U.N. Oil-for-Food Program

Paul Volcker, Chairman of the Independent Inquiry Committee, and Richard Goldstone, a committee member, held a news conference concerning the Oil-For-Food Program and Congressional committee subpoenas. Despite strong U.N. objections, a lawyer who recently resigned from a U.N. committee investigating the Iraq oil-for-food program handed Congress documents Thursday that he believed show the committee softened its conclusions in order to protect Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Robert Parton stepped down last month from the committee led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker to protest what he viewed as the panel’s soft-pedaling of information that might have harmed Annan. He provided materials to the House International Relations Committee on Thursday in response to an April 29 subpoena and under threat of contempt of Congress if he did not comply. The U.N. contends that Parton had immunity and did not have to turn over the documents. close