America now knows why France, Russia and China actively opposed military action against Iraq:
Oil—or more specifically—oil kickback corruption involving the United Nations’ Iraqi oil-for-food program.
French, Russian, Chinese and even some American nationals routinely gave 10 percent kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, along with receiving illegal allocations of oil representing a total rip-off of some $10 billion.
The scheme involved Hussein selling oil at greatly discounted prices in return for under-the-table revenues to support his regime rather than provide food and medicine to Iraq’s impoverished masses.
Combine that oil corruption with French, Russian and Chinese nationals continuing to illegally supply Iraq with banned military supplies and you get the big picture.
But don’t expect the U.N. or Dubya Administration to recognize it. Not when America wants the U.N. to assume a much larger role in post-war Iraq.
Overlooking the scandal will cost much less than losing more American lives and spending more billions of dollars in Iraq. (25 APRIL 2004)
