美国国会牵扯进伊拉克石油换食品计划

 

Iraq Oil for Food Scandal Plays Out on Capitol Hill

美国国会牵扯进伊拉克石油换食品计划

 

Representatives of companies monitoring the shipment of oil and delivery of humanitarian¹ goods under the former United Nations Oil for Food Program for Iraq have denied any wrongdoing. The denial came in testimony² before a congressional committee looking into abuses of the program. The latest chapter of the Oil for Food scandal played out on Capitol Hill this past week.

 

The two companies, Netherlands-based Saybolt, and Swiss-based Cotecna, are among U.N. contractors⁴ under investigation⁵ in connection with the Oil for Food Program.

 

Intended to help ease the impact on Iraqi civilians⁷ of economic sanctions imposed in 1990 during the rule of Saddam Hussein, it allowed Iraq to sell a certain amount of its oil for food and medicine and other civilian⁶ items.

 

Results so far from probes by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, an independent commission headed by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, and by congressional committees, indicate billions of dollars were diverted through unauthorized surcharges and kickbacks⁹ to the former Iraqi dictator.

 

Republic Congressman¹⁰ Dana Rohrabacher spoke¹¹ at a hearing of the House Oversight¹² and Investigations¹³ Subcommittee.

 

Dana Rohrabacher: The United Nations I believe has much to answer for. Nearly 10 years after the Oil for Food Program we still have not heard all of the answers.

 

The congressman was hoping for some answers from a of John Denson, General Counsel for Saybolt.

 

He echoed previous statements that the company performed its work well in difficult and politically sensitive conditions, but went into detail on one factor connected to the tracking of outgoing oil shipments under the program.

 

Denson: Iraq never did undertake to put into place functioning meters at Mina al-Bakr. As a result, Saybolt could not measure the flow of oil into individual tankers¹⁵. Instead, Saybolt had to utilize¹⁶ an alternative method of measurement. This method, while compliant¹⁷ with international commercial standards, was not as foolproof as a meter nor as accurate as a meter would be.

 

Mr. Denson said the company alerted the United Nations both before and during the U.N. Oil for Food Program about monitoring inadequacies at the port.

 

Attention focused on Saybolt in connection with monitoring of oil shipments and two incidents in 2001 in which a tanker¹⁴ was topped off with more than 200,000 barrels of oil after inspectors¹⁸ had formally certified¹⁹ a lower amount.

 

Saybolt suspended an employee, a Portuguese²⁰ national; after allegations emerged indicating he accepted a $105,000 bribe²¹ from Iraqi officials. He later resigned.

 

Mr. Denson also pointed²² out that Saybolt's responsibilities covered only two loading locations, adding the company's job was not to act as a police force in all of Iraq.

 

Similar testimony came from Eveyln Suarez, U.S. Counsel for another contractor³, Cotecna Inspection²³, S.A.

 

The company had a very limited role, she said, of authenticating²⁴ that humanitarian goods arriving for the Iraqi people under the Oil for Food Program matched those listed in U.N. contracts.

 

Eveyln Suarez: Cotecna was not empowered by the U. N. to enforce sanctions or to police the Iraqi border. Cotecna was not responsible for end-user verification.

 

She says Cotecna employees visually inspected all goods, and conducted closer random²⁵ inspections²⁶ of 10 percent of these, but were not authorized⁸ to act regarding goods that did not arrive, interdict²⁷ prohibited items not covered by contracts, assess the value of goods or verify prices. Had any employee been involved in bribery²⁸, she adds appropriate action would have been taken.

Testimony by both companies turned the focus squarely back on the United Nations, which they said provided no enforcement at Iraq's borders as part of the Oil for Food Program.

 

In other testimony to the committee, former United Nations official Rehan Mullick who served in Baghdad from 2000 to 2001, renewed charges that U.N. supervisors²⁹ there and in New York ignored his warnings about lack of adequate verification of delivery of humanitarian goods.

 

Mr. Mullick, who was fired from his U.N. job after making his allegations, said Saddam Hussein's intelligence agents had penetrated³⁰ the U.N. humanitarian office in Baghdad, where they were able to control and or manipulate delivery records.

 

U.S. lawmakers have charged that U.N. officials repeatedly turned a blind eye to rampant³¹ corruption³² in the Oil for Food Program, and congressional committees are continuing their own investigations as the Volcker commission prepares to issue additional findings in coming weeks and a more extensive report later this year.

 

Dan Robinson, VOA news, on Capitol Hill.

 

注释：

testimony [5testimEni] n. 陈述

scandal [5skAndl] n. 丑闻

sensitive [5sensitiv] adj. 敏感的

alternative [C:l5tE:nEtiv] adj. 选择性的

loading [5lEudiN] n. 装载

verify [5verifai] vt. 核实

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

4 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

9 kickbacks   

n.激烈反应( kickback的名词复数 )；佣金，回扣

参考例句：

• Everyone at City Hall is receiving kickbacks. It's the only way to get anything done there. 市政府里的每个人都收回扣，在那里只有送红包，事情才办得成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• G raft or kickbacks paid to officials or law enforcem ent authorities. 暗中付给官员或执法人员的回扣。 来自互联网

10 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

13 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

14 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

15 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

16 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

17 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。

18 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

20 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

21 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

22 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

23 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

24 authenticating   

v.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的现在分词 )；鉴定，使生效

参考例句：

• Specifies the password used for authenticating to a remote server. 指定用于对远程服务器身份验证的密码。 来自互联网
• Property indicating which hash algorithm to use when authenticating the message. 表示验证消息时要使用的散列算法的属性。 来自互联网

25 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

26 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 interdict   

v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令

参考例句：

• Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.可以把军队渡运过来阻截毒品的装运。
• Interdict could also be sought for the protection of public interests.禁令也可以用于保护公共利益。

28 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

29 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

30 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

31 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

32 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。