Wolf, Shays Urge Administration to Provide All 'Resources' Possible to Support Investigation of Oil-For-Food Program

May 04, 2004

Washington, D.C. - Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) today urged the Bush Administration to "provide all the expertise and resources required to support the United Nations (UN) investigation of the Iraq Oil-for-Food program."

In a letter to President Bush, the two lawmakers wrote that the FBI, Secret Service and Department of Treasury Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) should be made available to assist in the investigation. The two members also recommended that other nations involve their respective intelligence and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the probe remains "international and credible." (Online version of letter can be found at: http://www.house.gov/wolf, http://www.house.gov/>)

"We owe it to the Iraqi people - and the world - to find out the truth, " Wolf said. "Making sure the UN's programs serve those in need is critical to its mission."

Said Shays: "We want the State Department, the CPA, and the UN to know there has to be a full accounting of all Oil-for-Food transactions, even if that unaccustomed degree of transparency embarrasses some members of the Security Council. Anything short of a prompt, thorough airing would leave the UN under an ominous cloud."

Shays sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on April 29 asking for UN release of confidential internal audits and of records held by the BNP Paribas bank.

"Security Council members, including the United States, turned a blind idea to the vast corruption in the Oil-for-Food program," Shays said. "We can help reverse the damage by doing our part to make this investigation complete and transparent."

Wolf is chairman of the House Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of State and international organizations and programs.

Shays is chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, which has oversight over the Department of State. Shays' subcommittee held a hearing on the Oil-for-Food scandal April 21.

Documents from that hearing can be found online:

The two traveled together to Iraq in December.

Letter to President Bush, 2 pages, pdf

Letter to Secretary General Annan, 2 pages, pdf

Contact: Sarah Moore, 202/225-5541