at the center of the probe. It carried out work on the project when Cheney, now the vice president, led the company.

http://www.thestreet.com/stocks/melissadavid/10193197.html

Wasn't the Pres of Nigeria at the WH with * today. Things that make you go.........HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

[brook]

24. Like this is the first....

incidence of corruption linked to aid?

aid and corruption

It seems to me that everyday I see more bits & pieces of the * power grab. They're clear-cutting liberty - here and abroad.

[maddezmom]

23. looks like some links have been scrubbed...ProgessiveTrail.org did a story

but link is broken.

Found an interesting OpEd:

Ayoon wa Azan (American Exaggerations)
Jihad Al Khazen Al-Hayat 2004/12/2

First off, some facts that I will leave it up to the reader to make sense of as he wishes:

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the war on Iraq was illegitimate, because it needed a decision from the Security Council; adding, in October, that the war did not make the world a safer place.
The UN headquarters were bombed in Baghdad last year and chief UN envoy to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello and others were killed. The UN pulled out its employees; then it sent a limited number and thus took part in choosing the interim government and in training thousands of elections' employees.
The United States attacked the UN and its Secretary General because Annan is reluctant about sending more international employees to Iraq with the collapsing security situation; moreover the unions of UN employees voted for pulling out all international employees from Iraq.
If I were to choose from State Secretary Colin Powel's speeches delivered at the UNSC and from his famous report about Iraq on the February 5, 2003, I would pick: "every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we are giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence…"

Powell relied on intelligence information that turned out to be erroneous. As for my information, it is all on record, sound and image - and no one denies them, including the American administration's officials.

There is a scandal about the "Oil-for-Food" program, which the UN administered in Iraq. There is also a scandal about Halliburton, which was headed one day by Vice President Dick Cheney and that was granted the most important contracts in Iraq. While the scandal of Iraqi oil is about Saddam Hussein and his regime's thefts, and about bribing individuals and governments, which Annan has nothing to do with, the Halliburton scandal reaches the American administration and Cheney or his assistants' authority in winning contracts without competing.

much more: http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/12-2004/Article-20041202-95927840-c0a8-10ed-0079-6e1cb9be167b/story.html

[maddezmom]

28. here's the link: Halliburton closed a $7.7bn stock merger with Dresser Ind

In September 1998, Halliburton closed a $7.7bn stock merger with Dresser Industries (the company that gave George HW Bush his first job). The merger made Halliburton the largest oilfield services firm in the world. It also brought with it two foreign subsidiaries that were doing business with Iraq via the controversial Oil for Food programme. The two subsidiaries, Dresser Rand and Ingersoll Dresser Pump Co, signed $73m-worth of contracts for oil production equipment.

Cheney told the press during his 2000 run for vice-president that he had a "firm policy" against doing business with Iraq. He admitted to doing business with Iran and Libya, but "Iraq's different," he said. Cheney told ABC TV: "We've not done any business in Iraq since UN sanctions were imposed on Iraq in 1990, and I had a standing policy that I wouldn't do that."

Three weeks later, Cheney was forced to admit the business ties, but claimed ignorance. He told reporters that he was not aware of Dresser's business in Iraq, and that besides, Halliburton had divested itself of both companies by 2000. In the meantime, the companies had done another $30m-worth of business in Iraq before being sold off.

The Dresser merger was, it appeared, the crowning achievement of the Cheney years at Halliburton. But Cheney left Halliburton several other legacies. David Gribbin, Cheney's former chief of staff, became Halliburton's chief lobbyist in Washington. Admiral Joe Lopez, a former commander of the sixth fleet, was hired to be KBR's governmental operations expert. Together, Cheney's team made Halliburton one of the top government contractors in the country. KBR had nearly doubled its government contracts, from $1.2bn in the five years prior to his arrival, to $2.3bn during his five years as CEO. Halliburton soared from 73rd to 18th on the Pentagon's list of top contractors.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1266233,00.html

[maddezmom]

29. Dresser Rand still in Iraq

http://www.dresser-rand.com/contact/IRAQ.asp

[maddezmom]

30. Flowserve Announces IDP Acquisition Progress

http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=fls&script=460&layout=-6&item_id=265273

[rocktivity]

16. Britain, too?

I guess that now that Bush is back in office, Blair is no longer under pressure to put his job on the line...

:headbang:
rocknation

[0007]

19. junior will soon feel the pressure upon his nuts that are in a giant vise

[radar]

21. They Forgot POLAND!!!

http://www.youforgotpoland.com/

[llmart]

22. Bush -

hated by the entire world. How disgraceful and embarrassing to be an American in this world today. There was a time when we were looked up to and admired, but that all ended in 2001.

[Stinky The Clown]

25. Bush waivered? But the real question is .....

..... did he fall on his fucking ass?