Oil for Food? Annan says "Hell No": UN Clears him of Any WrongDoing

Yesterday, after weathering months of high-profile attacks, the United Nations finally had its proverbial day in court. The independent panel investigating the U.N.'s oil-for-food program, led by widely respected former U.S. Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker, released its second report. Was Kofi Annan found to be complicit in the corruption that marred the oil-for-food program? Did his office try to cover up the abuses? Does anything in the report suggest that Kofi Annan should resign as secretary-general? To quote Annan himself: "Hell no." Now that these questions have been answered, Annan will be able to pursue his agenda of fundamental reforms. The bottom line: yesterday's report cleared Kofi Annan of all corruption charges and of "exercising any influence in the awarding of a program contract to the company that employed his son." Moreover, the panel concluded, there was no evidence that the U.N.'s internal procurement processes has been compromised nor was there evidence of improper influence. Indeed, the report's findings occasioned calls of support from the U.S. State Department and heads of state from around the world, including President Bush himself.  [MORE]