G
gilliam
Guest
How the biggest scandal in history unfolded
- Aug. 2, 1990–Iraq invades Kuwait.
- Aug. 9, 1990–UN international trade embargo imposed on Iraq.
- Jan. 17, 1991–U.S. attacks Iraq.
- April 6, 1991–Cease fire.
- Aug. 15, 1991–First Oil-for-Food plan rejected by Iraq.
- April 15, 1995–UN submits to demands by Saddam Hussein that Iraq be allowed to export US$2 billion of oil every six months.
- Dec. 10, 1996–First Iraqi oil exports begin under Oil-for-Food. BNP is shortlisted by Iraq and selected by the UN as the bank to handle the escrow account.
- Feb. 1, 1998–UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urges Security Council to double the amount of oil Saddam is allowed to sell.
- Feb. 20, 1998–UN raises Iraq’s oil export ceiling to US$5.256 billion per six months.
- Feb. 23, 1998–Annan reaches agreement with Saddam allowing weapons inspectors.
- December 1998–UN awards contract to Cotecna to authenticate the goods shipped to Iraq. Kojo Annan, Kofi’s son, is on Cotecna’s payroll. December 1998–UN orders weapons inspectors out of Iraq, claiming Saddam not co-operating.
- November 1999–U.S. holds up supply contracts to Iraq over concerns that Saddam is receiving kickbacks.
- Dec. 17, 1999–UN sends new weapons inspectors to Iraq and abolishes export limit on Iraqi oil.
- February 2000–U.S. accuses Iraq of using Oil-for-Food revenues to build nine palaces and import cigarettes and liquor.
- March 31, 2000–UN doubles value of oil industry equipment that Iraq can import.
- December 2000–Iraqi Oil Ministry introduces a surcharge of 25—30 cents per barrel. Oil sales drop by more than half as major oil traders balk at paying what they consider kickbacks. Hundreds of middlemen move in. “Every man and his dog is buying Iraqi oil,” remarks one trader in January 2001.
- March 2001–U.S. and U.K. ask UN sanctions committee to cut the list of more than 600 operators approved by the UN to purchase Iraqi oil in order to eliminate kickbacks.
- June 2002–Iraq drops the surcharge on oil.
- August 2002–Oil-for-Food head Benon Sevan raises “grave concern” over Iraq’s export shortfall and blames retroactive pricing.
- March 19, 2003–America invades Iraq.
- March 24, 2003–Bush Administration begins process
- of easing Iraqi sanctions.
- March 28, 2003–UN restarts Oil-for-Food, empowering it to take more direct control for 45 days.
- March 29, 2003–New York Post snaps photos of the Iraqi ambassador to UN, Mohammed al-Douri, dining at a restaurant with Benon Sevan.
- Early April 2003–Baath regime falls. Sevan says relief supplies are insufficient to meet emergency needs in Iraq.
- Late April 2003: UN Security Council members France, Russia and China–which hold about three-quarters of the Oil-for-Food contracts–press to keep the aid program going.
- Sept. 29, 2003–Sevan reports that the pullout of the UN Oil-for-Food program has been hindered by August bombing of the UN’s Baghdad office.
- Nov. 21, 2003–Oil-for-Food officially ends.
- January 2004–270 names published in Iraqi newspaper of politicians and businessmen who received vouchers to buy Iraqi oil at below-market prices. Sevan’s name is on the list.
- Mar. 18, 2004–Congress’s General Accounting Office releases preliminary report estimating Saddam personally stole US$10.1 billion from UN Oil-for-Food program.
- March 2004–UN announces Office of Internal Oversight Services will investigate Oil-for-Food.
- April 2004–Former Federal Reserve head Paul Volcker appointed by Annan to investigate Oil-for-Food.
- March 2004–General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, doubles to $10 billion its estimate of alleged theft and illegal oil smuggling from the UN Oil-for-Food program.
- April 28, 2004–House International Relations Committee begins hearings into Oil-for-Food.
- Nov. 15, 2004–Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations holds first hearing on Oil-for-Food.
- Jan. 10, 2005–Volcker releases 58 internal UN audits showing widespread mismanagement in the UN and corruption possibly extending beyond Oil-for-Food.
- Jan. 27, 2005–Congressional subcommittee on oversight and investigations created to separately probe Oil-for-Food scandal.
- Feb. 3, 2005–UN investigation issues interim report. Sevan and another UN employee are suspended for possibly accepting bribes from Saddam’s regime.