What Did the President Know, And When Did He Know It?
Of course, I’m speaking of Jacques Chirac (who did you think I meant?). Via the Instapundit, we find that the top French diplomat recently arrested for Oil-For-Food fraud has confessed:
One of France’s most distinguished diplomats has confessed to an investigating judge that he accepted oil allocations from Saddam Hussein, it emerged yesterday.
Jean-Bernard Mérimée is thought to be the first senior figure to admit his role in the oil-for-food scandal, a United Nations humanitarian aid scheme hijacked by Saddam to buy influence.
The Frenchman, who holds the title “ambassador for life”, told authorities that he regretted taking payments amounting to $156,000 (then worth about £108,000) in 2002.
The money was used to renovate a holiday home he owned in southern Morocco. At the time, Mr Mérimée was a special adviser to Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general.
Special advisor to Kofi Annan, mind you. There’s more:
The ambassador said the French authorities had known of his every move.
France has been gravely embarrassed by oil-for-food allegations against senior figures, including Charles Pasqua, the former interior minister. He has denied receiving any benefit from the oil allocations issued in his name.
Inquiries have also found that French firms benefited disproportionately from oil-for-food contracts as part of an Iraqi policy to influence French votes on the UN Security Council.
There needs to be a investigation of the buildup to war, all right, but the locale should be Paris…hope you can attend, Mr. Galloway…
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