Oil for Food program

(Newser) - Just as Colin Powell overlooked UN corruption before the Iraq war, he's overlooking Barack Obama's flaws as a candidate, Claudia Rosett writes in the National Review. His endorsement lacked any specifics about the transformations Obama will bring about, leading her to revisit Powell's previous "blind spots." Rosett doesn't...

(Newser) - A prominent Texas oilman will spend about a year in prison for paying off Saddam's regime to secure a big oil contract. Oscar Wyatt, 83, admitting violating the UN's oil-for-food program by paying a secret Iraqi surcharge of $200,000—essentially a bribe. A judge sentenced Wyatt to a year...

(Newser) - Oil magnate Oscar Wyatt pleaded guilty to conspiracy today, ending his trial on federal charges that he paid Saddam Hussein's government millions to secure oil supply deals in  the UN oil-for-food program scandal. The 83-year-old Wyatt will serve 18 to 24 months in prison and give up $11 million, Reuters...

(Newser) - While some politicians pledged to dump contributions from a Texas oilman whose trial for paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein opens this week, Hillary Clinton offered no promises. The presidential frontrunner off-loaded $23,000 from frequent fugitive Norman Hsu recently and returned $850,000 he raised for her, but she’s...