Thursday, February 03, 2005
Oil for Food report...
Well, the vast right wing conspiracy that accused Benon Sevan of taking bribes from Iraq now includes the members of the Volker Commission, as their preliminary report rips him a new one:
More prelimary analysis here, here, and here. (Not here.)
Volker said that Sevan repeatedly solicited payments from Iraq and that Iraqis paid the money in hopes of buying influence.According to CNN, the tenor of the report tends more towards the U.N. being jaw-droppingly incompetent, as opposed to corrupt, which according to Kofi Annan, isn't the sort of problem that requires anyone, particularly him, to lose their job:
"Mr. Sevan placed himself in a grave and continuing conflict of influence situation that violated explicit U.N. rules, violated the standards of integrity essential to a high-level, international civil servant," Volker said.
Annan, who has called for U.N. reforms while some critics have called for his resignation, said, "When I talked of management changes I was talking about improved accountability, transparency and other additional changes that we are working on."Stick around, Kofi. Captain Unilateral needs you. That sound you hear is probably Ian Williams' head exploding.
Annan said there might be changes in the U.N. senior staff following Volcker's recommendations. "We will be making some announcements and taking some concrete action very soon."
More prelimary analysis here, here, and here. (Not here.)
