Former French ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee was arrested Monday in connection with the Oil for Fraud program. He served as Paris' ambassador to the UN from 1991 - 1995, and as a special advisor to Kofi 'Greasy Thumb' Annan from 1999 - 2002. According to the Washington Times' Betsy Pisik:
There have been questions about Mr. Merimee's influence on the Iraq oil-for-food program since his misspelled name turned up on the Iraqi Oil Ministry list that implicated former program chief Benon Sevan. The program was suspended in 2003.
The so-called "Al Mada list,"published in Baghdad nearly two years ago, named foreign diplomats, businessmen and journalists who supposedly had been issued vouchers for discounted oil, which could be resold at a profit to oil companies.
U.S. arms inspector Charles Duelfer noted in his report to Congress last year that Mr. Merimee was allocated 11 million barrels of oil from December 2001 to March 2003, according to Agence France-Presse.
However, Mr. Duelfer described the transaction as "not performed," and it was not clear whether Mr. Merimee was a willing participant.
Mr. Merimee, 68, is one of the highest-ranked officials to be indicted by the French judge investigating the oil-for-food scheme.
Well, well. Let's see what the French legal system makes of this case. As much as I like picking on them, I think that the Frenchies take their law pretty seriously and can be expected to investigate this case with vigor and competence.
The French are also looking at other government officials:
French Sen. Charles Pasqua, a former confidant of President Jacques Chirac and a former interior minister, also was questioned by investigators. Although he has immunity from prosecution as a senator, several of his aides have been charged.
It would also be interesting to investigate some of the other names on the al Mada list, which include high officials in France and Russia.
Eventually, the truth will come out, and some people are going to owe the Iraqis BIG TIME for having stolen from them and helped prop up Saddam and his brutish government.
I must say that this is the first time in a LONG time that I find myself rooting for the Frenchies.
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