Former U.N. oil-for-food head charged with bribery

[Logan13]

Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is..................
Former U.N. oil-for-food head charged with bribery
01/16/07
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former executive director of the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq and a brother-in-law of a former U.N. secretary-general have been charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud tied to the program, a U.S. federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Former executive director Benon Sevan, the highest ranking U.N. official to be charged in relation to the program, and Ephraim Nadler, brother-in-law of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, were named in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday.

Michael Garcia, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that Sevan, a Cypriot, allegedly received about $160,000 from Nadler on behalf of the Iraqi government.

Garcia said the United States had issued warrants for the arrest of Nadler and Sevan and will seek their arrest and extradition to New York.

"The allegations in this current indictment that the executive director of the very program that was created to provide humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people was involved in such a scheme demonstrates how pervasive the corruption was and how that corruption undermined the operation of the program," Garcia said.

Sevan's lawyer, Eric Lewis, did not immediately return a call for comment.

The oil-for-food program was designed to soften the blow to civilians of international sanctions, imposed against Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, by allowing Iraq to sell oil to finance purchases of humanitarian goods.

More than 2,300 companies have been investigated and some governments accused of having abused the $64 billion humanitarian program, which ran from 1996 until 2003.

Boutros-Ghali was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996.

[RA]

The U.N. could be a very good thing if it wasnt full of corrupt anti-american zealouts. I do stress CORRUPT.

[mcpeepants]

No you can only thank Bush,Cheney, Rumsfeld, Condeleeza, Powell, Blair, Congress, there cheerleaders, etc for the war because they started it. The man in the article, if guilty, is just another greedy diplomat.

[Logan13]

No you can only thank Bush,Cheney, Rumsfeld, Condeleeza, Powell, Blair, Congress, there cheerleaders, etc for the war because they started it. The man in the article, if guilty, is just another greedy diplomat.

This occurred in the 90's smart guy. Maybe you should research before posting.........."Boutros-Ghali was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996." Again, you have let your ideals blind you from the facts.

[RA]

No you can only thank Bush,Cheney, Rumsfeld, Condeleeza, Powell, Blair, Congress, there cheerleaders, etc for the war because they started it. The man in the article, if guilty, is just another greedy diplomat.

Are you a DNC robot? Who said anything about the war?

[mcpeepants]

This occurred in the 90's smart guy. Maybe you should research before posting.........."Boutros-Ghali was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996." Again, you have let your ideals blind you from the facts.

I'm just responding to your quote:"Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is.................."

The one who was indicted was Former executive director Benon Sevan, not Boutros-Ghali who served as secretary-general general from 92 to 96. Sevan worked in the UN until 2005.

[mcpeepants]

Are you a DNC robot? Who said anything about the war?

Logan did here: :"Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is.................."

Criticizing the war makes me a democrat. I've never been a democrat or voted for one. Most of the democratic leadership supported the war: Here the senate vote tally I got from wikipedia:

* Wayne Allard (R-CO)
* George Allen (R-VA)
* Max Baucus (D-MT)
* Evan Bayh (D-IN)
* Bob Bennett (R-UT)
* Joe Biden (D-DE)
* Kit Bond (R-MO)
* John Breaux (D-LA)
* Sam Brownback (R-KS)
* Jim Bunning (R-KY)
* Conrad Burns (R-MT)
* Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)
* Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
* Jean Carnahan (D-MO)
* Tom Carper (D-DE)
* Max Cleland (D-GA)
* Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
* Thad Cochran (R-MS)
* Susan Collins (R-ME)
* Larry Craig (R-ID)
* Mike Crapo (R-ID)
* Tom Daschle (D-SD)
* Mike DeWine (R-OH)
* Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
* Pete Domenici (R-NM)
* Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
* John Edwards (D-NC)
* John Ensign (R-NV)
* Mike Enzi (R-WY)
* Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
* Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL)
* Bill Frist (R-TN)
* Phil Gramm (R-TX)
* Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
* Judd Gregg (R-NH)
* Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
* Tom Harkin (D-IA)
* Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
* Jesse Helms (R-NC)



* Fritz Hollings (D-SC)
* Tim Hutchinson (R-AR)
* Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
* James Inhofe (R-OK)
* Tim Johnson(D-SD)
* John Kerry (D-MA)
* Herb Kohl (D-WI)
* Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
* Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
* Joe Lieberman (D-CT)
* Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
* Trent Lott (R-MS)
* Richard Lugar (R-IN)
* John McCain (R-AZ)
* Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
* Zell Miller (D-GA)
* Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
* Bill Nelson (D-FL)
* Ben Nelson (D-NE)
* Don Nickles (R-OK)
* Harry Reid (D-NV)
* Pat Roberts (R-KS)
* Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
* Rick Santorum (R-PA)
* Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
* Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
* Richard Shelby (R-AL)
* Robert Smith (R-NH)
* Gordon Smith (R-OR)
* Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
* Arlen Specter (R-PA)
* Ted Stevens (R-AK)
* Craig Thomas (R-WY)
* Fred Thompson (R-TN)
* Strom Thurmond (R-SC)
* Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)
* George Voinovich (R-OH)
* John Warner (R-VA)

Members of the Senate who voted against:

* Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
* Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
* Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
* Robert Byrd (D-WV)
* Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
* Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
* Kent Conrad (D-ND)
* Mark Dayton (D-MN)
* Dick Durbin (D-IL)
* Russ Feingold (D-WI)
* Bob Graham (D-FL)
* Daniel Inouye (D-HI)



* Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
* Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
* Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
* Carl Levin (D-MI)
* Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
* Patty Murray (D-WA)
* Jack Reed (D-RI)
* Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
* Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
* Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
* Ron Wyden (D-OR)


There's more D's in the pro-war vote than anti-war vote.

[Logan13]

Logan did here: :"Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is.................."

Criticizing the war makes me a democrat. I've never been a democrat or voted for one. Most of the democratic leadership supported the war: Here the senate vote tally I got from wikipedia:

There's more D's in the pro-war vote than anti-war vote.

I do not label you as a Democrat because I see you as being farther left than the average Democrat, I see you more as a Liberal. But it is the Dems who are criticizing a war which, as you pointed out, they voted for as well. I am just tired of all the hand-wringing and second guessing that is going on. We need answers, and yet many only wish to spend time on criticizing and not try to solving anything. Why? Because coming up with a solution is much harder than simply criticizing those who have came up with solutions.........

[RA]

Logan did here: :"Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is.................."

.

I missed that part.

[Logan13]

I missed that part.

I was talking about the accused.

Thank men like this one for the war in Iraq. Ever wonder why the UN would issue 17 sanctions against Iraq that basically said the same thing, but never lead anywhere? Unfortunately, this is yet another example of how incompetent the UN is..................
Former U.N. oil-for-food head charged with bribery
01/16/07
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former executive director of the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq and a brother-in-law of a former U.N. secretary-general have been charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud tied to the program, a U.S. federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Former executive director Benon Sevan, the highest ranking U.N. official to be charged in relation to the program, and Ephraim Nadler, brother-in-law of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, were named in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday.

[mcpeepants]

I do not label you as a Democrat because I see you as being farther left than the average Democrat, I see you more as a Liberal. But it is the Dems who are criticizing a war which, as you pointed out, they voted for as well. I am just tired of all the hand-wringing and second guessing that is going on. We need answers, and yet many only wish to spend time on criticizing and not try to solving anything. Why? Because coming up with a solution is much harder than simply criticizing those who have came up with solutions.........

I was referring to roidattack not you in my response. I agree. Dems would rather criticize because they don't want to come up with a plan because they are scared off putting their name on something that might fail. Plus a lot of them would be singing a different tune if the war went well.

[Kärnfysikern]

Hope he goes down. Important people in the UN pulling shit like that need to be made a example of.