Nevada Senator Joins Call for Annan to Resign From UN Post

[NVMojo]

If it is ethics they are concerned about, maybe Cheney should also be asked to step down for his role in the mess he helped create in Iraq.

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) is calling on United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to step down over the growing U.N. oil-for-food scandal.

Ensign joins Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), who is heading an investigation into the oil-for-food program in Iraq, in stating Annan should resign.

Ensign told KRNV in Reno, Nev., that while nothing indicates Annan has personally benefited from the scandal, the corruption that has been uncovered took place on his watch, and he should be held accountable.

more...

http://www.townhall.com/news/politics/200412/NAT20041203c.shtml

[RuleofLaw]

1. Can someone explain the "scandal" to me?

As far as I understand, Kofi Annan's son, worked for a company, when he was 23, that had contracts with the UN and the Oil-for-food-program. After he left the company, they continued to pay him (the son).

Now, I have heard the company saying that the son was not involved with the program, and that the continuation of pay is required under Swiss law.

So, where is the scandal?

[NVMojo]

4. I think the Bush cartel was just pissed they didn't get a piece of the pie

[struggle4progress]

18. The scandal is the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq ...

... squandered billions of dollars, for which it can provide only the most minimal accounting: something like a page or two of spreadsheets. Decent people everywhere are outraged.

As Iraq continues to spiral into chaos, Bushistas REALLY don't want Americans to notice any evidence of Bushista administrative corruption and incompetence there. So they need a diversion, preferably some other topic involving Iraqi oil money, to further public confusion and apathy. William Safire diligently provides carefully timed noise-columns on a supposedly-gigantic scandal involving the UN's pre-invasion "Oil for Food" program.

More recently, since Annan denounced the US invasion as illegal, Bushistas have been especially eager to make an example of him.
And so, voila! more columns from Safire! more wingnut noise!

All the arguments for Annan's resignation can, with only the slightest effort, be turned into arguments for King George's resignation.

[rocktivity]

2. Him and what army?

Why is it that no other UN member nation agrees? And when will Bush be held accountable for the corruption that's taken place on HIS watch?

:boring:
rocknation

[NYC Liberal]

19. Our army!

Oh, wait...not much use, since they're all over in Iraq.

[flordehinojos]

3. i hope annan has as much staying power as clinton did. in other words,

i hope that no matter how many join the cacophony of parrots askign for annan to step down, annan will have staying power and will just stay on, and on, and on until the parrots are good and quiet because they've found themselves unable to dislodge annan. you go Mr. Annan. Don't let them do you in!

[Rose Siding]

5. The argument hasn't a moral leg to stand on

"...while nothing indicates Annan has personally benefited from the scandal, the corruption that has been uncovered took place on his watch, and he should be held accountable."

Replace Annan's name with Bush or Rumsfeld and the only difference is that they probably have benefited.

[Moloch]

6. See, this is why people think the U.S. is arrogant...

As if one of our senators had any authority over the UN secretary general..

[Sperk]

7. Didn't the Repugs just say that people are INNOCENT until proven

guilty? Or does that just apply to Delay? Jesus, these people are unbelievable.

Maybe Annan should say....if Delay steps down, I will too! HA!

[quiet.american]

8. Get the peons to do it

Interesting how Bushco is getting the "no-name" senators to do their dirty work for them.

[NVMojo]

10. that's exactly what I thought, getting Ensign to do is dirty work...

a Repuglican patsy.

[quiet.american]

12. Patsy...and Amway distributor, apparently!

Was just reading an article linked to in another thread, and I noticed Ensign is also an Amway distributor -- so here we have this guy calling for Annan to step down over so-called ethics violations, while he himself is embroiled in a brewing Amway-as-Enron scandal.

It's all so... Bush.

[Briar]

9. Annan found the courage to call the Iraqi war illegal

that's why all this is happening.

The good ole red states principle of pay-backs. Vengeance is ours, saith the US.

[MarianJack]

11. If He Should Resign...

...because corruption took place on his watch, how about forwarding that message to ** and delay?

OOOPS, I forgot, these are the guys who brought honor and integrity back to the white house!

[ConcernedNonpartisan]

13. What happened on who's watch?

Strange that Republicans are after Kofi Annan for what happened on his watch and there is no mention of what happened on GW's watch (9-11 in paricular).

I think there is a "goose" "gander" saying that would be appropriate here.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. I know this repuke didn't say this:

"..while nothing indicates Annan has personally benefited from the scandal, the corruption that has been uncovered took place on his watch, and he should be held accountable."

WELL WHY IN THE HELL DOESN'T BUSH** STEP DOWN? THE ABU GRAIB TORTURE SCANDAL WAS UNDER HIS WATCH!

[NVMojo]

16. A double hear, hear!!!!

I am sick of the shame and corruption that is on this nation's soul now.

Heard this morning on the news that Americans traveling overseas are saying they are Canadians so they can avoid getting into political debates with people.... what a testimony we are.

[NashVegas]

15. I Wonder Who They've Got Lined Up to Take His Place?

Richard Perle, perhaps? Otto Reich?

[seasat]

17. The Repug hypocrisy reeks on this case.

Shrub Inc knew that Iraq was cheating on the oil for food program. I read a couple of articles about the tankers running across the border into Turkey. Shrub Inc ignored it because they knew it appeased Turkey which was also hurt by the sanctions.

How about Dick Cheney and Halliburton? My gosh, if Annan should resign then Cheney should be locked up for life. Halliburton has been caught scamming the US government on contracts and has also dealt with regimes under sanction while Cheney was head. The "liburul" media seems to have forgotten about that scandal while calling for Kofi Annan's head.

The fact is that with all other reasons for the Iraq war discredited and Annan's opposition to the war, the only thing they can kill two birds with one stone by whoring this issue.

[roguevalley]

20. He needs to worry about our idiot, not someone elses. Bush needs

to step down. When he calls for that, I will give him some brain time for the other.

[otohara]

21. Swift Boating Kofi...

Republican senators for truth....ha, ha, ha....When Bush lied, they turned the other way.

[Endangered Specie]

22. Am I the only one who detects a bit of irony here...

someone from NEVADA, making accusations of SCANDAL and CORRUPTION?? Don't make me laugh

He who throws stones in glass houses...


Personally I can't wait to see all that uranium dropped off in that mountain.

[GRLMGC]

23. Wait, wait, wait, wait wait

Why should Annan do anything these douchebags want? Do we run the UN? For that matter, are we even part of the U.N anymore?