Iraq to UN - "Give us Our Money"

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)- Iraq said it wanted its money back from the scandal-tainted U.N. oil-for-food program Friday as Secretary-General Kofi Annan vowed to get to the bottom of wrongdoing by U.N. staff.

"Huge sums of money which should have served the needs of the Iraqi people who were suffering at that time -- a lot of these resources were squandered and misspent," said Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Samir Sumaidaie.

Iraq, he said, should at minimum not have to pay for the independent probe set up by the United Nations from remaining oil-for-food funds. The inquiry panel has spent $30 million so far, with the approval of the Security Council.
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The Iraqi ambassador said the United Nations received $1.14 billion to administer the program and wanted to see how much actually reached its destination or was squandered by outside contractors working for the world body.

"The question arises whether the secretariat is subject to its own political culture, which tends to subvert the will of the Security Council," said Sumaidaie. "This is serious."

Iraq wants their money -- and if peoples got rich or diverted funds from their ordinal humanitarian intent, I agree with them. Iraq deserves their monies so the "new" government can use the funds to help their people as intended...