U.S. says U.N. agency aided N. Korea

[maddezmom]

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago



UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon responded quickly to U.S. accusations that the U.N. development agency funneled millions of dollars in cash aid to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, calling on all U.N. funds and programs to conduct an urgent outside investigation into their operations.

Ban's decision to press for outside audits not only of the U.N. Development Program's activities in North Korea but of all U.N. programs indicated he was determined to avoid a repetition of the scandal over the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq which bubbled for months before former Secretary-General Kofi Annan agreed to an independent investigation.

In the North Korean case, U.S. officials questioned whether funds intended to help the country's impoverished people had been used for other activities including nuclear weapons development. The U.N. program, known as UNDP, said it has operated in North Korea since 1979 and no concerns have been raised about its funds being used for the North's nuclear arms program.

U.S. deputy ambassador Mark Wallace charged Friday that the U.N. agency operated "in blatant violation of U.N. rules" for years in North Korea. He demanded an immediate outside audit, focusing on concerns that Pyongyang converted development funds "to its own illicit purposes."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_re_as/un_nkorea_money

[LynnTheDem]

1. When is the UN urgently investigating Cheney for doing oil business

with Iraq -against US & UN sanctions- in 2000?

[killbotfactory]

2. Okay,,,

He demanded an immediate outside audit, focusing on concerns that Pyongyang converted development funds "to its own illicit purposes."
-----

What is his proof?

[sweettater]

3. As far as I'm concerned

we has zero creditability to to comment on any "problem" internationally. And you know, when you think about it that is pretty damn sad. More than sad, a crying damn shame!

[teryang]

4. the same tired old script

"It simply boggles the imagination that they simply dole out cash without controls,"

Good thing this prinicple isn't applied to bush cheney cronies in the defense contracting business.