Annan summons UN council on probe into Iraq scandal...

[cantwealljustgetalong]

NEW YORK - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan summoned Security Council members on Thursday to get firm backing for an independent inquiry into charges of corruption in the UN-run Iraq oil-for-food programme.

In a letter to council members obtained by Reuters, Annan defined terms of the probe, saying it would look into allegations of corruption among UN officials and outside firms dealing with Iraq under the now-defunct US$65 billion humanitarian plan.

...

"Without the full cooperation of governments and companies, the investigation is not likely to succeed," Eckhard said.

Diplomats said a resolution mandating that all UN members co-operate with an investigation would probably fail. Many of the firms and individuals charged with wrongdoing were from the 15 Security Council member states.

...

Annan in the letter said the probe also would determine:

-- whether procedures established by the Security Council and UN secretariat for monitoring and approving contracts were violated.

-- whether any UN officials, personnel and agents or outside contractors engaged in "any illicit or corrupt activities," including bribery, imposing surcharges and other illicit payments.

-- whether UN accounts were in order.

Annan said the independent commission could engage professional investigators, auditors, accountants, forensic experts and others and issue a report within three months after the start of the probe.

...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3557144&thesection=news&thesubsection=world

[dpbrown]

1. Who cares?

If yes, then the sociopathic PNAC nutballs have another knob to hang their hats on - we had to invade Iraq, to save Iraqis from corruption in the oil-for-food program.

How about an investigation into the illegal basis of the Iraqi invasion that you told us about last year, Annan you nutless wonder, you?