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French President Jacques Chirac Speaks:
Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. In a report from The Washington times: information related to the U.N. oil-for-food program uncovered by the company includes connections between the U.N. program and a French organized crime figure who U.S. officials said was a conduit for oil-for-food-related payments to French President Jacques Chirac.
Iraqi Minister Scolds U.N. for Inaction Regarding Hussein
UNITED NATIONS - Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, accused the United Nations Security Council today of having failed to help rescue his country from Saddam Hussein, and he chided member states for bickering over his beleaguered country's future. "Settling scores with the United States-led coalition should not be at the cost of helping to bring stability to the Iraqi people," Mr. Zebari said in language unusually scolding for an occupant of the guest seat at the end of the curving Security Council table. "Squabbling over political differences takes a back seat to the daily struggle for security, jobs, basic freedoms and all the rights the U.N. is chartered to uphold," he said. Taking a harsh view of the inability of quarreling members of the Security Council to endorse military action in Iraq, Mr. Zebari said, "One year ago, the Security Council was divided between those who wanted to appease Saddam Hussein {Chirac being one] and those who wanted to hold him accountable. "The United Nations as an organization failed to help rescue the Iraqi people from a murderous tyranny that lasted over 35 years, and today we are unearthing thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure." He declared, "The U.N. must not fail the Iraqi people again." [Chirac is STILL at it] It was not immediately clear how the accusatory tone of Mr. Zebari's speech affected the closed-door discussion over the United Nations' role in Iraq that followed, but Secretary General Kofi Annan, the first to emerge from the hall, appeared taken aback. "Now is not the time to pin blame and point fingers," he told reporters. Saying that Mr. Zebari was "obviously entitled to his opinion," Mr. Annan said that the United Nations had done as much for Iraq as it could under the circumstances and was prepared to do more. [What - write some more resolutions? and then go on an expensive vacation?] "Quite honestly," he said, "now is not the time to hurl accusations and counter-accusations." Quite Honestly? "The United Nations as an organization failed to help rescue the Iraqi people from a murderous tyranny that lasted over 35 years, and today we are unearthing thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure." Accusation? or Truth?
Babies were found in Iraqi mass graves! Quite Honestly - how do the leaders of the U.N. sleep at night? He took on countries like France that have expressed doubts about the current governing group. "As Iraqis," he said, "we strongly disagree with those of you that question the legitimacy of the present Iraqi authorities." He continued: "I'd like to remind you that the [Iraqi] governing council is the most representative and democratic governing body in the region." He said, "The members of the Security Council should be reaching out and encouraging this nascent democracy in a region well known for its authoritarian rule." Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere of France, a critic of the war, turned aside the criticism of the Security Council dissenters, saying, "I don't want to comment on the past." He said he had questioned Mr. Zebari about France's interest in seeing Iraq increase the "inclusiveness" of the government so it would be one that would be viewed as "totally legitimate."
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"I
said then to Tony Blair: ' You absolutely have to
obtain something in exchange for your support.'
Well, Britain gave its support but I did not see much in return. I am not sure
that it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favors
systematically."
