Go away Kofi

It was with some amusement that I found myself the target of a decidedly undiplomatic tirade by the U.N. chief at a news conference last week. The usually mild Mr. Annan erupted in an ad hominem attack, calling me "cheeky" and belittling me as an "overgrown schoolboy." Although I have covered the U.N. in minute detail for The Times of London since 1988, and have known Mr. Annan for almost all that time, he suggested I was not a "serious journalist." The cause of Mr. Annan's ire was a question I put to him about a Mercedes car that his son Kojo had imported into Ghana (and which cannot, now, be traced). The facts indicate that Kojo had bought the car in his father's name, thereby obtaining a diplomatic discount and a tax exemption totaling more than $20,000. The question about the car--to which Mr. Annan again refused to give a satisfactory answer--is part of the wider probe into his role in the U.N.'s Oil for Food scandal. Despite months of investigation, important questions about the integrity of public officials remain unanswered. If we are serious about U.N. reform--as Mr. Annan claims to be--they must be resolved. It is a time-honored tradition at the U.N. to bury a scandal by conducting an inadequate inquiry and then declaring the matter closed. Mr. Annan did precisely that when news first broke in January 1999 of his son's involvement with a Swiss firm that won a U.N. contract in Iraq ... Amid the clutter of unanswered questions, one query has the virtue of simplicity: Where is the car? I have been asking this for weeks at the U.N.'s daily briefing. It was this question that triggered Kofi Annan's outburst. He clearly wants me to shut up. I'm afraid, Mr. Secretary-General, that would be the wrong thing for me to do. Every schoolboy knows that. Opinion Journal

Sometimes, members of the MSM get it.
I distinctly remember the first time I heard of the Oil for Food project. I thought "No, it is going to end up a debacle." I thought the corruption would lead directly to Saddam's door. Then, the contractors would all receive a stern letter and be aloud to continue work. I really didn't think the UN <spit> itself, all the way to the top, would be at the center of a shit storm of theft, graft and outright lies.
I've never really liked the idea of a UN <spit>. It seems to style competition between countries. I know it was created as a cold war answer to the Soviet Block, but those days are long over. I tell you, the UN's <spit> days should be numbered. I just don't like the way small countries can leverage the UN <spit> to bully the US. Yes, bully the US. The very idea that Iran can stand up at the UN <spit> and suggest that another member country, Israel, be "wiped off the map" turns my stomach and makes me want to invest in canned food and shotguns. Then, find a nice split level cave in Wyoming.
I suggest a few simple ways of eliminating the UN <spit> as a threat.
* Stop paying for it. The US is the primary financial contributer to the UN <spit>.
* Veto everything until it is just not relevant any more. This would make the US look worse to the rest of the world?
* Arrest all members who have broken laws in the US. That should clear out the rif-raf, and bring the nose count at meetings down a bit. Diplomatic immunity my ass.
I could come up with more if I were not so drained from this cold and the jumbo can of caramel popcorn my mother gave me. Which, I've nearly completed. That is another blog entry. I'll rant more later.