Now the war’s combative phase is finished and soldiers are sifting through rubble of the former Iraq regime. Documents found buried in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry’s remains give insight to France’s pre-war maneuvering.
These documents show the French gave Iraq regular updates on classified conversations with the United States, according to the Times of London. This includs briefs on U.S.-Iraq strategy and detailed early divisions within the Bush administration.
A Sept. 25, 2001 document from the Iraqi foreign minister refers to an earlier briefing given by a French ambassador in Baghdad that provided information regarding the U.S. response to Sept. 11. France gained this information from a private conversation between Bush and French president Jacques Chirac.
The U.K. Daily Telegraph reports evidence shows the Iraqi Intelligence Service was conspiring with French diplomats as early as three years ago. One letter noted Iraqi opposition leaders would not be granted French visas to attend an April 2000 human rights conference in Paris.
France clearly desired to protect Hussein’s horrific regime. Why would it do anything to save this dictator? As days go by we learn more of financial connections with France and others who opposed war.
Now that the task of rebuilding Iraq is on hand, most wouldn’t think twice about ending sanctions on the Iraqi people. Last week France finally agreed to the temporary “suspension” of sanctions on Iraqi civilians, but demanded the oil-for-food program stay in place.
The U.N. Security Council recently voted unanimously to extend the U.N.’s control of the oil-for-food program until June 3. Looking at this program, one can see the enormous amount of money many countries and the U.N. received from Hussein’s rule.
The program was designed to provide humanitarian aid to Iraqi citizens and finance reparations Iraq owes on claims dating back to the Gulf War. The funding is provided by sales of Iraqi oil. The U.N. decides who can export the oil and what products may be purchased with the money.
The U.N. oversaw more than $100 billion in contracts for oil exports and relief imports combined, but operates the program with secrecy and no independent oversight. The Security Council gave Secretary General Kofi Annan direct authority to sign off on all goods not itemized on a special watch list. He has approved relief items such as boats and boat accessories from France, sport supplies from Lebanon, TV broadcasting equipment from Russia, laser light show equipment and a cartoon-making apparatus, according to The New York Times.
All the while, Iraqi citizens lacked basic necessities and Annan approved purchases for the regime to add to its toy collection. General Tommy Franks was correct to call it the “oil-for-palace program.”
Still, we can’t be sure of the depth of the corruption. Shipment orders are confidential and nearly all descriptions on the contract lists the U.N. made public fail to provide detail, with notations such as “goods for resumption of project.”
The New York Times also showed questionable purchases, including “detergent” from Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Sudan, “Japanese vehicles” from Russia and Syria, “powdered milk” from desert countries such as Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia. None of these countries are known to be producers of the purchased products.
Also, the U.N. collects 2.2 percent commission on every barrel, more than $1 billion to date.
This program may be buried in a scandal making Enron’s deeds look mild. Civilians didn’t starve due to Enron’s greed, but Iraqis were left to live with the results of greedy U.N. bureaucrats. Annan, France and Russia dirtied their hands throughout Hussein’s rule. Now they want a chief role in post-war Iraq.
The coalition of the willing shouldn’t give them a role until they are held accountable for their actions. Among the many discoveries in Iraq’s rubble, the world may find a crumbled role for the U.N., France and others who opposed disposing of Hussein’s regime for selfish purposes.