Hans Sponeck was United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from 1998 to 2000 when he resigned in protest against the sanctions policies toward Iraq. One of his major responsibilites during his Iraq job was the distribution of goods under the Oil-for-Food programme and the verification of Iraqi complicance with that programme. He reported to the Executive Director of the Iraq Programme, Benon Savan.
Von Sponeck is frequently quoted in the German media (and sometimes in non-German media) as "expert" on the Iraq war. His criticism of President Bush and the U.S. Iraq policy is aggressive and polemic, and as such of course highly welcomed by his journalistic counterparts. In 2003 he received the Bremen Peace Award for the resignation from his UN post in protest "against the sanctions policy of the Security Council and in particular the USA, responsible for the death of several hundred thousand Iraqi children" (no mention of Saddam's responsibilities, of course).
As it now turns out, Hans von Sponeck also pursued other interests in Iraq after he left the UN:
"Mr. von Sponeck solicited financial contributions for his sanctions-related work from corporations seeking to do business with Iraq under the Programme (Oil for Food) ... (a business partner of Mr. von Sponeck) recalled that - after he enlisted Mr. von Sponeck's assistance - Iraq granted his request for additional oil under the Programme. ... Mr. von Sponeck's activities should have been subject to post-employment restrictions in order to safeguard against a possibility of an actual or apparent conflict of interest..."
Source: Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme: Manipulation of the Oil-for-Food Programme by the Iraqi Regime, p. 508-509
The Washington Times reports on von Sponeck's Iraqi business affairs under the headline "$addam and hi$ enabler$" (mentioning von Sponeck next to George Galloway).
In the light of the revelations in the Volcker report I fully understand von Sponeck's opposition to the Iraq policy of the Bush administration. After all, as a result of the invasion, he must have lost a steady source of income...
I just wonder why nobody from Saddam's administration ever contacted me! Just a few million barrels of oil, and I would have eagerly turned into an anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-American activist, fiercly denouncing the evil American assault on the treasured Iraqi democracy under Saddam.
I definitely would have made a brilliant expert for the German media.
BTW, not much is reported on von Sponeck's Iraqi business activities in the German media. Well, it's not Halliburton stuff, I guess...
"BTW, not much is reported on von Sponeck's Iraqi business activities in the German media."
It's true. Since the day the Volcker report was released, quite a lot of news have been posted at www.spiegel.de. After doing some full text searches, I find 3 news about the Volcker report, 32 about the Libby case, 0 about Galloway, 0 about von Sponeck.
Well, just something funny...
Posted by: areader | November 08, 2005 at 11:38 AM
Interesting relevations.
Still, I think the accusations are a bit too vague to think of them as a smoking gun against oil-for-food peace activists.
Regarding the oil contractor, the report didnt reveal any actual evidence - Sponeck, of course, denies the charge that he acted on behalf of Lakhani, and Lakhani only mentions a chronological correlation between funding Sponeck and receiving oil, but he cannot prove a causality.
And I think it is in line with Sponeck's convictions that he acted to facilitate a business deal of a producer of milk powder, especially as the contributions he received only covered his expenses.
But you are certainly right in asserting that, if Halliburton actually were involved in a similar agreement with a dictator from some other dictatorship, rumours would spread wide in a lot of German newspapers.
A good deal of mistrust and some more investigations against Sponeck and his ilk are certainly indicated.
Posted by: CCTV | November 08, 2005 at 01:25 PM