US 'failed to control' Iraq oil

[cal04]

A United Nations panel has found that the US-led occupation authority failed to exercise proper controls over Iraq's oil industry and could not say how much oil had gone missing since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The International Advisory and Monitoring Board report also said there were "important weaknesses" in the management by occupation officials of up to $20bn in Iraqi funds, mostly from oil sales.

US politicians have often accused the UN of incompetence and, perhaps, corruption in its handling of the oil-for-food programme, a scheme to alleviate Iraqi suffering under sanctions before the war. Now the boot is on the other foot.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4098729.stm

[Just Me]

1. Ugh! The US KNEW what was going on, was complicit and active,...

,...in the compromises being made via the oil-for-food program. The whole right-wing attack is merely a distraction from the corruption in the right-wing itself!

[DireStrike]

2. We're not taking their oil. Really!

They can sell it for their prosperous democracy! Just as soon as we have 'elections' and a new leader who will sell it for dollars, not Euros.

Until then, you don't mind if we take a little off the top, right? It's just sitting there, and 'insurgents' are burning it anyway. We might as well burn it for profit!

[Moderator]

3. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1070703