As the oil—for food investigation widens its scope, it now appears that a previous UN Secretary General, the Egyptian Boutros—Boutros Ghali, may also be implicated in the bribery scandal. Apparently, Ghali's nephew had set up an "oil company" in Panama, a nation renowned for its fast and loose rules regarding front companies. The nephew's company received vouchers from Iraq to purchase oil at reduced prices.

Presumably, these outsized profits were subsequently used to bribe UN officials and others to support Saddam Hussein. Samir Vincent, the Iraqi—American businessman who has already plead guilty to illegally receiving money from Hussein and acting as his foreign agent without registering with appropriate authorities, has also been found to have been on the Board of Directors of Friendship Force International. This organization has been described as an offshoot of the Carter Center founded by ex—President Jimmy Carter. As is well—known, Jimmy Carter has consistently sided with dictators in North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iraq to frustrate American foreign policy objectives.

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