Is it some sort of perverse French laissez faire doctrine of non—intervention? or is it just that taking four or five years to investigate a major scandal where fat cats get fatter and poor people starve to death is the French's idea of "rapid response"?  The AP reports:

Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into suspected corruption by French companies involved in the U.N. Oil—for—Food program with Iraq, judicial officials said Tuesday.

Investigators will initially limit the probe to companies that paid surcharges on humanitarian contracts for trucks, medical equipment and other materials, the officials said.

Joe  Crowley  4 5 06