The U.N.'s sugar daddy

The biggest story of the year (so far) has reared its ugly head. No, I'm not talking about the despicable actions of a dishonorable few in our military in Iraq. I'm talking about the disgraceful actions of what is supposed to be the world's governing body, the United Nations. \nWe now know the possible reason Saddam Hussein was allowed to break numerous U.N. resolutions. We now know the likely cause of the U.N. not backing regime change in Iraq. While only in the preliminary stages of investigation, it seems countries such as France, Germany and Russia did not back the United States in disposing of Saddam because they were profiting from him being in power.\nAnd not just a small profit, either. \nThe U.N. oil-for-food program began as a humanitarian aid effort in December 1996. Initially designed for Iraq to sell a limited amount of oil in exchange for food and other humanitarian needs for Iraqi citizens, it soon ballooned into a $100 billion scandal. \nIt started out with a limit of $2 billion in oil sold every six months, but that amount more than doubled within two years. A year later, the ceiling on the sale of oil was completely lifted. Saddam hoarded the money from the program, pocketing more than $10.1 billion in smuggled oil revenue and illicit proceeds. The Iraqi people never received the full amount intended. The program ended up financing Saddam's many palaces while handing U.N. countries large profits. Even Kojo Annan, the son of the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, is believed to be involved in the scandal. \nIt's no wonder the U.S. could not convince the U.N. to depose of Saddam -- he was effectively the "sugar daddy" of the U.N.\nWhere is the mainstream media in covering this monumental scandal? A search on www.cnn.com turns up no results. How can a scandal with these large implications not even turn up on their Web site? \nWe are instead being inundated with pictures of the shameful acts of a few dim-witted American soldiers in Iraq. Instead of reporting on the good things American soldiers and contractors have accomplished in Iraq -- the focus is on the bad. This is a product of the "Blame America First" mentality prevalent in the reporting from the elite media. \nShortly after 9-11 occurred, the question was, "What did America do to make them hate us?" Now, it is the despicable acts of a few taking the spotlight away from possibly the most significant scandal and cover-up ever committed. \nI am in no way trying to make light of the despicable acts that occurred in the Iraqi prisons, but it seems there is a far greater issue at hand. This scandal could explain why the U.N. allowed Saddam to defy resolution after resolution until President Bush decided it was enough. The delay these resolutions caused possibly allowed Saddam to dispose of his weapons of mass destruction, where they likely now have turned up in the chemical attack plot in Jordan. These are not just "bombs" thrown from the political right, but possible events that should be investigated. \nBut you will not hear it from the elite media -- it could help President Bush to get re-elected. This scandal and the Jordan plot could discredit any argument against the war in Iraq -- or possibly not, but it definitely should be looked into. \nThe next time Sen. John Kerry or one of his Democratic cohorts says President Bush should have done more to "involve the international community," think about this scandal. Would you want to be cut off from your sugar daddy?