UNScam today
After All Its Denials, U.N. Admits It Paid Oil-for-Food Program Aide's Legal Fees

After months of denials, the United Nations admitted yesterday that, in an exception to its own rules, it has paid for the legal defense of Benon Sevan. The U.N.'s own investigation panel denounced Mr. Sevan for his central role in the oil-for-food scandal that has engulfed the world body.

But here's the good news,

Questions regarding whether the U.N. would cover Mr. Sevan's legal fees were raised soon after the name of the oil-for-food program chief appeared on a list published by the Iraqi newspaper al-Mada shortly after the start of the Iraq war. The newspaper accused world diplomats, businessmen, and U.N. officials of accepting bribes from Saddam Hussein in the form of oil allocations.

I applaud al-Mada's bringing this up.

In the meantime, the UN, which has spent $300,000 on Sevan's legal costs, UN begins action decade on water. Tuesday is the UN's World Water Day, marking the start of an international decade of action, Water for Life.Took them a while, but Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.