Claudia Rossett: The UN Is Absolutely Corrupt

by Jerry Gordon (Feb. 2009)

Why the U.N. Structure abets Corruption.

The U.N. Iraqi Oil for Food scandal

The Saddam Hussein regime received illicit income of $1.8 billion under the Oil-for-Food Program. $228.8 million was derived from the payment of surcharges in connection with oil contracts. $1.55 billion came through kickbacks on humanitarian goods.

d in anti-sanctions activities.

 

• Several Russian political parties and politicians received allocations of Iraqi oil, including:

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (125.1 million barrels)

Vladimir Zhirinovsky and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (73 million barrels)

Party of Peace and Unity (55.5 million barrels)

Alexander Voloshin, Chief of Staff to Russian President Vladimir Putin (4.3 million barrels).

• The Iraqi government, in addition to giving preference to French-based companies, granted oil allocations to individuals based in France who espoused pro-Iraq views. These included:

Jean-Bernard Merimee, Special Adviser to the United Nations, with the rank of Under-Secretary General (6 million barrels)

Charles Pasqua, former Minister of the Interior (11 million barrels)

Claude Kaspereit, businessman and son of French MP Gabriel Kaspereit (over 9.5 million barrels)

Serge Boidevaix, former Director of the Department for North Africa and the Middle East, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (over 32 million barrels)

Gilles Munier, Secretary-General of the French-Iraqi Friendship Association (11.8 million barrels).

• • “According to Iraqi officials, oil allocations were granted to fund Mr. Galloway’s anti-sanctions activities. Iraqi officials identified Mr. Zureikat as acting on Mr. Galloway’s behalf to conduct the oil transactions in Baghdad.
    • Roberto Formigioni, the President of the Lombardy Region of Italy, was granted a total of over 27 million barrels of oil by the Government of Iraq. Over 24.1 million barrels of this oil were lifted.

    written:

     

    Rossett noted the dimensions of the scandal:

    A Senate subcommittee investigation, led by Sens. Norm Coleman and Carl Levin, further discovered, as disclosed in a January 2008 report, that the UNDP in North Korea had transferred funds to North Korean front entities involved in arms and nuclear proliferation networks.

    The Hamas Enabler-the UNRWA Palestinian Refugee program
    Rossett noted:

    
    Into this system flows an annual UNRWA budget now well above $400 million per year, doled out variously in the form of cash, goods, medical care, schooling, job-training programs and so forth. [The U.S. funds 31 percent of the annual UNRWA budget, while Muslim states fund less than 7 percent.]

    Professor Heinsohn of the Raphael Lemkin Institute at the University of Bremen noted:

    
    The warring stopped because no more warriors were being born.
    Prior to her Tiger Bay Club presentation in Pensacola, I handed Ms. Rossett this question for response:

    
    In an email exchange with me following her Pensacola talk, Rossett replied:

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