US 'approved' oil smuggling

[bemildred]

The largest oil consignment smuggled out of Iraq took place with US approval just weeks before the April 2003 invasion, according to a United Nations report.
The Independent Inquiry Committee has spent the past year examining the now defunct UN oil-for-food program.

The report blamed UN officials and the Security Council for mismanagement that allowed former leader Saddam Hussein to divert more than $10 billion from kickbacks and smuggling.

But it also faulted the United States and other Security Council members for ignoring violations of UN sanctions.

News.Com.AU

[leftchick]

1. under bush's watch??

I am shocked I tell you! :puke:

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. So this shows how seriously the US took the investigation

The investigation said the smuggling in early 2003 was "the single largest episode of oil smuggling" under the oil-for-food program and occurred "with the approval of the United States government."

"The governments of Jordan and the United States have declined the Committee's requests for interviews and information concerning the smuggling of oil from Khor al-Amaya," the report said.

They won't even talk about it now. Of course not, that would mean admitting they were acting illegally.

[rooboy]

3. Kick n/t

[mediaman007]

4. Memo to Senator Coleman (R):

In all of your grandstanding investigation to uncover the "truth" about the "Oil for Food Scandal", you missed the part about the participation of the United States. Any egg on your face now? Who's your Daddy?

Just wait until you come home to campaign on this information.

[struggle4progress]

5. kick

[Megahurtz]

6. Uh Huh.......

Gee, I wonder if this could be the reason they went to Iraq in the first place.:eyes:

[daleo]

7. So much for the oil for food scandal

Just another hypocritical smear.

[Judi Lynn]

8. This should be a ->HUGH!!11!11!!

From the article:

While US Navy ships were patrolling the Gulf in February 2003, making a show of boarding and searching leaky dhows and small ships, they turned a blind eye to tankers carrying $54 million of Iraqi oil under the scheme on Jordan's behalf, the report said.

A total of 7.7 million barrels of oil was smuggled through the Khor al-Amaya oil terminal in at least seven shipments in February and March 2003, it said.

The sales were arranged by a businessman in Jordan named "Mr Shaheen" who told an Iraqi official he had "the Pentagon in one pocket and the CIA in the other."

The oil was bought at a heavily discounted price of around $7 a barrel, the report said.

If it had been sold at fair market value within the oil-for-food program, it could have earned $200 million to buy humanitarian goods.
(snip)