Monday, August 08, 2005

Unethical Starts With UN.
Or: "They Shoot Diplomats, Don't They?"


Kofi Annan decided to feed one of his own men to the dogs today.

Alexander Yakovlev pled guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and money-laundering charges as part of his time being involved in the food-for-oil program.

Now, as you may know, the stated purpose of food-for-oil was to create enough revenue for Saddam Hussein to feed his starving population.

We should’ve known something was up when 1.5 million people starved to death in Iraq during the Clinton years.

Or maybe we should’ve known when he stated building very large palaces, or when he started paying Palestinians to blow up family members in Tel Aviv.

The mechanics of this are not entirely know to me, but they involve oil vouchers—basically, here’s the oil in exchange for, well, whatever the purpose is. The INTENDED purpose was for, obviously, food. However, it went a little bit deeper than that. How much deeper, you ask?

Well, let’s see…

Saddam promised the French their very own oil field after the oil embargo was lifted…

Gave millions of dollars to George Galloway, Tony Blair’s arch-enemy in government…

Gave money to the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Communist party…

And a bunch of other people. You can see much of the list thanks to the people of MEMRI, a Middle East think tank, believe it or not.

Anyway, as I was saying, to begin with, Alexander Yakovlev was busted. And pled guilty.

Of course, the question becomes “now what?”

Look at it this way: Kofi Anon’s son, Kojo, is running the oil-for-food program, and Kofi just fed one of his own guys to the hounds by waving Mr. Yakovlev’s diplomatic immunity.

If this were Chicago, Yakovlev would have been found in a trunk. However, Kofi doesn’t have the brains of an Al Capone—and Capone was just a glorified thug. The Independent Inquiry Committee, headed by Paul Volcker, which is looking at massive corruption in the program, found something interesting.

Yakovlev had been wired $950,000 in bribes, sent to an offshore account in Antigua, since 2000. Those bribes, which were not connected to the oil-for-food program, came from companies that had won $79 million in U.N. contracts.

Now the cops are on to Yakovlev’s trail, and Kofi cut off the loose end.

However, there is a problem for Kofi. Yakovlev faces 20 years in jail, and a quarter of a million dollars in fines.

Oh, yeah, and investigators are taking another look at a 1998 oil contract awarded under Yakovlev's watch to Cotecna — a company Kojo worked for. Funny, ain’t it?

Now Yakovlev is kaput, the former food-for-oil man Benon Sevan resigned from the UN on this past Sunday after taking $147,000 in kickbacks. Sevan’s still got his immunity, but I wouldn’t bet on that lasting for long. Were I him, I’d pack my bags and get out of town.

Then again, were I Kofi and Kojo, I’d be running too. Remember, Yakovlev has already plead guilty—and I haven’t seen anything on his deal. Who knows how much we’re not being told.

My bet is that Yakovlev is singing very long and very loudly. Kofi should’ve just given Yakovlev warning that the feds were onto him, and to get out of town, back to Russia, and safe from prosecution. Now Yakovlev has had the bracelets clapped on him, and Sevan will either be next, or he’ll be persona non grata and kicked out of the country.

Kofi probably isn’t worried that he’ll be next. That would require an IQ. Kofi, however, is probably betting that his job as Secretary General will expire (next year, by the way) before anyone catches up to him. If he’s right, I’d empty out my off shore accounts to Switzerland, and run.

Then again, given the spacing on all of this, the paperwork to pulling Yakovlev’s immunity was already in the works just before John Bolton was installed as UN ambassador.

Now, if I’m wrong, and Bolton was appointed just before the immunity was waived, I’d suspect that the arrival of Darth Bolton precipitated Yakovlev being handed over to serve as a red herring, something to buy Kofi some time before the law came to get him.

If I’m right, and Yakovlev was handed over before Bolton, Kofi is probably starting to sweat profusely.

As he should.

But for now, cue up the theme for Jaws. The hunt is on, the game’s afoot, and a leg, and whatever other body pats will be found in the woodchipper when they’re done.


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IN OTHER NEWS.

After liberal radio channel Air America cut off and knocked off several minority, ethnic, and other local channels off the air in its pursuit of getting on air, it has also literally ripped food from the mouths of children. Literally, taken money from a charity that feeds kids.

It gets better.

Al Franken is complaining that he's not getting paid.

And? There are kids who aren't getting fed.

Check out the wonderfully talented and beautiful Michelle Malkin for complete details on this buffoonery. And yes, I can comliment her as much as I like, she doesn't read this blog anyway.

And IMAO has a comment on Airhead America as well.

Speaking of libs stealing money, Ms. Malkin also has a nice little story about how New Jersey is ripping off anti-terrorism funds to give to their friends and contributors. Tamany Hall, anyone?

And now for something cute and adorable... the top of the reading list for terrorists at GITMO? Harry Potter.


UPDATE (August 23)

Benon Sevan has taken my advice, and run away as fast as an far as he could, all the way to Cyprus-- supposedly for his aunt's funeral, but he also took the liberty to change his address to Cyprus as well. Convenient. Not only had he been accused of taking bribes from Saddam, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau is STILL pursuing criminal charges now that he's on another continent.

Bon Voyage fool.

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