Oil for food program has a special guest :)

Did anyone else see this? http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/09/internat...d146fb88bae5cb4

The 918-page report says that four American oil companies - Chevron, Mobil, Texaco and Bay Oil - and three individuals including Oscar S. Wyatt Jr. of Houston were given vouchers and got 111 million barrels of oil between them from 1996 to 2003. The vouchers allowed them to profit by selling the oil or the right to trade it. The other individuals, whose names appeared on a secret list maintained by the former Iraqi government, were Samir Vincent of Annandale, Va., and Shakir al-Khafaji of West Bloomfield, Mich., according to the report by the inspector, Charles A. Duelfer. The fact that these companies and individuals received oil from Iraq does not mean they did anything illegal, experts on the program said. Such allocations may have been proper if the individuals and companies received appropriate United Nations approval.

AHA! So that's why those french-looking Americans didn't support America's war in Iraq!

[gr8fuldaniel]

Ah, good I was waiting for this one to hit the press. A woman leaked this story on a Sunday morn news show, couldnt remember her name. She said the story involved elected officials. When pried D or R? she admitted Republican. So this is developing. You guys know of any elected Republican oilmen?

[harumscarum]

I am not sure of any, but I will go with Delay for his outstanding record. From the article what the companies were doing was legal as long as the got UN approval. To me this is just like a Halliburton Subsidiary doing business with Iran.

This did bring up some questions for me: What is different from what these US companies did and what the French business men did? Also for the people who saw the report and started throwing accusations at the French wouldn't they have seen the American names?

[Dieval]

Originally posted by harumscarum, What is different from what these US companies did and what the French business men did?

Aren't the French oil companies State owned(at least partially), unlike the US counter parts?

Originally posted by Dieval, Aren't the French oil companies State owned(at least partially), unlike the US counter parts?

hmm...a fair question. I tried googling it, but couldn't find anything.

Anyone?

[Iscariot]

What is the point being discussed here? That some American corporations took part in a legitimate UN program? The French and Russians are cornered on this subject because they took part in a clandestine program to allow Iraq to avoid the sanctions.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Originally posted by Iscariot, What is the point being discussed here? That some American corporations took part in a legitimate UN program? The French and Russians are cornered on this subject because they took part in a clandestine program to allow Iraq to avoid the sanctions.

According to the article:

"We want a full explanation of the involvement of all American oil companies and individuals who were involved in a thoroughly corrupt program," he said.

Its not all fair and square. I think the bigger story is the elected officials who havent been named yet. They havent published the list yet. We have an ethics issue here, remember the key phrase:

"Such allocations may have been proper if the individuals and companies received appropriate United Nations approval."