Pain, pétrole et corruption
What's the French word for chutzpah? There has to be one, especially given what the Franco-German television channel Arte screened last night. Pain, pétrole et corruption is, in the words of its makers, "Un grand documentaire d'investigation sur l'une des plus scandaleuses affaires de corruption de notre époque, perpétrée aux dépens d'un programme humanitaire mis en place par l'ONU." In other words, a "major investigative documentary about one of the most egregious cases of corruption of our time". That would be what is known in the English-speaking world as the United Nations "Oil-for-Food Program". This vast swamp of sleaze involved some 2,400 firms in 30 countries and all were supping from a UN trough that was supposed to feed the embargoed starving in Iraq, but was actually a conduit for the billions that Saddam Hussein's regime funnelled into their bank accounts. Not to mention, of course, the billions that Saddam and his sons skimmed off for themselves.
Rémy Burkel and Denis Poncet have made an interesting documentary — but a decade too late. Where were they when the venal Jacques Chirac and the vain Gerhard Schröder were rallying tens of thousands onto the streets of Paris and Berlin to chant "No blood for oil!" six years ago? French and German firms were up to their armpits in Iraqi oil, but the imbeciles on the streets, inspired by charlatans like Michael Moore and rags such as The Guardian, were more interested in venting anti-Americanism than in learning about the blood for oil deals that their own elites, and UN officials, had made with the Ba'athists in Baghdad.
Those who did everything in their power to keep Saddam in office must live with their consciences. Those who make late-in-the-day documentaries about the nexus of scandalous international organizations and criminal rulers must not expect praise now. Those who tinker with the fragile stability Iraq has recently enjoyed should not be surprised at a rise in mass killings if they promise to pull the rug from under the nation builders.
Here's a tip: Instead of watching Pain, pétrole et corruption, read the superb reportage Claudia Rosett produced as she followed the money that was intended for hungry Iraqis, but went instead to Saddam Hussein and his henchmen, to global businesses and to the UN's own man in charge, Benon Sevan. It's enough to make anyone's blood boil.
