As many call for restoring the United Nations' role in world affairs, reduced when the United States and her "coalition of the willing" waged war against Iraq without UN approval, the scandal of the United Nations' oil-for-food program is heating up. It now seems clear that Saddam Hussein exploited the gross negligence and corruption of UN officials and used the Oil-for-Food program to circumvent the sanctions placed on Iraq when it was still ruled by the brutal anti-American dictator. Get ready for a wave of media attention to the Oil-for-Food scandal, which is currently underreported. "That will change once investigations by the UN, the Iraqi National Congress and the House International Relations Committee commence," wrote Tom Kilgannon of Freedom Alliance.
"After years of UN sanctions adversely affected the people of Iraq instead of the intended target - Saddam Hussein's regime - the Oil-for-Food program was implemented in 1995. Through it, the UN was entrusted to sell Iraqi oil and use the proceeds to buy food and medicine for Iraqis who were being starved and neglected under Saddam's rule. Instead, humanitarian needs were ignored and the program - either through ineptness, corruption or both - became a magnet for terrorists, criminals, and people of ill repute of all stripes," he wrote. An astounding 270 individuals and companies, including the head of the program (named Benon Sevan), are alleged to have benefited from corruption. "The General Accounting Office reports that through a combination of smuggling and illegal surcharges on oil sales, Saddam's regime stole over $10 billion under the watchful eyes of UN managers," said Kilgannon.
