Bremer accused of delaying probe(oil for food)

[PfcHammer]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20040421-094319-1506r.htm

Bremer accused of delaying probe

By Shaun Waterman
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

An adviser to the Iraqi Governing Council yesterday accused U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer of deliberately slowing the IGC's probe into a $10 billion kickback scandal that is bound to embarrass the United Nations.

A two-month delay while Mr. Bremer's coalition officials put an auditing contact out to tender may have allowed the destruction or loss of vital evidence, adviser Claude Hankes-Drielsma testified on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Hankes-Drielsma was the lead witness in a hearing into suspected bribes, kickbacks and smuggling in the U.N. oil-for-food program being conducted by the House Government Reform national security, emerging threats and international relations subcommittee chaired by Rep. Christopher Shays, Connecticut Republican.

In New York, a three-member panel led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker opened an investigation after a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to authorize the probe.

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[Catt03]

1. Priorities

Seems to me that someone has to get their prioities right.

While the fraud certainly needs to be investigated, there is a crisis going on in Iraq and this issue pales in comparison.

[teryang]

2. More obstruction from the enemies

...of justice.

[yellowcanine]

3. Covering up Cheney's tracks?

Who's to say that Halliburton under Cheney wasn't in the thick of this scandal? It seems quite likely to me.

[Athame]

4. Yep, that seems likely to me, too. n/t

[daleo]

5. Who knows

It is a Washington Times story. Who knows what angle they are working.

[Robbien]

6. Another view from Insight Magazine

He would not speculate as to Bremer's motives in delaying the probe, beyond saying that it was an example of Bremer's "high-handedness." But a source close to the investigation told United Press International: "There can be no legitimate cause for delay given the importance of this issue to Iraq and the whole world. The only reason must be that they did not want the report out before the handover ."

and

"You have to practice what you preach," concluded the official. The official said Bremer had also placed the investigation under the control of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit, an independent financial watchdog set up by his CPA, wresting control of it from the finance committee of the governing council. The finance committee, which hired Hankes-Drielsma, is led by the controversial former exile Ahmed Chalabi, a fact that caused some Democrats to raise questions about the timing and origin of the recent round of charges.

http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/04/27/World/Iraqis.Claim.Bremer.Slowed.Their.U.n.Graft.Probe-670048.shtml

There is much more in the article. Since Bremer is just a mouthpiece for the Bush Cabel, there must be some cowboy dirty linen here.

[Cocoa]

9. that's not really another view

Washington Times and Insight Magazine are sister publications in the Moonie family. :-)

[Robbien]

10. Thanks, it sounded as if it had the same slant

The Illinois Leader (a far right publication) also speculates

If an Iraqi/U.N. conspiracy was one of the reasons nations, including Russia, France and Germany, did not join a U.S.-led coalition to remove Hussein from power, it is possibly the biggest story of the decade.

and

If these allegations are proven to be true, it has the potential to damage the legitimacy of the United Nations beyond repair. If Bush's attempts to illicit a greater multilateral coalition in the war on Iraq were derailed because of the oil-for-food conspiracy, the President cannot be blamed for the human carnage we are now seeing in that wartorn nation.

And they think the media is in bed with the UN thus are playing down this story.

Do they ever stop and think that there are so many scandals coming out these days that this one is just another one piled on to the heap.

[Cocoa]

7. I think they're attacking Bremer from the right

I think the neocons aren't comfortable with the UN's increasing role in Iraq.

[Mountainman]

8. I think you are right, this scandal is made up by the right to

discredit the UN so that there will be no support for the UN taking over in Iraq.

The UN said that this scandal was fabricated by the right and promoted by the right wing media. 2 nights before it made the news, Scarborough and Buchanan were talking about it on Scarborough's show. I looked here the next day and no mention of the UN scandal until yesterday, 2 days after the Scarborough's show. It seems their timing was off.