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To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (22950)	2/5/2005 12:32:37 PM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Respond to of 116555

Iraqi Min Urges Full Disclosure In Oil-for-Food Scandal BAGHDAD (AP)--Iraq's trade minister urged full disclosure Saturday in the U.N. oil-for-food investigation, saying more has yet to be revealed on specific individuals' roles in the scandal. Dr. Mohammed al-Jibouri did not specify any names in his comments, made to Associated Press Television News. "It depends how this investigation will be carried out," al-Jibouri said. "There are a lot of names, and I hope there will be some fairness on that - not to shut out the light, and put this in the dark, under the carpet." Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker is leading an independent investigation into allegations of corruption and of lax oversight in the U.N.-administered program, which let Saddam Hussein's government sell oil to raise funds for humanitarian needs and war reparations. Volcker this week issued an interim report saying that mismanagement and cronyism had undermined the program, and that its chief was guilty of grave conflicts of interest. Several U.S. congressional investigations also are under way. Al-Jibouri said the program, begun in 1996, initially had been a "huge success" in helping ordinary Iraqis contend with U.N. sanctions imposed on Saddam's regime after the 1991 Gulf War. Problems began when Iraq began imposing a surcharge on contracts for goods bought under the program, he said. "The Iraqi side started implementing a 10% (charge) on each of these contracts signed with foreign companies," the trade minister said, speaking in English. "A lot of companies refused to do this, so a lot of them actually withdrew from that program," he said. Other companies paid the 10% surcharge, he said. (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 05, 2005 11:25 ET (16:25 GMT)