Today's Date:

1 - First of all, when we talk about the Oil For Food program, it is important to remember that there is a serious investigation going on, led by M. Paul Volcker, at the request of M. Kofi Annan. M Volcker is highly respected in the United States, in France, in the United Nations and we have full confidence in his investigation. The French authorities cooperate fully with him.

2 - Furthermore, France has also decided to work closely with the commission of the Congress investigating the Oil For Food Program. I personally spent several hours with staffers of the commission to share with them my experience as a former French Ambassador to the United Nations. We have nothing to hide.

3 - If serious investigations were to conclude that some French individuals or companies violated the United Nations sanctions or our laws, they will have to face the consequences.

4 - But concerning the report issued by M Duelfer, I consider it as unfair to expose names of individuals and companies of about 40 countries on the basis of unverified accusations, without any prior contact with them and without giving them an opportunity to tell their side of the story.

5 - I am also very surprised that American names have been deleted from the public report to protect their privacy. What about the privacy of non-American citizens ? Is it fair play ?

6 - Now, as the Ambassador of France, I have been outraged to read or hear in some media that France had opposed the war in Iraq because our vote might have been bought by Saddam Hussein. Frankly, this is outrageous. France was against this war because this war was not necessary. We said it at the time. There were no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction threatening the security of the United States or Europe ; there were no links between Saddam Hussein and 9/11. This is now clearly established and this is why we were against this war.

Jean-David Levitte
Ambassador of France to the United States