by Jim Kouri, CPP
United Nations Undersecretary General Benon Sevan of Cyprus and Ephraim Nadler, a/k/a "Fred Nadler" of New York City were indicted on charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program.
From mid-2000 until March 2003, the Iraqi government’s regime conditioned the right to purchase oil under the Oil-for-Food Program on a purchaser's willingness to pay a secret surcharge to Iraq. These secret payments were illegal kickbacks, made in violation of United Nations sanctions and United States criminal law.
Nadler allegedly participated in a scheme to make unlawful payments to the former government of Iraq in connection with the purchase of oil under the Oil-for-Food Program. Sevan, who at the time was the Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Iraq Program (the Office that operated the Oil-for-Food Program), as well as being the UN's Undersecretary General, allegedly received almost $160,000 — money generated from the sale of Iraqi oil under the Program — from Nadler on behalf of Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq.
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Posted by Walt as Corruption, Middle East at 10:55 PM EST
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Geneva, January 3, 2007 — UN Watch called on new UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to create immediately an independent investigation into disturbing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by UN peacekeepers in southern Sudan, with full powers to prosecute offending soldiers as well as UN officials who were obliged but failed to prevent the crimes.
In addition, the Geneva-based human rights group urged High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, responsible for mainstreaming human rights throughout the UN, to strongly condemn the abuses and conduct her own inquiry in the region. “Mr. Ban will be judged by how firm and fast he is to take action against these shocking allegations of abuse,” said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. “Words from the UN are no longer enough—Mr. Ban must show deeds,” said Neuer. “First impressions count, and this is now Mr. Ban’s first important test.”
Below is the full text of the UN Watch letter sent today to Mr. Ban and Ms. Arbour.
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Posted by Walt as Corruption at 10:06 PM EST
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By Alan Caruba
On December 4, then Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a statement protesting the lifting of a presidential moratorium protecting Alaska’s Bristol Bay from oil and gas exploration. Rep. Pelosi had to reach back to the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 to find a reason why this energy-rich area should not be opened to exploration.
“Allowing oil drilling to go forward in Bristol Bay,” said Rep. Pelosi, “puts our precious environmental at risk.” We are all in for heavy doses of global warming propaganda and hearing a lot more about “our precious environment.” In recent months, the volume of global warming hysteria has markedly risen and with it came demands from two U.S. Senators that any dissent from this Big Lie be silenced.
Coincidently with Rep. Pelosi’s announcement, The Wall Street Journal published an opinion titled “Global Warming Gag Order” in which it noted that “Washington has no shortage of bullies, but even we can’t quite believe an October 27 letter that Senators Jay Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe sent to Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson. Its message: Start toeing the Senator’s line on climate change, or else.”
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Posted by Walt as Environment Issues, Junk Science at 12:25 AM EST
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