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The latest update on the UN corruption follows. :doh
SourceMay 13, 8:50 AM (ET)
By NICK WADHAMS
The oil-for-food program, which ran from 1996-2003, was designed to let Saddam's government sell oil in exchange for humanitarian goods to help the Iraqi people cope with sanctions.
But Saddam twisted it to peddle influence by awarding favored politicians, journalists and other officials vouchers for Iraqi oil that could then be resold at a profit. Details of the scheme first appeared in early 2004 when the Iraqi newspaper al-Mada published a list of about 270 people, many of them French or Russian, who were suspected of profiting from Iraqi oil sales.
One letter released Thursday says Iraq should "study the possibility to support one of the candidates in the French presidential elections after it becomes clear who is going to win."
Another document says Saddam expressly ordered his government to work toward "the improvement of dealing with France" in 2002.