The oil-for-food racket

THE U.N. IS teeming with goodfellas, according to the Wall Street Journal. In today’s editorial discussing the latest findings in the oil-for-food program scandal, the Journal asks us to “imagine an American administration in which the attorney general secretly derives nearly half his income from the Gambino crime family” -- though it does allow that its mobbed-up-administration scenario is only “roughly” the case with Kofi Annan’s United Nations. The Journal restrains itself from assigning the beleaguered secretary-general any Soprano-esque nicknames.

USA Today echoed many other tributes, praising ABC’s Peter Jennings, who died Sunday at age 67, as “the consummate television news anchor” and the “the last of a great triumvirate of anchormen who dominated television news for a generation.” The newspaper reserved particular kudos for Jennings’ self-taught erudition, his devotion to foreign news and his ability to make stories in far-flung locales relevant to American viewers.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined this editorial page in taking a moment today to celebrate the rescue of the seven-man crew of the Russian mini-sub, calling it “a fine example of international cooperation at sea.” It congratulates “the Russian authorities who put the needs of their crew members ahead of nationalism, and ... British and American technology and seamen who carried out” the rescue. Of course, it states the obvious about Moscow’s deteriorating navy: “The Russians should have vessels of their own capable of rescuing submarines if they are going to continue to run them.”

Ted B. Kissell