IF the UN Was Crooked About Iraq’s ‘Oil for Food’…….

I have to wonder about this. I’m thinking about the oil for food story i posted just now… (below)
Let’s logic this out, because I’m seriously troubled by a thought that’s just occurred to me.

If, as is being suggested in the stories we’re getting about the UN and the oil for food program, the whole thing was crooked, what else can we not trust the UN on, at least as regards Iraq? For that matter what CAN we trust the UN on going forward?

For example; If by the UN’s action and stupidity, some folks with UN authority benefit from the oil for food program continuing, wouldn’t they be motivated to arrange for the continuance of the program…. Say, for example, UN teams not finding WMD, for example…. or even having them moved out to say, Syria, after the gig was up, to cover their butts….

Given the number of dollars we’re dealing with here… Between 10 and 40 billion so far, there seems a lot of directions this corruption that we are only now finding, could have gone.

Is it possible our intel on Iraq wasn’t so far off after all?

And then there’s the laugh-a-minute Hans Blix still trying to sell his story to a press eager to have him justify their leftist politics.  Is Blix just part of a cover, to which our own leftist press is an unwitting party?

Hmmmm. Like I say there’s a lot of ways this could go given the money.

Jen at The Greatest Jeneration is running a story this morning that says in part:

“In its testimony, the GAO said the United States has had mixed results in recovering Saddam’s hidden assets. The United States has seized about $926 million of the assets of Saddam’s regime in Iraq and other countries have frozen about $3.7 billion of Iraqi regime assets. But little progress has been made in identifying and freezing most of Saddam’s hidden assets. GAO said the regime was believed to have illegally acquired $10 billion to $40 billion.”

Jen adds to the story by suggesting, as I have many times in the past:

Suffice it to say that a good chunk went into the pockets of UN functionaries and the rogue regimes they represent (Need any countries’ names be mentioned?).

Yes, Jen, I think they do need to be named….Repeatedly.

France and Germany.
France and Germany.
France and Germany.

Explain to me again why we would possibly want the UN to be involved with Iraq, much less these two.

And now, let’s add Spain to the ‘pariah’ list since Spain has all but announced they’re going to crawl in bed with France and Germany.

Doesn’t this just say it all?
Even Dr Seuss knew this point back in the 40’s. You’d think the Spanish would know it now. Guess not.

By the way, this is part of a larger collection of such work from Dr. Seuss, available here

Did you even know that the President was at Ft. Campbell KY, yesterday, giving a speech thanking the 101st?
No?  Must be that right wing media again.

Anyway, here’s the text of that speech.

Money line from this speech for John Kerry:

“Our military has had strong supporters in the House and the Senate. I want to thank the Congress for standing up. I want to thank every member of Congress who voted in favor of the $87 billion supplemental that is meeting the needs of our troops in the field right now. (Applause.) When your government gives you a mission, we must accept serious responsibility of our own. And here’s my pledge: I’ll work to make sure you have every resource and every tool you need to fight and win the war on terror. (Applause.) “

Does Kerry really think he’s fooling anyone with this ‘military hero’ lie of his?

The new York Sun reports that:

“The Secret Service has quietly ordered a dramatic increase in the security it provides to presidential candidates, largely because of concerns about terrorism.

Journalists traveling with Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, the apparent Democratic nominee, report that every crowd Mr. Kerry speaks to must pass through metal detectors. “

Nice gesture, guys, but let’s apply a little bit of logic, here, shall we? Why would terrorists go after Kerry, who is the singular best hope they have to achieve their goals?

From the mail bag:

LISTEN UP, ONE AND ALL: Dust off that old VCR!  Break out a fresh tape! Or, for you “rich Republicans,” plug in your TiVo. 

Burlington, VT

Usually, such programs are also kept on the CSPAN website for online viewing.

Don’t know yet what to make of this report from CNN:

“ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistani forces have surrounded what may be a ‘high-value’ al Qaeda target in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, President Pervez Musharraf told CNN.
‘We feel that there may be a high-value target,’ Musharraf told CNN. ‘I can’t say who.’
The Associated Press and Reuters reported that officials believe the surrounded figure is Osama bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The AP attributed its report to three anonymous Pakistani officials.”

UPDATE from FOX

UPDATE#2

GREATEST JENERATION adds a report from SKY news:

Army spokesman General Shaukat Sultan said there had been an unknown number of casualties in continuing action Thursday.

Ann Coulter points out while blasting the Spanish capituation, that John Kerry in reality DOES have forign leaders that support him:

“Before he was put into office because he supported policies favored by al-Qaida terrorists, appeasement candidate Zapatero said: ‘I want Kerry to win.’ Kerry is also supported by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, who broadcasts Kerry speeches over Radio Pyongyang with favorable commentary.

Zapatero predicted that his own victory would help the anti-war party ‘in the duel between Bush and Kerry.’ Would you mind repeating that, sir? I was distracted by that large white flag you’re waving.”

Just great stuff.
As usual.

Tehran Webcam

File these under future use.

New York Post’s Ken Timmerman lays out the case that the French were in it for the oil.:

“March 16, 2004 — MANY Americans are convinced even today that the war in Iraq was all about oil. And they’re right – but oil was the key for French President Jacques Chirac, not for the United States.

In documents I obtained during an investigation of the French relationship to Saddam Hussein, the French interest in maintaining Saddam Hussein in power was spelled out in excruciating detail. The price tag: close to $100 billion. That was what French oil companies stood to profit in the first seven years of their exclusive oil arrangements – had Saddam remained in power. “

The Galvin Opinion is running an interesting story of someone pushing a political position at great personal expense:

“Kerri Dunn, a visiting professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, claimed that her car was vandalized in a very obscene and grotesque way. There was an explosion of emotion at Claremont McKenna and nearby colleges as students and professors protested against hate crimes. Police now suspect the professor staged the vandalism herself. “

Typical liberal. Create a problem and claim to be the solution to it.

LGF points out that John Kerry and his wife are heling to fund the Islamofacist front group CAIR through the TIDES fud “Charity”::

“CAIR is among the organizations Tides has announced it is “privileged” to support.”

Rich Lowry on Al Franken on National Review Online

Franken gets Fisked by Rich Lowry, as regards Rich’s book… Which by the way is in the right column.

Both the clumn and Lowry’s column tis week are must reads.

Michelle Malkin: The Dems’ ‘First Responder’ fakeout:

“Kerry, you see, was speaking before the International Association of Fire Fighters, whose president, Harold Schaitberger, is national co-chair of the Kerry for President Committee. Their complaint is not that Bush has done too little to fight terrorism, but that he has showered too little government funding on certain Democratic constituencies. Hence, the First Responders Fake-out.

Kerry’s big proposal to fight the global war on terrorism (borrowed from Bill and Hillary Clinton) is to add 100,000 ‘first responders’ to the ranks of firefighters and emergency medical personnel in cities and towns across the United States. In other words: Wait until the terrorists strike us again and then do a really, really good job of cleaning up the mess afterward.”

100,000 new members won’t hurt the union supporting him, huh?

“When it comes to protecting America from terrorism,” Kerry complains, “this administration is big on bluster and short on action.” And what does Kerry have to offer? More bluster about the old Clintonian “law enforcement” approach to prosecuting al Qaeda. More jury trials for terrorists.

The federal prosecution of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers in our civilian court system demonstrated the pitfalls of prosecuting the War on Terror like an episode of the TV show “Ally McBeal” — a pathetic courtroom comedy. The trials gave the bin Laden network a multi-million-dollar, tax-subsidized defense team, free translation services, personal dry-cleaning services, and access to information that was allegedly used by Islamists “to become more adept at eluding surveillance.”

(sigh)

“Courtney Love”