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[ This message has been sent to you via the CASI-analysis mailing list ] Does anyone know what is going on here? Announced today: 1. Shiite leader wants United Nations to have role in shift of power NEW YORK - Iraq's most influential Shiite religious leader has formally assured the United Nations that he wants the organization to help guide Iraq through its transition to self-rule, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday. Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al Sistani told U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in a written message several days ago that there was no basis for recent news reports saying that Sistani opposed a continuing role for the United Nations, said Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. special envoy for Iraq. Sistani told Annan ''he wants the U.N. to play a role, to continue to play a role in Iraq,'' Brahimi said. 2. United Nations to launch independent probe of alleged corruption in Iraq oil-for-food sales An independent commission will investigate allegations that United Nations staff collected millions of dollars in illegal profits from the program that allowed Iraq to sell some of its oil to pay for food during the years of economic sanctions. Annan's decision followed publication in the Iraqi newspaper Al-Mada of a list of about 270 former Cabinet officials, legislators, political activists and journalists from more than 46 countries suspected of profiting from Iraqi oil sales. The United Nations has already sent two letters to the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S.-led coalition requesting evidence of corruption in the program -- the latest a week ago. In late January, the Governing Council [Chalabi?] asked the country's Oil Ministry to gather information on allegations that Saddam Hussein's regime bribed prominent foreigners with oil money to back his government. ----------------------------------------------------------- What would the UN status be, vis-a-vis Bremer & Chalabi? After Blair & Bush have been scoffing the UN for years- now Sistani (and I think the Kurds) want the UN back in the country. So today, Annan to Probe UN in Iraq; Powell 'Very Concerned' Sat Mar 20, 2004 10:26 AM ET KUWAIT/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Saturday he was "deeply concerned" about allegations of corruption in a defunct U.N.-run humanitarian program for Iraq and welcomed U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's proposed probe. "We are concerned, deeply concerned that money that was supposed to be going to help the Iraqi people was diverted by Saddam Hussein, once again demonstrating the nature of the regime," Powell told reporters during a stopover in Kuwait ----------------------------------------------------------- Is the UN probe into OFF corruption intended to divert attention from probe of US contractor corruption? pg _______________________________________ Sent via the CASI-analysis mailing list To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-analysis All postings are archived on CASI's website at http://www.casi.org.uk