Rosemary Righter in the Times understandably blows a gasket about the UN oil for food scandal in Saddam's Iraq. This enormous larceny, which somehow failed to come to the attention of the UN's 1000 watchdogs, illustrates with devastating clarity the utter bankruptcy of that organisation. That is precisely why, as Righter observes, no-one is leaping up and down about the scandal. The conspiracy to pretend that the UN is the repository of civilised values and the only mechanism for advancing democracy, peace and progress is undented by this revelation. As Righter fumes:

'Was the UN blind? Or was it, too, bought? What appears to be an official Iraqi memo lists Benon Sevan, who headed the oil-for-food programme, as the recipient of 7.29 million barrels of cut-price crude, out of a personal allocation of 14.3 million. Since he denies all charges, why is he on extended leave pending retirement? Were others on the take? Iraqis have the right to know. But the disgusting truth is that virtually no one in authority wants daylight let in on this putrid scandal. Not the Russians and French, whose traders top the list of profiteers. Not the UN, whatever Mr Annan says, or it would already have published lists of contracts and the findings of the 100 audits allegedly made of the programme. Not, even, the US and Britain; they do not want the UN’s role in this revolting racket exposed just as it gets down to selecting the transitional Iraqi government. This is the most massive financial scandal in UN history, the most disgusting, and the most damaging to vulnerable, voiceless people. It is also the least likely ever to be fully exposed. Some new chapter.'

When are we going to wake up to the fact that the UN is in many ways a force for bad, and that what the world needs instead is a United Democratic Nations, or diplomatic coalition of the willing, which would actually uphold and fight for democracy against the corruption, tyranny and terror which the UN currently embodies?

Posted by melanie at April 23, 2004