[Mb-civic] NYTimes.com Article: That Cloud Over the United Nations

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That Cloud Over the United Nations

October 14, 2004
 


 

So much flak has been thrown at United Nations programs to
constrain Saddam Hussein's oil revenues and weapons
purchases by those charging corruption that the average
citizen must be reeling in confusion. The report issued
last week by Charles Duelfer, the chief United States
weapons inspector, indicates that Iraq generated $11
billion in illicit revenue, imported forbidden military
equipment and bribed companies, individuals and government
officials around the world to support its efforts to end
sanctions. The emerging scandal is already under multiple
investigations in this country, in Iraq and at the United
Nations. But nothing that has surfaced so far suggests that
the sanctions were failing in their main purpose, that the
Bush administration's precipitous invasion was necessary or
that the United Nations is fatally hobbled by corruption or
incompetence. 

The sanctions imposed on Iraq after the first gulf war
banned all Iraqi oil exports and prohibited imports of
military value, including both conventional arms and
"weapons of mass destruction." As the Iraqi population's
suffering became apparent, the United States supported a
program that allowed Iraq to sell oil. The proceeds went to
a special account and were doled out by U.N. officials to
buy food, medicine and other civilian items. That
now-maligned program not only saved the lives of countless
Iraqis, but it also kept the sanctions alive politically
for years, right up until the invasion. 

Now it seems clear that Iraq evaded the sanctions in two
important ways. Mr. Hussein managed to sell oil outside the
program, mostly by smuggling it to neighboring countries
like Jordan, Turkey, Syria and Egypt. He also managed to
import some conventional arms and components. None of these
imports were related to nuclear, biological or chemical
weapons. The sanctions, backed by the presence of weapons
inspectors, did their main job. 

Mr. Duelfer has expressed his personal opinion that the
sanctions could not have been sustained indefinitely, and
many Republicans now use that argument to justify the
invasion. But any erosion of support for sanctions occurred
before 9/11. Then the sentiment against Iraq hardened, and
pricing rules in the oil-for-food program were tightened.
Despite President Bush's claim that Mr. Hussein was gaming
the program to get rid of sanctions, there was a
diminishing likelihood that the sanctions would have been
lifted anytime soon. 

The most disturbing news so far points to the possible
corruption of U.N. officials. Iraq was allowed to sell its
oil under the U.N. program to any buyer it chose. One
allegation is that Iraq would set a below-market price on
its oil, thus allowing the recipient to resell it at a
higher price and pocket the difference. This money may have
been intended to encourage recipients - private
individuals, companies and politicians - to favor ending
the sanctions. Among the reported beneficiaries is the U.N.
official in charge of running the oil-for-food program.
Secretary General Kofi Annan has wisely asked the respected
Paul Volcker to head an investigation. 

A more difficult issue is posed by the behavior of U.N.
Security Council members. Prominent figures in Russia and
France were reportedly made the main beneficiaries of
Iraq's largesse, presumably in the hope that they would
influence their governments to favor Iraq. But these
nations were sympathetic to Iraq from the start. And the
accused French and Russians legitimately complain that the
Duelfer report listed their names before any guilt had been
established, while the names of American companies and
individuals who got oil vouchers were kept secret, emerging
only in news reports. 

Security Council members ought to conduct their own
investigations - and cooperate with Mr. Volcker's - to
ascertain whether Iraqi oil money poked holes in the
sanctions that all member nations were supposed to uphold.
It's important to track down any corruption so future
international efforts have the highest level of confidence.
At the same time, however, everyone needs to remember that
on the most critical count, sanctions worked. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/14/opinion/14thu3.html?ex=1098778816&ei=1&en=14245ea27d69005e


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