Oil for Food, Ships for Condi The right wing is positively apoplectic as of late about the Oil for Food Scandal. To recap: In an examination of the United Nations oil-for-food program for Iraq, the top American arms inspector has described how Saddam Hussein created a web of front companies and used shadowy deals with foreign governments, corporations and officials to amass $11 billion in illicit revenue in the decade before the U.S.-$ led invasion last year. Right wingers have been quick to condemn the French, Russian, and Indonesians for dealing with the Hussein regime. A talented right wing blogger has followed the story of one of the individuals involved in the scandal, Samir A. Vincent. Silflay Hraka documents the attempts of Mr. Vincent, operating as an Iraqi government agent, to try to negotiate peace with the Bush Administration. Recent reports have also documented Vincent's attempt to influence former Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp, minister Billy Graham, and President Jimmy Carter. Vincent received received allocations of nine billion barrels of oil between 1996 and 2003. Of course, Vincent wasn't alone. CNN reports: Exxon Mobil, which merged in 1999, and Chevron Texaco, which merged in 2001, say they are cooperating with investigators. Exxon purchased no Iraqi oil, but Mobil said it bought 9.2 million barrels from 1997 to 1998. "All Mobil contracts were reviewed and approved by the U.N. under detailed procedures established for the U.N. Oil-For-Food program. Mobil purchases of oil under the U.N. oil for food program were in full compliance with applicable U.S. laws," said Premlat Nair, an Exxon Mobil spokeswoman. Chevron purchased 9.5 million barrels, according to Iraqi oil records summarized in the a CIA-sponsored report on the Iraqi regime by weapons inspector Charles Duelfer. In the publicly released version of the Duelfer report, names of U.S. companies are blacked out, but CNN has obtained a clean copy. In accordance with the doctrine "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow republican", the Duelfer report protected the large oil corporations. In turn, the right wing blogosphere attempts to smear Jimmy Carter's reputation, while ignoring the alleged links to those with their own polical leanings. Should I be suprised by this? I wonder if the oil from Iraq obtained by Chevron was carried in this ship: