No Bombshell Likely in Oil - For - Food Audit

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Oil-for-Food-Investigation.html?pagewanted=print&position=

January 7, 2005
No Bombshell Likely in Oil - For - Food Audit
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:12 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United Nations' long-secret internal audits on the oil-for-food program do not reveal any bombshells, investigators told congressional aides Friday ahead of next week's release of the reports.

The 56 audits have been a source of contention between the United Nations and members of Congress examining allegations of corruption in the program. U.N. officials have declined to release the audits while a three-member commission appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan conducts its own investigation.

That refusal made lawmakers suspicious that the audits pointed to widespread problems. It also contributed to criticism of Annan over the program and to one senator's for his resignation.

The commission, headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, announced Friday that it would release the reports to the public Monday. Volcker is expected to issue a preliminary report this month that will include an analysis of the audits.

..more at AP

[NMDemDist2]

1. well duh! seeing as how the Oil for Food "scandal" is a right wing

smoke and mirrors job all the way to dump Kofi Anan for not playing along with Bushista

[Florida_Geek]

3. Funny how this comes out LATE on Friday

:(

[KittyWampus]

21. It Was Ahmed Chalabi That Made The Accusations & Claimed He Had

evidence stored in his computer files...

Chalabi refused to give up those files.

You all remember the Bush Administration's Best Friend and Iranian Spy Chalabi.

[bluestateguy]

2. About as exciting as "Whitewater" was

All the scandals pimped by the Right are always so boring.

[wtmusic]

4. State Dept. claims Oil For Food prevented a 'humanitarian catastrophe'

"These international efforts, initiated by the United States and administered by the UN under the Oil-for-Food Program, have prevented a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq."

"In spite of Iraqi subversion, Oil-for-Food has been a dramatic success."

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2002/16176.htm

Does Kofi deserve a medal?

[rooboy]

5. If this is true, then Norm Coleman should RESIGN.

He has besmirched the reputation of the UN and its secretary-general, and disgraced the United States.

[shraby]

6. It will probably be a heavily redacted report

like the others this administration puts out. Any names of American companies that participated will be blacked out.

[Judi Lynn]

16. If only. At the least, he should be expected to make a total apology

publically, and admit he was far, far off base, and vicious in the manner of untalented, empty, stupid men who envy their betters.

[LynnTheDem]

7. WHO was the FIRST PERSON EVER to say there WAS a scandal???

WHO said he had the ONLY PROOF, but to date has refused to show his "proof" to ANYONE???

bush's Iranian spy buddy.

The one who ran a forgery shop.

The one who holidays in Iran.

The one who is a wanted fugitive in 4 nations.

Ahmad "Thanks, Suckers!" CHALABI



And I get to say...TOLD YA SO. :D

[underpants]

22. The "New York Sun" is the RW authority on this well not the Chalabi part

If that "newspaper"'s name doesn't sound familiar don't be shocked. The New York Sun originally folded in the 50's, the name was bought (like Moon did with UPI) and the paper was restarted last year. It is just another quotable source for the Hannitys and Humes of this world.

The NY Sun "broke" the story about Kofi's son but they never actually said that Kojo was ever involved in oil for food while working for Cotecna (sp?) they just dance around it and let the reader make the connection. The RW loves that tactic-see the tort reform hype- and they play it to the hilt.

I wrote a thread about this a while ago. It is complete crap. Fox News reported the story while showing footage of Kofi so you got the impression HE was receiving $2,500 a month from Cotecna when in actuality is was his son, part of a deferred compensation package.....sound familiar? Kojo never worked on oil for food he was working in Africa- in Niger I think.

[leesa]

8. Of course not. Just more smoke and mirrors from the vile GOP

[Catherine Vincent]

9. Fox News must be sick over that.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[teryang]

10. This contrived scandal story was a coverup

...to distract the world from the conversion and waste of Iraqi funds by the Bremer government in Iraq. The CPA packed its bags and left the country in a hurry because UN auditors were demanding an accounting of what happened to billions in Iraq government funds. Next thing you know, the chimp regime and controlled media are accusing the UN of corruption and fraud. Which allegations turn out to be false?

Disinformation mission accomplished.

[peterh]

20. Bingo….oil for food has been on every pundits lips….

Since day one, but nary a peep about the CPA scandal and the 8.1 billion (a low estimate imho)….

Bremer gets the freedom medal for his scam while Kofi and the UN get scammed by the scam artists…

[SoCalDem]

11. There usually is no "there", there.. The story is PUFFED UP and PUSHED

for days. The buffoonish, faux-outrage is at a fever-pitch for days and days. Rush & the gang scream it from the rooftops until it's embedded into the freepy brains, and then the real story plays out in "real time", and the fact that the whole thing is N O T H I N G , never makes a ripple in the news day..

[Lostnote03]

12. Time to say hello to Norm Coleman!!!!

.........This lil pimp boy should NOT be allowed to get away with this....

[mediaman007]

14. too bad that we can't get to him until 2008.

But on the other hand, he's our guy in Minnesota, so I hope we can have at him in the local papers. Wonder how he will respond.

Good catch there, Lostnote03

[rocktivity]

13. Bush-league journalism at its best

Try to avenge the UN's not supporting the war on terror by suggesting there's some wicked scandal going on, and then retract it after the election in a weekend news dump.



:headbang:
rocknation

[Judi Lynn]

17. Cheap opportunists and liars, and these are also their best qualities.

Sure glad to see that photo. It's good to take a moment to remember that the _Bush White House tried to make deep trouble for the editor who chose to run it at his newspaper.

You would have thought he had tried to assassinate someone! They also went on and on and on about it on cable news. Hard to believe their hold is that complete, isn't it?

[struggle4progress]

15. Wingnuts will be working overtime to crank out more conspiracy noise:

the Iraqi puppet government makes more loud accusations; whiners complain Volcker is unable to do the job right; and the Moonie Press displays its taste for toilet humor.

Iraqi officials have recently implicated more U.N. staffers in bribe taking during the oil-for-food program in a development that could dramatically escalate pressure on the world body, The Post has learned.
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/38017.htm

The man tapped to lead an investigation into the U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal will not be able to effectively do his job, outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth told FOX News on Friday. Danforth said that Paul Volcker, the chairman of the independent inquiry committee commissioned to probe the troubled U.N. program, has not been given the proper tools to conduct an investigation.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143714,00.html

There was considerable wetting of well-tailored pants at the U.N. last month with the publication of Mr. Coleman's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which he asked the pointed question obvious to everyone: "If this widespread corruption had occurred in any legitimate organization around the world, its CEO would have been ousted long ago. Why is the U.N. different?" http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050104-120817-2757r.htm

[underpants]

23. They will accept this like they did UNSCOM not finding WMD

If they mention it they will discount it as the fox investgating itself in the henhouse incident (no mention of Plame, WMD commission, etc).

There were problems but note that these are just the audits, which are simply the fact finding part (with some recommendations), not the management part.

[UTUSN]

18. This and the Shrub's Approval Dropping Thread: Bwahahahaha

[AlCzervik]

19. The Nation did an excellent piece on the rw hate

of Kofi Annan. Good luck to the wingnuts trying to impeach the credibility of Volcker. FU Norm Coleman.

[Canuckistanian]

24. OK, everyone, get ready for it.......

Prepare for the RW media scream and warcry, "Whitewash!!! UN officials involved in massive coverup!!"
It's truly sad and oh-so-predictable.

[AlbizuX]

25. hhahaha...

now what, Repukes? Your favorite bashing tool against the U.N. turnouts out to be nothing in comparison to what you guys do.

Made my day.