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Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Tue Jan 18, 2005 at 01:17:10 PM EST
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An Iraqi-American has pleaded guilty in the Top oil for food scandal.

According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in New York, Vincent agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy, violating economic sanctions, acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government and income tax violations. Vincent, who surrendered to the FBI on Tuesday morning in New York, faces a maximum of 28 years in prison. He also agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into corruption in the oil-for-food program.

This is the first person to be charged, but not the last. As a recap, the oil for food program, in operation from 1996 to 2003, allowed Iraq

... to sell oil to buy civilian goods to ease the impact of U.N. sanctions on ordinary Iraqis.

Here's what went wrong:

Vincent reaped millions of dollars of profits by selling to an oil company the rights to purchase that Iraqi oil," the documents said. Charles Duelfer, a former U.N. arms inspector who did a detailed survey last fall, said Saddam earned $1.5 billion through kickbacks from contracts for goods purchased through the oil-for-food program and $229,000 from surcharges on oil sold under the program.

"In consideration of Vincent's efforts on its behalf, the government of Iraq awarded Vincent and a company under his control the rights to purchase approximately 9 million barrels of oil under the oil-for-food program," the court documents said.

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    Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal | 25 comments (25 topical)
    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 18, 2005 at 07:03:48 PM EST
    Yeah, right, right, right. But I'm sure his REAL crime is in not tithing enough to the Republican trough. Until I see some Bechtel and Halliburton heads rolling, I will remain unimpressed. Dog, meet Pony.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 12:52:24 AM EST
    Surely the UN, the French, the Germans, the Russians, and just everybody else is guilty in the oil-for-food abuses, but not the US. Cannot be, would violate natural laws. Meanwhile, Pres. Bush is winning hearts and minds the world over.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 05:39:57 AM EST
    Dearest No Name - The perp is a natutralized citizen. Obviously our immigration process needs to be tightened up. Say like, no more for 10 years. Give us time to assimilate the new comers and weed out the bad guys. Lavocat - Nice rant.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#4)
    by pigwiggle on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 05:43:34 AM EST
    Oh, Oh, Oh … Let me try; BushCo, blood for oil, commander in thief. Now we can all ignore the thieves in the UN that stole food and medicine from starving Iraqis. Look, I have no love for the UN but for you folks that do you had better hope they cut this cancer out quick. I would love to see the UN ignore this thing and try to shift attention to the wrongdoings of others; that much more damage to the self perceived ‘legitimacy’.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#5)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 05:51:12 AM EST
    Pig a dishonest rant if there ever was one - your true colors emerging everyday - yet another UN hater. thieves in the UN that stole food and medicine from starving Iraqis This is factually incorrect, but I know you mean indirectly. What evidence do you have that those in the UN directly profited and if they did by how much? For Saddam the smuggling operations which the US knew about made him much more money. Please remember Chalabi's files on this were "destroyed"

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#6)
    by cp on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 06:25:24 AM EST
    the bottom line is that saddam initiated, and directly benefited from, the oil-for-food program scam. ultimately, he is directly responsible for pretty much all of the suffering the citizens of iraq went through, as a result of the embargo. while the u.n. most likely didn't participate in this activity, it made no effort to stop it. for it to have not known about it would have required a total suspension of disbelief, on the part of the u.n. program managers. or should i say, mismanagers. the blood of dead iraqi children stains both saddam's hands, and those u.n. employees who made no effort to stop him, and the other participants, from diverting valuable resources from the iraqi people, to saddam's bank accounts. this would also include the u.s. representatives to the u.n., who either were ignorant, or just ignored it. they are all culpable.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#7)
    by pigwiggle on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 06:28:09 AM EST
    ‘Pig a dishonest rant if there ever was one - your true colors emerging everyday - yet another UN hater.’ Dishonest? I’m completely up-front about my dislike for the UN. I agree it was a rather lame rant. I am just overly tired of what I perceive as a double standard of those tht frequent this board; I see an unlimited appetite for conspiratorial speculation concerning all things conservative. However, when only modest scrutiny is called for concerning the UN, it is taken as another opportunity to impugn the US. ‘This is factually incorrect, but I know you mean indirectly. What evidence do you have that those in the UN directly profited and if they did by how much?’ I do mean indirectly; at best the UN ignored the abuses that allowed Sadam to bypass the OFF program; economic sanctions were killing Iraqis. Evidence? None; I’m not part of the investigation. What has lead me to believe that there is in fact illicit profit within the UN is the Iraqi records that suggest Benon Sevan, the executive director of the Oil for Food office, received a voucher for 11.5 million barrels of oil. I’m sure these could have been forged, but it seems fairly plausible considering the amount of vouchers that made the rounds to companies operating in Security Council nations and people of influence within these countries. Also, his response was less than inspiring.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 07:21:23 AM EST
    Pigwiggle, forget about it! Don't you know this is a matter of faith? All evil in the world is traceable to the United States, in most instances specifically to corporate offices of Halliburton or other assorted oil companies. This is orthodoxy and catechism for people like Soccerdad and there's no point peddling your heresy.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:29:07 AM EST
    Let's just get the rules straight: Conservatives think Multi-Nationals actually are American Companies, Liberals think everything is America's fault. What is missing? Hint-follow the money.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#10)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:33:15 AM EST
    All oil for food contracts had to be approved by the US delegation prior to their implementation. Google it if you don't believe me. The whole thing is a diversion. Meanwhile the mushroom cloud queen is getting promoted by the eunuchs in the senate. This is just outrageous. The biggest military mistake since Waterloo and this idiot is getting a promotion? I never thought that Satan would return as a black woman. But he is still too obvious. Just noticed that Kerry and Boxer voted against Satan. Good for them.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:34:57 AM EST
    "All evil in the world is traceable to the United States, in most instances specifically to corporate offices of Halliburton or other assorted oil companies." without Deuce's sarcasm, substitute Most for All , add military contractors and thats a pretty true statement.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:39:14 AM EST
    "without Deuce's sarcasm, substitute Most for All , add military contractors and thats a pretty true statement." mine!! "I never thought that Satan would return as a black woman." yeah that Satan guess he can come in "all shapes, sizes, and colors!!!?

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#13)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:54:52 AM EST
    Duece - I asked for proof he had none. You get some proof get back to me - otherwise people in glass houses......

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:59:29 AM EST
    "All evil in the world is traceable to the United States" And that's just crazy, `cause, as all good little Party Mem...er conservatives know, all evil in the world is caused by Hitlery Clinton's husband's penis.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:03:44 AM EST
    Considering the fact that most of the "evidence" of UN corruption (I'm talking about actual corruption, not just lack of oversight, or a willingness to accept flaws in the system in the belief that doing something, flawed as it was, is bette rthan doing nothing) comes from files "discovered" by Ahmed Chalabi's people. Remember them? The guys who had all the "proof" of WMD's and Iraqis waiting to greet their American liberators with flowers? What was it Bush said? Fool me once...

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#16)
    by pigwiggle on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:14:13 AM EST
    SD- “I asked for proof he had none.” The EVIDENCE you asked for was answered with “What has lead me to believe that there is in fact illicit profit within the UN is the Iraqi records that suggest Benon Sevan, the executive director of the Oil for Food office, received a voucher for 11.5 million barrels of oil. I’m sure these could have been forged, but it seems fairly plausible considering the amount of vouchers that made the rounds to companies operating in Security Council nations and people of influence within these countries. Also, his response was less than inspiring.” SD, you would use something as tenuous as this to lynch all the executives if they were somehow indicted in these documents, however you will give the UN a pass. And this was the point of my first post, as clumsy as it was originally framed I only needed to wait for the like of you and Che. I should have known better.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:20:40 AM EST
    Soccerdad doesn't need proof since he possesses an invincible ignorance he misnames certainty; any proof you offer he will simply piss on, and piss on you, too. Sooner argue with a cactus than these lefties. Look at the jejeune replies above. It's not worth the stick to rattle the bars of their cage.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#18)
    by kdog on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:37:27 AM EST
    What do you expect from a large bueracracy? The UN is a lot like the US gov't that way, rotten to the core with corruption and greed. I do find it funny when pro-Bush conservatives wail at the corruption of UN, and ignore the corruption of the Bush admin., and vice versa (liberals wailing at Bush, ignoring the UN). Personally, I do take more offense at the corruption of the US gov't as they directly represent me, yet I can still acknowledge the oil for food scandal is a travesty that will irreperably harm the UN for years to come. And well it should. Plenty of thieves and cheats in this world, and they all call themselves something (conservative, liberal, etc.)

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#19)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 10:00:25 AM EST
    Pig - its strong circumstansial evidence, but where did the oil go, who pocketed the money. No suppositions, proof. Duce - you of course are full of it. You have no proof either so you take the standard attack the other side by supposing what I would do if I had been presented with real proof. Pretty shabby

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#20)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 10:06:52 AM EST
    BTW, The charges against him were contained in the Deufler report he denies them. So we are in a wait and see mode. if there was corruption he would be the most likely one. Is there further confirmation? As you wingnuts like to point out corruption/illegal behavior by a few bad apples does not bring down the entire organization

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#21)
    by pigwiggle on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 10:14:30 AM EST
    “Is there further confirmation? “ I don’ know, I haven’t been following it that closely. “As you wingnuts like to point out corruption/illegal behavior by a few bad apples does not bring down the entire organization” Your hoping it won’t I’m hoping it will.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#22)
    by glanton on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 10:31:07 AM EST
    Investigations of this scandal won't affect much one way or the other. The United States' relationship with the UN is shot all to hell, irreperably, so pigwiggle you might as well go ahead and celebrate. What the UN ought to do is leave New York, relocate, and just carry on without us. It would be better for both parties: we wouldn't have to lie and pretend we care how our actions impacts the world, and they wouldn't have to be polite to our ambassadors.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#23)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 10:51:34 AM EST
    Pigwiggle, And this was the point of my first post, as clumsy as it was originally framed I only needed to wait for the like of you and Che. I should have known better. Thanks for the complement. Yes, you should have.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 06:44:31 PM EST
    glanton writes - "What the UN ought to do is leave New York, relocate, and just carry on without us." What? And give up their life style? Besides, they don't have the money to be able to move. This is a good overview. It is a bit dated. Everything has gotten worse. For a look at how corrupt they are, try the Diplomads posts from Jan 13 backwards. The writer is a FSO, and he was on scene.

    Re: Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal (none / 0) (#25)
    by glanton on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 08:11:26 PM EST
    Well, I'll play ball on this one, Jim. They're gonna need to get over the trappings of being important men and women in New York; they're not wanted here, so why should they stay? This reality will set in on them eventually if we don't kick them out first. As for the money, they've got it, and if they don't they'd better pony up soon. The bottom line is, the idea of the United States in 'partnership' with other nations, working towards 'peace,' is something we can on all sides regard as laughable at this point. The experiment has failed.

    Guilty Plea in Oil for Food Scandal | 25 comments (25 topical)