October 17, 2004

YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS

Annan rejects Iraq oil bribe claim (BBC, October 16th, 2004)

The UN Secretary General has dismissed allegations that France and Russia might have been willing to ease sanctions on Iraq in return for oil.

Kofi Annan told the Jonathan Dimbleby programme on British TV channel ITV1 the claims were "inconceivable".

"These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics," he added.

If you were the journalist on the receiving end of this astounding remark, and assuming you weren’t stunned speechless, your follow-up question would be....?

Posted by Peter Burnet at October 17, 2004 7:29 AM
Comments

Journalist: "Mr. Annan, you are the top banana."

Posted by: AllenS at October 17, 2004 7:52 AM

Emphasis on "top".

Posted by: AllenS at October 17, 2004 7:53 AM

Reporter: "Perhaps, but they have always been supporters of corrupt and murderous banana republics. Which, some would say, is actually harder to defend than being a banana republic ... "

Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at October 17, 2004 10:49 AM

So can we quote Annan on this the next time the USA is accused of invading Iraq (or Afghanistan) for oil? After all, the USA is a very serious and important government as well, right?

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at October 17, 2004 11:13 AM

I think Inigo in the Princess Bride sums it ups best. I didn't know that Koffee Anywan was Italian.


[Scene: At the top. Fezzik, Vizzini and Inigo are looking down at
the masked man climbing the cliff after Vizzini has cut the rope]

Fezzik: He's got very good arms.

Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE!

Inigo: You keep using that word. I do not think it means
what you think it means. [pause] My God! He's
climbing!

Posted by: Pilgrim at October 17, 2004 11:35 AM

Like Pilgrim, I can't hear "inconceivable" without immediately thinking of Vizzini.

And I can't hear "yes, we have no bananas" without remembering Steyn's astoundingly funny poke so to speak at Mugabe and post-colonial Africa (from whence cometh Anan), impossible to find at SteynOnline but fortunately archived at FreeRepublic.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1024308/posts

Posted by: Jorge Curioso at October 17, 2004 4:45 PM

Darn straight those are serious governments. And they are seriously smarting from the short fall in cash and or oil since Saddam's removal from the scene.

Posted by: Barry Meislin at October 17, 2004 5:37 PM

Why should anyone care what some shaved monkey like Kofi Annan has to say about ahything? The quicker the US quits the UN and boots them out of our nation the better things will be.

Posted by: Bart at October 17, 2004 6:33 PM

Mr. Ann Ann, are you out or your freekin mind?

Posted by: Tom Wall at October 17, 2004 7:32 PM

Mr. Secretary-General, bananas, unlike oil, are not fungible. Excuse me, is that a stain I see on your carpet?

Posted by: jim hamlen at October 17, 2004 11:08 PM
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