Good article, thanks for posting!

This whole thing happened in the years before the war. This has nothing to do with Bush or the war.

I agree with that. You should be telling that to TxDude, who seems to think we were forced into war because France, Germany, and Russia were trying to protect their oil deals.

Is the UN corrupt? Beyond a doubt. Is the Oil for Food program further evidence of the UN's corruption? Absolutely. Did we go to war because of the abuses of the program? No.

That's my point. Since you agree with me, why don't you take up the argument with someone who doesn't agree with you- like TxDude?

---

"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

>That's my point. Since you agree with me, why don't you take up the argument with someone who >doesn't agree with you- like TxDude?

Ahhh. Let's get straight what my main points are, so you guys can disagree with me appropriately!

1. Saddam needed to go. Harborer and supporter of terrorists. Did some terror organizations get money from the Oil for Food scams directly from Saddam - absolutely 100%. Am I surprised we didnt' find WMD's? - a little, but not really given the fact we warned him 6 months in advance we were coming to look for them. And I think if left unchecked he would have built more, and worse ones, and yes, given them to terrorists.

2. France, China, Germany all refused to enforce UN sanctions because of oil for food sweatheart deals - in my opinion. Let's follow the money. If they had stood up to Saddam it is very possible we would not have the war. Very, very possible.

3. I actually think Chirac is afraid of the Radical Islamic Muslims (RIMs). That's another part of why he has no spine. And also why he sucked-off Arafat on his death bed.

4. No one should be surprised that MONEY is at the bottom of much of what's going on - but it's not why we are there. We don't need Iraq's oil.

5. Who's fighing us in Iraq now that Saddam is gone? Is it the 90% who want to be free? Or is it the 10% that are RIMs?

6. Our enemy is RIMs. They can not be negotiated with. They will slaughter anyone, even people of their own faith. They must be killed. Their financial supporters must be stopped. It's really, a fairly crystal clear mission if you really take a step back and look at it.

7. It will be an ugly, messy, very long war - the war on terror.

Bad smell overruns U.N.
Boston Herald | 11/18/04 | Boston Herald editorial staff


Posted on 11/17/2004

The depth of the corruption of the United Nations' oil for food program is beyond stunning. It's sickening.
Saddam Hussein manipulated the humanitarian program to enrich his regime, fund the Iraqi military and support terrorism. And he did so with the willing participation of the ``world community'' President Bush is being inveighed upon to ``rejoin.''
Congressional hearings this week on the ongoing investigation revealed that Saddam reaped some $21.3 billion, more than double previous estimates, through a sophisticated smuggling and oil-sale kickback scheme involving foreign government officials, corporations and journalists.

``The humanitarian program was corrupted and exploited for the most horrible and aggressive purpose,'' said Sen. Joseph Leiberman (D-Conn.), referring to the use of the funds to build up the military.
A particularly grotesque new finding was that Saddam's regime made some $2.1 billion by purposely importing rotting food and damaged goods, paying full price to the exporting companies, and then receiving a kick-back for the difference.
Why should we be surprised that a man who sent so many of his fellow countrymen - and women and children - to mass graves would be completely indifferent to meeting their basic needs for food and medical care?
It has also long been known that Saddam supported the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Clearly, he used the aid program to make those $25,000 per terrorist payments. And that makes the contention that Iraq is a ``diversion'' from the war on terror even more offensive.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) suggested his investigation was being stonewalled by the U.N. which hasn't produced needed documents or provided access to key officials. It makes us wonder what else they're hiding.
``This is like an onion - we just keep uncovering more layers and more layers,'' Coleman said.
And the smell will permanently taint Secretary General Kofi Annan and the body he leads, whether the U.N. was complicit or simply oblivious.