Memo Suggests Annan Oil-For-Food Link (AP)

[Roland99]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050614/D8ANGNEO0.html

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Investigators of the U.N. oil-for-food program said Tuesday they are "urgently reviewing" new information that suggests U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan may have known more than he revealed about a contract that was awarded to the company that employed his son.

The December 1998 memo from Michael Wilson, then a vice president of Cotecna Inspections S.A., mentions brief discussions with Annan "and his entourage" at a summit in Paris in 1998 about Cotecna's bid for a $10 million-a-year contract under oil-for-food.

If accurate, the memo could contradict a major finding of the Independent Inquiry Committee - that there wasn't enough evidence to show that Annan knew about efforts by Cotecna, which employed his son, Kojo, to win the contract. Cotecna learned it won the contract on Dec. 11, 1998, days after the meeting.

The statement from the Independent Inquiry Committee, led by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, said it would "conduct additional investigation regarding this new information."

Great...more fuel for the Bolton-lovers.

[ewagner]

1. Notice that this was

in the NYT this morning by the Repubs favorite press whore:

Judith Miller !!

More propaganda released in IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY FRIST AND MCCAIN TO PUSH THE BOLTON NOMINATION THROUGH!!!!

[leveymg]

3. My God, Is The Times Still Allowing Judith Miller to Write Stories?

Is there no accountability for the disinformation she spread about Iraq WMDs? What does she have, lifetime tenure or just complete immunity?

I thought they were just keeping her idly on the payroll while the Fitzgerald inquisition is still pending.

How are we supposed to take the NYT seriously after this?:wow:

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Yes. Hey, isn't she supposed to be in jail???

[knowbody0]

2. pathetic psy-op

[Brundle_Fly]

4. so....

this memo gets traction?

gimme a break.

[cal04]

5. Annan in new oil-for-food probe

The Iraq oil-for-food inquiry is reviewing new information about the UN secretary-general's alleged links with a firm hired to monitor the programme.
A memo by Swiss firm Cotecna published this week describes a meeting between Kofi Annan and its executives in 1998, weeks before the contract was awarded.

Mr Annan has denied prior knowledge of Cotecna's bid for the contract, though his son worked there as a consultant.

A previous inquiry report found that the UN head had not helped Cotecna.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4093286.stm

[Massachusetts]

7. Deny, Deny

If Bushco denies or doesn't acknowledge British memo's, then Kofi should do the same. Its all just a "high stakes" GAME for the power brokers and WE are the Pawns.

"Whats good for the goose is good for the Gander".

[Guckert]

8. I guess this memo is real, unlike all the DSM's, Newsweek, CBS, etc...

These people are severe tools.

[Bethany Rockafella]

9. These people are still after Annan.

Give it a rest!

[Spazito]

10. Anything Judith Miller writes is only fit to line the bottom of a

bird cage, imo.

[denverbill]

11. Gee, I wonder which 'memo' will hit the media tonight?

The one about George and Tony needing to find an excuse for a war they knew was illegal, or this one?

[shraby]

12. What happened to the information about

the Texas companies that were involved? Any investigation into that?

[Judi Lynn]

13. It must have slipped their minds!

For anyone who needs a refresher, here's a story on one of the proud Americans:

May 16, 2005, 2:38PM

Panel says BayOil key in Saddam scheme
Houston firm was 'puppeteer' in oil-for-food scam, investigators say
By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau



David Chalmers

WASHINGTON - Houston's BayOil (USA) was the "puppeteer" in a scheme to help Russian politicians profit illegally from the United Nations' oil-for-food program and pay kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime, Senate investigators say.

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations contends the trading firm, led by Houston's David Chalmers Jr., played a key role in helping Saddam curry favor with Russian leaders. At the time, Saddam was trying to win friends on the U.N. Security Council.

"They are involved in Iraqi oil from soup to nuts," a Senate investigator said.

In a pair of reports, Senate investigators say BayOil helped anti-Western Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Russian Presidential Council and Russian President Vladimir Putin's own Unity Party illegally earn millions by circumventing U.N. rules.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3183233

[librechik]

14. hey, the Pukkkes can find incriminating memos too!

except theirs are important, and ours are no big deal. After all, dozens of people died when Kofi--err--no, nobody died. But some rich people made money--err, no that doesn't...

hm

[Moderator]

15. kick to combine

[NNN0LHI]

16. Investigators to Review Hint of Annan Role in Iraq Oil Sales

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/international/15food.html

The United Nations panel investigating the oil-for-food program in Iraq said Tuesday that it had begun "urgently reviewing" a newly disclosed memo that seems to contradict Secretary General Kofi Annan's denials of any involvement in the awarding of a major contract to his son's employer.

The memo was written on Dec. 4, 1998, by Michael R. Wilson, an Annan family friend who then worked with Mr. Annan's son, Kojo, at Cotecna Inspection Services of Switzerland.

It says that during a brief encounter Mr. Wilson had a few days earlier with the secretary general and his entourage, the company's efforts to win the contract were discussed and he was assured that "we could count on their support."

According to the memo, which Cotecna provided to the panel last night, the encounter occurred at a summit meeting in Paris of Francophone nations about a week before Cotecna won the $10-million-a-year contract to inspect goods entering Iraq as part of the $65 billion oil-for-food program. The program allowed Iraq to sell some oil and use the revenue to buy food and other basic provisions for its people.

[neweurope]

17. Somehow I could much better belive all this if Americans

weren't involved. Can't believe anything these days.

-------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Stockholm]

18. evil evil people n/t

[consuming]

19. 3. Can't believe what GB gets away with!