People's Democracy

Volcker Findings Are Not Conclusive

Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on November 7.

THE CPI(M) reiterates that the Volcker Committee findings cannot be treated as final and conclusive, given the circumstances in which this committee was set up and the fact that it has got material from a US occupied administration in Iraq. The two inquiries instituted by the government should help sift through all the material and ascertain the truth.

Natwar Singh has stepped down as external affairs minister till the inquiries are completed. This may be seen as helping the inquiries. At the same time, there is a concerted bid to malign all those individuals, parties and forces who opposed the brutal sanctions in Iraq and showed solidarity with the Iraqi people and government.

The BJP and pro-American forces are unable to see that the worst crimes and loot of Iraq have been committed by the invasion of Iraq and its occupation.

Earlier, the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on November 7.

THE appointment of Virender Dayal, former Under-Secretary of the United Nations to collect all the facts and information regarding the references to India in the Volcker Inquiry Committee is a necessary step. The appointment of Justice R S Pathak to look into the payments and related matters is also required. The CPI(M) had wanted an enquiry into the Volcker committee findings to ascertain the actual facts after going through the evidence. The inquiry should unravel the truth behind the naming of the Congress party and Natwar Singh in the annexure of the report as being “non-contractual beneficiaries”.

The Volcker committee report cannot be taken as final and conclusive. The committee was set up under pressure of vicious attacks by the rightwing circles in the United States against the United Nations for undertaking the Oil for Food Programme in Iraq. These circumstances must be kept in mind, when considering the Volcker committee’s report.

The Polit Bureau condemns the BJP and the rightwing media for toeing the American line of maligning the struggle of the Iraqi people against the unjust sanctions imposed on them. These apologists for the US do not have a word to say in condemnation of the brazen loot indulged in by the US companies in occupied Iraq which is a scandal of massive proportions.(INN)