IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM THE AP:
UNITED NATIONS_Investigators of the U.N. oil-for-food program said Tuesday they are “urgently reviewing” new information suggesting U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan may have known more about a contract awarded to the company that employed his son.
The December 1998 memo from Michael Wilson, then a vice president of Cotecna Inspections S.A., mentions brief discussions with Annan “and his entourage” during a summit in Paris in late 1998. “We could count on their support,” the memo said.
If accurate, the memo could contradict a major finding of the Independent Inquiry Committee _ that there wasn’t enough evidence to show that Annan knew about efforts by Cotecna, which employed his son Kojo, to win a contract under oil-for-food. Cotecna learned it won the contract on Dec. 11, 1998.
The statement from the Independent Inquiry Committee, led by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, said it would “conduct additional investigation regarding this new information.”
PJM Home
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
21 Comments
1. David Thomson:Kofi Annan will probably not be prosecuted. Instead, he will be allowed to gracefully resign for ìfamily reasons.î I canít see this nonsense continuing much past the end of July. Perhaps we should be focussing our attention on his likely replacement. Will that individual be less hostile towards the United States?
Jun 14, 2005 - 10:01 am 2. PeterUK:“Hello Kojo my son how are you keeping?”…”How are things at work?”
“Well you know how it is in business Father,a bit of this and a bit of that,nose to the grindstone”.
“Never mind my son,let us not talk business,come and see the garden”.
$65,000,000,000 and narry a word between them,I know what Don Corleone would have said.
Jun 14, 2005 - 10:04 am 3. Kyda Sylvester:The statement from the Independent Inquiry Committee, led by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, said it would “conduct additional investigation regarding this new information.”
Well okay then. Now we’ll get to the bottom of it.
Hey, Kofi: tick…tick…tick…
Jun 14, 2005 - 10:21 am 4. erp:Is Bolton’s appointment to the UN being deliberately delayed until Kofi and Klatch can complete the shredding and sanitizing of their collaboration with Saddam Hussein?
Jun 14, 2005 - 10:21 am 5. Bruce W.:Chances that the e-mails/info were found “by accident”?
This shouldbe fun. If Kofi doesn’t go down now, I will be shocked (not surprised, just shocked, in the moral affront kind of way).
Can anyone give some brief background on how a SG is nominated/selected, etc.?
Jun 14, 2005 - 10:45 am 6. OJ:Once the leaderhsip at the UN is ousted… it is only a matter of time. Serious reform needs to be implemented.
It is at best ambiguous to have a system of power based on the possession of nuclear technology (permanent 5), reflecting a global politcal environment almost 60 years old, when a stated primary goal of the institution is nuclear non-proliferation and gloabal stability and prosperity.
Here is an radically different model to consider on the way to substantive UN reform:
http://www.rightviews.com/article.php?id=313
http://www.RightViews.com
Jun 14, 2005 - 11:10 am 7. Knucklehead:Bruce W:
Can anyone give some brief background on how a SG is nominated/selected, etc.?
Think Lot and Saddam and Gemorrah. Gaia announces that she will destroy mankind unless some sinless, good person can be found. Caring Minions scour Scandinavia and Third World countries, preferrably TWCs looking for some apparatchik who has been buried so long and deep in International Conclaves Of The Concerned that he’s never been outside a hotel lobby or ballroom since shortly after puberty.
They find said apparatchik and present to Gaia who is pleased and goes back to sleep. Apparatchik is then immediately corrupted by the Caring Minions and the conclaves are resumed poste-haste.
Jun 14, 2005 - 11:17 am 8. PeterUK:Knucklehead,
It is preferable that the chosen one has never actually undergone puberty.The SG should then be anointed, showered with all the gifts of the Earth,his/her/it/s every whim obeyed,then at the end of five years should be sacrificed to Gaia and thrown into a bog.
This would ensure quality control and prevent nepotism.
Jun 14, 2005 - 11:49 am 9. Kevin P:Roger:
Don’t get too excited. You are confusing what should happen with what will happen. The battle lines have been drawn and as far as the left is concerned Kofi is on the side of good and all of this kerfluffle is a Rovian plot to distract the world from Iraq. So unless you have tape of Kofi puffing a cigar while a stripper stuffs cash into his underwear don’t get your hopes up.
Jun 14, 2005 - 12:19 pm 10. Kevin P:Roger:
Don’t get too excited. You are confusing what should happen with what will happen. The battle lines have been drawn and as far as the left is concerned Kofi is on the side of good and all of this kerfluffle is a Rovian plot to distract the world from Iraq. So unless you have tape of Kofi puffing a cigar while a stripper stuffs cash into his underwear don’t get your hopes up.
Jun 14, 2005 - 12:20 pm 11. Bruce W.:Knucklehead and Peter:
That clears it right up for me, thanks.
Is Volcker on top of this Gaia woman yet?
Jun 14, 2005 - 2:33 pm 12. Anthony (Los Angeles):Well, if Kofi does go (not if, but when), I have a replacement in mind, someone of demonstrated character and courage, who isn’t afraid to call appeasement for what it is: Jose Maria Aznar. If Spain was dumb enough to toss him out of office, I can think of no better place for him than at the UN.
Jun 14, 2005 - 6:10 pm 13. Rick Ballard:Anthony,
I believe that Aznar would be a great pick but I’m doubtful as to whether the other veto powers on the UNSC (aside from the UK) would go for him. China might but France and Russia have zero interest in new brooms.
Jun 14, 2005 - 6:37 pm 14. PeterUK:Russia might accept the candidacy of Aznar for a free pass on Oil fof Food.France would definately veto,China might deal.
Jun 14, 2005 - 6:58 pm 15. Rick Ballard:Peter,
I don’t know what Oscar Arias Sanchez is up to but he could probably be approved. My preference would be for a top Japanese jurist. The Japanese legal system lends itself to reform minded individuals.
Jun 14, 2005 - 7:18 pm 16. Maggie:Kofi out the door; Bolton in the door.
There may be hope for the UN yet.
Jun 15, 2005 - 5:05 am 17. uranari:Rick,
China would never allow it. France too.
With Japanese jurists you are fairly safe, but other Japanese, especially many with an interest in the UN, and you better vet very carefully.
If it could be a Japanese, dream choice: Hisahiko Okazaki.
I want Bolton! I hear he has an interesting plan for remodeling the place. [ ; > ) ]
Jun 15, 2005 - 8:38 am 18. Rick Ballard:Uranari,
Okazaki is 75. The job needs a 60-65 year old with a good energy level. Or a 25 year old with good automatic weapons experience.
Jun 15, 2005 - 10:32 am 19. uranari:Rick,
I did say it was a “dream” choice. And true he is 75, but at last sighting he was definitely very much alive. Guys like Okazaki usually start going downhill around 110.
Plus, to conserve his energy, he’d probably make Bolton number two.
My first choice, it goes without saying, is Rick. Buddy can be your spokesman and Terrye the trusted advisor.
Jun 15, 2005 - 11:00 am 20. Knucklehead:Bruce W.
Is Volcker on top of this Gaia woman yet?
If anything it is surely the other way ’round. But I don’t think Gaia would be interested in advancing the patriarchal power trip – she don’t dig guys.
Jun 15, 2005 - 3:42 pm 21. bullwinkle:I’ve always been curious about exactly what it was Cotena Inspections inspected before the Oil-For-Food ripoff. Was it formed just for OFF?
Jun 16, 2005 - 8:26 pm