U.N. Called a Party to Iraq Oil Abuses

The chairman of a congressional committee contended Monday that U.N. officials “encouraged, or at least tacitly condoned,” President Saddam Hussein’s widespread abuse of Iraq’s oil-for-food relief program.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asked that the United Nations give the panel all records related to alleged bribes and kickbacks involved in the U.N.-sponsored program to ease the effects of economic sanctions on Iraq’s civilians.

The committee also requested a list of U.N. officials involved in its management.

A recent report by the Central Intelligence Agency’s special weapons inspector, Charles A. Duelfer, concluded that Hussein exploited the relief program to reap billions of dollars in illicit revenue, bypassing U.N.-imposed sanctions.

The program generated an estimated $67 billion legally and $11 billion illegally.

It began in 1996, six years after economic sanctions were imposed to deny goods to Hussein’s military and punish him for invading Kuwait. The program was suspended when a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003 and was lifted two months later.

Barton sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan that cited Duelfer’s findings and other reports of kickbacks and illicit deals by Hussein arising from the relief program.

“The evidence further suggests that despite being aware of these abuses, U.N. officials and member states encouraged, or at least tacitly condoned, the abuses,” Barton wrote.

The committee is one of three House panels investigating the Iraqi relief program.