U.S. mocked charges of corruption in oil-for-food program

In 2001, the charges were coming from Iraq, and the U.S. representative pooh-poohed those charges.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/sanction/iraq1/oilforfood/2001/0629dogs.htm

But the council vets the goods and the United Nations pays suppliers oil sale monies deposited in escrow accounts, which can hold as much as $12 billion a year. Al Qaysi said some suppliers were not paid for 30 days while oil revenues moved from one account to another.

"So many Garfields and they are getting fatter," he said. referring to the chubby lasanga-eating cartoon cat. In response, U.S. representative James Cunningham said Al Qaysi's speech was full of blustering, denial, attacks on the Security Council and attacks on the U.N. secretariat."

"Rather astonishing, I thought... from a country and a regime that tried to annihilate a member of the United Nations and extinguish its existences, stole its historical records and looted the country," Cunningham told reporters.

more...

Edited to put the most ironic quote in bold face.

~snip~

He was arrested in 1989 in Italy at the request of the US but fled to Iraq where he remained until US-led forces invaded the country in 2003, the Dutch authorities said. For unknown reasons the US withdrew their extradition request for him in 2000.


When the US-led coalition entered Iraq, Van Anraat escaped to the Netherlands where he was arrested on Monday.


He is currently in custody and will be brought before a judge later this week to decide whether he will be remanded in custody, the prosecution said.


~snip~


Dutch authorities had known since 2003 that Van Anraat was back in the Netherlands but initially they said he could not be prosecuted because the US had withdrawn its request and because at the time when the raw materials for the mustard gas were supplied it was not breaking Dutch law or the chemical weapons convention.


Van Anraat is now being prosecuted because he violated the international laws and customs of war and the genocide convention.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041207/wl_mideast_afp/netherlands_iraq_warcrimes_041207144400

Yes this is unraveling wrather interestingly isn't it?

unfortuneately I doubt that much of this will get to the ears of Earl and Myrtle in Whathaveyou Kansas.

I thought the US could do no wrong according to Faux.

I wonder how the dealings with Iraq may be summarized at this point. What do you guys think is the connection, if any, between the oil-for-food scandal and the invasion? How does this explain various countries' attitudes toward Iraq? Could the Reps have a point when they say that it was because of the oil-for-food scandal that France, Germany and the others were so strongly opposed to the war?