In news on the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, the Financial Times has uncovered that the single largest and boldest smuggling operation in the oil-for-food program was conducted with the knowledge of the US government. For months, the US Congress has been investigating activities that violated the UN oil-for-food program and helped Saddam Hussein build secret funds to acquire arms and buy influence. President Bush has linked future US funding of the international body to a clear account of what went on under the multi-billion dollar program. One former UN official told the paper “Although the financial beneficiaries were Iraqis and Jordanians, the fact remains that the US government participated in a major conspiracy that violated sanctions and enriched Saddam’s cronies.” The ofifical went on to say “This is exactly what many in the US are now accusing other countries of having done. I think it’s pretty ironic.”