Depressed Annan close to quitting over UN scandals

[housewolf]

Depressed Annan close to quitting over UN scandals

KOFI ANNAN, the United Nations secretary-general, is said to be struggling with depression and considering his future. Colleagues have reported concerns about Annan ahead of an official report this week that will examine his son Kojo’s connection to the controversial Iraqi oil for food scheme.

Depending on the findings of the report, by a team led by the former US Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, Annan may have to choose between the secretary-generalship and loyalty to his son.

American congressional critics of the UN are already pressing him to resign over the mismanagement of the oil for food programme, and even his supporters have been dismayed by the scandals on his watch, including the sexual abuse of children by UN peacekeepers in Congo.

<snip>

New scandals continue to erupt, however. One revelation last week was that the UN had agreed to pay legal fees for Benon Sevan, the disgraced head of the oil for food programme, out of the funds raised from the Iraqi oil sales.

<snip>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1543360,00.html

[FlemingsGhost]

1. They got him right where they want him (n/t)

Flem

[oasis]

2. Halliburton, Cheney, Abu Gharib, Chalabi, Negroponte, Condiliar, 9/11

failures, lies about Iraq WMD, Enron, election fraud, national debt explosion, Karl Rove puppetry,Viceroy Bremer mismanagement.

Bush is to blame for all of this shit that got out of hand. He should resign.

[flordehinojos]

3. WHY THE ..... WON'T THE PRESS TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE BUSHES' AND THEIR

SCANDALOUS/MURDEROUS POLITICS! - Don't quit Koffi Annan. Please don't quit!

[jdj]

4. NO HELL NO.

Please don't give in to the thugs Kofi.

Don't let them win,... fuck them.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Good. Bye, bye. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out n/t

[vpigrad]

6. Why the hate for the man that stands for everything we do?

WHY?

[Psephos]

10. Because he is corrupt.

It hurts ten times worse when it's someone we consider one of our own.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. Ah, a little word of advice.

If a republican says it, assume it is a lie.

Don't believe any of the crap they are saying about Kofi Annan unless it has been verified by other, preferable foreign, sources.

[NNN0LHI]

9. vpigrad and NCevilDUer. First I don't hate the man

But if he has been compromised he is worthless to anyone but Boosh. Boosh has him in his hip pocket now. What good is he like that? Boosh don't want him gone now. It would be best to get someone else in there that does not have that problem. See my point guys?

Don

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. Does Bush saying Annan is compromised make it so?

And if Annan were is Bush's pocket, why would he be considering resigning?

This is typical republican tactics -- throw a handful of shit, and then see what sticks. It makes no difference that one piece of shit directly contradicts any other piece of shit, just so long as something sticks.

Another Rovian tactic is to accuse the other of what they themselves are doing. All the crap about the corrupt oil-for-food being thrown at Annan, when it was American companies that were profiting the most by corruption. Was there corruption? Probably, because Saddam's regime was one of the most corrupt in the world, and any dealings with them at all, under any circumstance, would be tinged by that corruption. Which brings to mind chummy Rummie. Was Annan or his son (or son-in-law, or whatever) personally profiting? There is no evidence of it. Just accusations. And who do we send to the UN to speak for our interests? A person who is on record as wanting to shut the UN down.

Consider the source.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Read post #11. I could not have said it any better n/t

[pacifictiger]

21. If he goes

who replaces him? We may all be tipped from the frying pan into the fire.
His leaving would most certainly open the way for the theocons to put someone in there that will be more compliant than Anan has had to be.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. How much longer does he have on his term of office? n/t

[starwolf]

11. Its clearly time for him to leave...

If he is the good guy that some here perceive him to be, he will accept responsibility for what has happened on his watch and resign. It will give the organization a chance for a fresh start in the eyes of many.

If he is a just another politico hack, he will not have the decency to resign and the UN will sink deeper into a quagmire of useless shrill debating, additional scandals, and ineffectiveness.

There is a widely held perception that the UN is pretty much useless, and I tend to agree. Unlike the repugs, I want the UN to suede. Considering how FUBAR things are, it means a serious housecleaning and accepting personal responsibility for failure, mismanagement and bad deeds at all levels of the Secretariat and independent agencies. He could have no better legacy than to lead in that endeavor.

[NNN0LHI]

13. I hope Mr. Annan reads your post. You laid it real out well. Thanks n/t

[FlemingsGhost]

15. "... a widely held perception that the UN is pretty much useless"

Maybe in your circles, whatever they might be ...

[Psephos]

17. "Maybe in your circles, whatever they might be..."

If you don't like the post, then I and a lot of other DUers who believe in tolerance and civility in discourse would appreciate it if you attack the ideas, and not the poster.

I see this a lot. Those with a different opinion are labeled freepers or Rovebots or whatever. Naturally, that short-circuits the need for a meaningful response, and we all lose the benefit of hearing more than a single point of view.

Peace.

[FlemingsGhost]

18. I labeled no one.

Methinks you protest too much.

[Psephos]

22. You can't have it both ways

I think we all can agree that implication and innuendo are at least as powerful as coming right and saying something...sometimes, more powerful.

My feeling that if no one says anything in favor of open and respectful discourse, then it will continue to erode. I don't want to press the point too hard here, so this is my last post in this thread.

I respect you, Fleming, from reading other posts of yours. I also respect your point of view here. I wouldn't have said anything if I thought it might fall on deaf ears, and I don't expect you to come out and agree with me, either. But I do hope you'll consider the effect your words may have on others before hitting the post button. I have to do the same thing when my emotions get going, too.

Peace.

[FlemingsGhost]

26. Neither can you, friend.

You write of tolerance and fairness, yet you instantly dismiss Kofi Annan as "corrupt." That remains to be seen. Unless you can prove it. Furthermore, it is his son that is at the center of the allegations.

Thanks for the kind words, though. I didn't mean to insult or offend you. I will certainly take your points to heart.

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. OK, how's this. The entire article contains just two attributable

quotes. There is one vague reference after another of 'it is thought', and 'someone said' and that is all bullshit.

The two quotes: one by a member of Annan's staff states that if there are problems it is with Kofi's son, not Kofi Annan.

The other is by a totally unbiased representative of the Heritage Foundation.

Once again, I say,

Consider the fucking source.

[Psephos]

24. I was referring to the response to post #11, not the OP.

Nonetheless, five minutes with Google will reveal that the Times of London has no monopoly on this subject.

Peace.

[Autobot77]

28. Ummm I don't think he was attacking you...

" Maybe in your circles, whatever they might be..."" doesn't sound like an attack to me. Now if he said you were an asshole, then that would be an attack.

[Zynx]

16. If he is corrupt, he needs to go, period.

I don't buy that all of this is manufactured by the right wing.

[KeepItReal]

19. Bush & Co. put on their dancin shoes...start looking for Kofi's grave

<EOM>

[Al-CIAda]

23. Clinton will be installed at the UN.

If/When this happens, look out.

[lonestarnot]

25. Why look out? n/t

[Benson]

30. Not by W. No Clinton in the UN until 2008 at least.

Bush won't appoint Clinton! And he needs to be an appointee before he can take Annan's job.

[MisterP]

27. Coleman is dangerous for your health: hope Mr. Annan is alright otherwise

P.S.: To "Evidence" Chalabi and his sycophants: pudda sock innit.

[daleo]

29. If Wolfowitz gets turned down for the World Bank job...

If Annan did quit, the person put forth by Bush would probably be mind boggling. Rummy maybe.