Oil For Fraud, The Cover-up Continues

The Washington Times reports this morning that audits of the Oil For Fraud program were conducted by the United Nations, and that the results of the audits were reviewed by Benon Sevan, the U.N. official in charge of the program. Sevan was appointed to the position by Kofi Annan and his name appears on an oil ministry list discovered by a Baghdad newspaper, of some 270 recipients of oil vouchers- in effect cash payments- from Saddam Hussein’s government.

Even more troubling than U.N. participation in the exploitation of the Iraqi people is the emerging pattern of cover-up. According to the Times, “Joseph A. Christoff, director of international affairs and trade at the General Accounting Office, told a House hearing that U.N. auditors had refused to release the internal audits to GAO investigators probing the scandal that poured an estimated $10.1 billion from secret oil sales and inflated contracts into Saddam's coffers under the U.N. program.”

The United States funds 22 percent of the U.N. budget. Our participation in the U.N. is questionable to begin with, but if we can not expect transparency and accountability for our money, then we should immediately withhold our contribution.