3 Indicted in U.N. Oil-For-Food Scandal

[kach22i]

Some on this board have said; look the UN does not work, just look at the Iraq oil for food scandal.

Fine, nobody's perfect, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater I say.

Here is todays news:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=11&u=/ap/20050414/ap_on_re_us/oil_for_food_4
3 Indicted in U.N. Oil-For-Food Scandal
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - A Texas businessman, along with a Bulgarian and a British citizen, were indicted in a scheme to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime as part of the United Nations' scandal-ridden oil-for-food program, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

David B. Chalmers, the businessman, and Ludmil Dionissiev, a Bulgarian citizen and permanent U.S. resident, were arrested Thursday morning at their homes in Houston. U.S. Attorney David N. Kelley said he will seek the extradition from England of a third defendant, John Irving.

Well........Texas........Oil.....had to look this guy up.

From October 2004......................................


http://news.orb6.com/stories/latimests/20041018/usbuyersofhusseinsoilactedtoassistiraq.php

Wyatt and a former business associate, David Chalmers, whose company was mentioned in the CIA report, were primarily interested in Iraq for business reasons, friends and analysts said. They bought Iraqi oil in a market that came to be characterized by shadowy middlemen and kickbacks, backroom deals and high-stakes showdowns.

Wyatt said through a spokesman last week that all his transactions in Iraq complied with applicable laws. Chalmers, Vincent and Khafaji did not respond to attempts to contact them or their companies.

None of the men has been accused of breaking the law by trading oil with Hussein, a process overseen by the U.N. between 1996 and 2003 as part of its oil-for-food program.

.........................

Wyatt, Khafaji and Vincent are the only Americans on the list of recipients, which was obtained from records kept by Iraq's State Oil Ministry and recovered by U.S. troops. Five U.S. companies were also named: Chevron-Texaco, Exxon Mobil, Wyatt's Coastal Corp., Vincent's Phoenix International, and Chalmers' Bay Oil.

There are nine investigations into various aspects of the scandal. They include a federal investigation in New York that has subpoenaed records from El Paso Corp., which acquired Wyatt's old company, Coastal Corp.; Chevron-Texaco and Exxon Mobil. All have said their oil purchases were legal.

Treasury officials recently announced that they were investigating the possibility that U.S.-based sanctions against trade in Iraq had been violated.

Where will this all lead? Anyone care to venture there?

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by kach22i

Where will this all lead? Anyone care to venture there?

It seems Volker wants to leave the UN intact.

The present&future indictments will give Bolton a bigger stick to swing.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Kach -
As one of those who've said essentially what you've said "some" have said, Oil-for-Fraud is but one instance of the corruption and untrustworthiness of the UN. And as for not throwing the baby out with the bath water, I understand, but we've got to get answerability and accountability into that organization to preserve even its most "benign" functions.

There was a great piece a few months ago about how the director of UNICEF had turned the program into a full-on, get-down feminist bastion, virtually to the exclusion of taking care of impoverished boys around the world. But who dare officially question something as "pure" and "charitable" as UNICEF, right?

I believe there will be more indictments, but many of the larger players in France and Russia will not be touched for diplomatic reasons. It is laughable that Kofi came out and declared himself exonerated last week when the interim report came out. One of the commissioners of the inquiry, after Kofi's bullshtein grandstanding, responded essentially "um, no, you haven't been exonerated of anything. Wait until the final report."

What frosts my muffins is that the rank corruption at the UN would not be tolerated by Americans if it was one of their governmental agencies. Well, OK maybe if it was an all-leftie Federal agency the press would find other things to report about and ignore what was going on, much like it does now. Why hold this organization, that has screwed up the vast majority of what its tried to do, to some dizzying height of esteem? Seriously, over the last decade American citizens, privately, gave many times the money to charities around the world than the UN disbursed through its bloated, inefficient, corrupt and often criminal bureaucracy.

JP

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
I believe there will be more indictments, but many of the larger players in France and Russia will not be touched for diplomatic reasons.

That might be the truth, the more power and influence, the less likely they are to be held accountable.

How about this;

Five U.S. companies were also named: Chevron-Texaco, Exxon Mobil, Wyatt's Coastal Corp., Vincent's Phoenix International, and Chalmers' Bay Oil.

Exxon Mobil just reported the highest profits of any American company - EVER!

Nothing like a cash rich target........................could be time for Dick and Condi's buddies to start worrying.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by kach22i

Nothing like a cash rich target........................could be time for Dick and Condi's buddies to start worrying.

I never knew they had ties to them? or it your wording a rant?

meanwhile the oil co's have been world players and dealing with despots for a long time.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
But who dare officially question something as "pure" and "charitable" as UNICEF, right?

When I was a little tyke I had a school friend named Jeff. Every year at school they'd give us those dumb little UNICEF boxes to collect money whilst trick-or-treating. Well, Jeff hit upon this great idea.

He changed the name on the box to say UNIJEFF.

He kept all of the money.

Bloody brilliant.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by RoninLB
I never knew they had ties to them?

Oops, look like I grabed the wrong one.

Condoleeza Rice, formerly a board member of Chevron.....................Another Chevron Corporation giant in the Bush administration is Vice President Dick Cheney.

http://www.aztlan.net/oiltanker.htm



http://peaceworks.missouri.org/monitor/2002/novdec/oiloutofiraq.html

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by kach22i
Oops, look like I grabed the wrong one.

Condoleeza Rice, formerly a board member of Chevron.....................

that's right. I remember now an article in a high end business mag about it. It was pretty good on ex-planing the co's reasoning ++++. Your sites are wham bam info. Maybe you could find it?

Condi just did a 20min Q&A to some kind of National Press group on C-Span. It'll probably be on again tonight. She painted a wide picture explain of policy from the end of WW2 into the forceible future in about 5 sections. Real good if you're into the big picture.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by RoninLB
tCondi.........Real good if you're into the big picture.

I can't stand to look at the lizzard woman anymore, I feel sick and then angry when I see her on TV. When she opens her mouth all I hear is lies and I want her mouth to shut.

I want to throw things at the TV when Bush comes on, good thing I'm quick that remote.

I despise these liars and theives so much that words alone can't express it.

[cowtown]

Originally posted by kach22i
I want to throw things at the TV when Bush comes on, good thing I'm quick that remote.

I despise these liars and theives so much that words alone can't express it.

Maybe you and Superman can get together and make decaf cappucinos, then weep in them while decrying the stupidity of the majority of Americans who don't agree with you....

[fintstone]

Yes, it sure is tough that the stupid Republicans always seem to get highly successful, educated, big business types elected. Too bad they could not find some homeless, street people to elect or appoint.

[RoninLB]

fwiw..
I always read what the girlfriend's latest karma book was so I knew what I had to deal with.

[kach22i]

Old thread- same topic still in the news.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4554507.stm
[/QUOTE]

The US turned a blind eye to the former Iraq regime's $8bn trade in smuggled oil, a new US Senate report says.

[stevepaa]

fint, both parties put up successful educated people. What was your point?


And where there is lots of money, there is corruption to be found. Why is anyone suprised? We just need to continue like we do whenever we can find it, prosecute them as best we can.
And sometimes even that seems to be lacking.

[creaturecat]

[bryanthompson]

money doesn't automatically corrupt. It takes a corrupt person to begin with, which is why i chuckle when rich libs automatically assume every rich republican is guilty of something. They're projecting their own guilt.

[Mule]

Cat, your report must be incorrect 'cause Clinton was pres for 8 of those years & we know he had morals & integrity second to none.

[kach22i]

From what I recall, some of the Americans involved were living abroad - having formed foreign companies. Still they had American contacts and leverage and are being called to talk before congress.

[Superman]

Originally posted by cowtown
Maybe you and Superman can get together and make decaf cappucinos, then weep in them while decrying the stupidity of the majority of Americans who don't agree with you....

I agree with your approach, Colin. You should take advantage of every opportunity to gloat while the Oil Party is in power.

But just in case you missed it, the thrust of this thread seems to involve the notion that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." While you're hoping that's not true, the rest of us know it is. While you're assuming that St. Dubya, Big Dick and Dragon Woman are all as pure and white as fresh lillies with no guilt, those of us who have noticed how the world operates are simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. So as I say....

you absolutely should gloat as much as possible right now.

[stevepaa]

Bryan
you are casting the same sterotype you don't like.

Nobody assumes that every rich Republican is corrupt just as no one assumes every rich Democrat is corrupt.
Or do you?