If you haven't checked out the Oil-for-Food Facts site recently, there's lots of new material posted, including a link to this Philadelphia Daily News letter:
Letters | What Rosett left out
WHILE disparaging the U.N., Secretary-General Kofi Annan and reform efforts initiated by him, Claudia Rosett (op-ed, May 3, "Just some more stale Kofi") focuses primarily on corruption in the Oil-for-Food relief program.
From 1996 until 2003, the Oil-for-Food Program let the Iraqi government sell oil to pay for food, infrastructure, medicine and humanitarian goods. It addressed the humanitarian impact of the sanctions on the Hussein regime while maintaining the sanctions to keep Saddam from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. It was successful in both respects.
Despite U.S. allegations, weapons of mass destruction were not found in Iraq; the caloric intake of Iraqis increased 83 percent during that period; malnutrition rates in 2002 in the central and southern part of the country were half those in 1996 among children under 5; in the three northern governorates, chronic malnutrition decreased 56 percent. The program also contributed to vaccination campaigns that helped reduce child mortality and eradicated polio.
Ms. Rosett fails to point out that most of the money pocketed by Saddam through illegal oil sales came through smuggling outside the framework of the program. Nor does she acknowledge that the U.N. raised concerns about potential wrongdoing on multiple occasions. Also missing is the fact that the U.S. was aware of the corruption taking place by Security Council members China, Russia and France, and to a lesser extent by U.S. companies, and chose to look the other way.
Nor is selective silence unique to this program. In the last few days, the White House has declined to comment as an uprising against the repressive government of President Karimov of Uzbekistan turned fatal as government forces fired on its citizens, killing at least 500.
Similarly, it is withholding support to the people of Kazakhstan against the corrupt regime of President Nazarbayev. The U.S. has military alliances with both of these countries.
Norma VanDyke, President
United Nations Association
Greater Philadelphia Chapter
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS: "Voinovich's continued offensive against Bolton will rankle the base, especially in light of fellow Ohioan Mike DeWine's participation in the confirmation agreement. Now with all of the shenanigans going on in the Senate, the last thing the GOP caucus needs is another "maverick" showing up the leadership and the White House."
LOADED MOUTH: "As I've reported before, the UN World Food Program (WFP) is runing extremely low on funds, and for the people of Darfur, this is the worst possible time for a WFP budget crisis because Sudan's rainy season starts in a month, which will make the transportation of rations nearly impossible. But even I'm surprised at how far in the hole WFP is. There's still time to donate. Hint hint."
WASHINGTON NOTE: "Doug Jehl captured the rarity of a Senator like Voinovich breaking not only once with his party -- but essentially THREE TIMES -- given his "Dear Colleagues" letter on Bolton."
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
Sudan food operation faces funding disaster
Troops end peacekeeping mission in Cyprus
UNICEF and Procter & Gamble Join Forces
Sri Lanka rebels recruiting fewer child soldiers
Wrapping up world meeting, UN health body acts on cancer, immunization
"Enhancing the role of female MPs in Bahrain, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait will be the focus of a seminar in Abu Dhabi on Monday. It is taking place at the General Women's Union as part of a regional project to empower women.
The project is being spearheaded by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and also aims to establish an Arab women parliamentarians' forum, bring gender issues onto the agendas of Arab parliaments and sow the seeds of equal participation at the national level." LINK
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
DEMOCRACY ARSENAL: "In response to my post yesterday on the beefing up of UN peacekeeping capabilities, Greg at Belgravia Dispatch raised the question of whether we would ever entrust missions "of utmost import to our national security" to a UN force.... We may never hand something akin from a strategic perspective to Iraq over to the UN, but its easy to envision a mission in Darfur - provided the killings can be stopped - being handled by the world body."
TREEHUGGER: "A recent survey may have found that some young people aren't engaged by environmental issues, but the United Nations Environment Program is not planning on leaving them uninformed."
WAR AND PIECE: "How does the Senate deal affect the Bolton nomination? Steve Clemons reports on several developments, including the Democratic Caucus discussion on Bolton today."
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
UN group meets to promote sports for peace and development
Audit criticizes Iraq's handling of oil sales after power transfer
UN agricultural agency proposes better targeted attack on poverty and hunger
Chancellor hails EU aid agreement
Lebanon Free of Syrian Troops
Iraq Can't Explain $69 Million in Fuel Oil From '04, Audit Says
"Former US president Bill Clinton will visit Sri Lanka this weekend on his second post-tsunami tour of the region and this time as a UN special envoy, the United Nations said." More...
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
CHRENKOFF: "Efforts to improve Iraqi health continue. "With funding from USAID, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is implementing a comprehensive package of activities designed to help Iraq meet Millennium Development Goals in public health."
DANIEL STARR: "In the Congo today, UN peacekeepers are simply called heroes.... UN troops are being sent against bad guys in the low-intensity wars that are too dull, too dangerous or just too prolonged for America and Europe to commit their own troops. They're not up to American or German standards, but the UN contingents are skilled and equipped enough to overwhelm thugs with guns, and "thugs with guns" is exactly who fights a lot of these nasty drawn-out wars. UN troops are shaping up to be a useful part of the "arsenal of peace" we'd like to have to keep another terrorist-haven Afghanistan from taking shape. They're getting better. And yes, we may even see UN troops in certain roles in Iraq."
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: "The Blue Helmets are seldom called in for "pure" peacekeeping mission in which, as the name implies, there is a peace to keep. Instead, UN forces are inserted between still-hostile factions in an attempt to create peace. That's a war fighting mission and forces must be trained, equipped, and led with that understanding."
SCRUTINY HOOLIGANS: "Remember George Galloway? The U.S. Senate website doesn't."
Selected summary of United Nations news and events
Secretary-General heading to Ethiopia and Sudan to seek help for Darfur
Post-tsunami recovery will take about a decade: UN agencies
Armed conflicts now leading cause of world hunger
Global health rules aim to halt disease spread
UN envoy's tour refocuses attention on drought, HIV/AIDS in southern Africa