THOSE WHO SAID "IT IS ALL ABOUT OIL" WERE RIGHT...

Sort of.

More than 40 Russian companies, including entities linked to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Communist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party, allegedly took part in an illegal kickback scheme for trading Iraqi oil under Saddam Hussein's regime, according to documents obtained by Baghdad-based newspaper al-Mada.

"Almost all Russian companies that worked in Iraq [were involved in this]," said Fakhri Karim, the editor of the recently created newspaper, in an interview with Vremya Novostei published Thursday.

"There are Russian diplomats of a very high level, too," he said.

Vremya Novostei published last weekend a list of more than 270 people and organizations from 46 countries including Russia, France, China, Italy, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, who allegedly took part in a scheme to trade contraband Iraqi oil in breach of the United Nations regulated oil-for-food deal.

The newspaper says it based its list on documents obtained from the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

All members of the United Nations. The same UN that created the Oil for Food program.

I guess that about sews up any remaining ideas about the UN stamp providing "international legitimacy". It would seem the UN is being used as a front to hide the criminal activities of its members.