Will Annan Last?

Pressure for the United Nations Secretary General to resign has been ratcheted up by Senator Norm Coleman in an oped in tomorrow’s WSJ with the blunt title Kofi Annan Must Go. Coleman, chairman of the U. S. Senate Permanent Subcomittee on Investigations, pulls no punches:

While many questions concerning Oil-for-Food remain unanswered, one conclusion has become abundantly clear: Kofi Annan should resign. The decision to call for his resignation does not come easily, but I have arrived at this conclusion because the most extensive fraud in the history of the U.N. occurred on his watch. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, as long as Mr. Annan remains in charge, the world will never be able to learn the full extent of the bribes, kickbacks and under-the-table payments that took place under the U.N.’s collective nose.

Of course, one could ask what right a US Senator has to meddle in the affairs of the United Nations (other than the obvious that we pay 22% of their budget), but if not he, who? The French? The Russians? The Chinese? All have been documented as having profiteered hugely off the scandal. That’s like having the Mafia investigate itself.

What’s interesting about the Oil-for-Food is how the peace camp (those educated enough to know about it anyway) hate to talk about this mega-scandal. I can understand why. To any rational person it makes complete hash of the argument that the Coalition should have waited for the Security Council to act. I am sure this is why many media outlets were reluctant to cover it. History will mock them for that. The chickens are coming home to roost – and not just for Don Kofi. (oped via Power Line)