So Saddam Hussein pocketed $21.3 billion from the U.N.'s oil-for-palaces program -- nearly twice previous estimates. So what does Democrat Sen. Carl Levin have to say about it at yesterday's hearings?

Despite the findings, the committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, said "for the most part, the UN sanctions achieved their intended objective of preventing Saddam from rearming and developing weapons of mass destruction."

Wrong! The sanctions were intended to make Saddam comply with U.N. resolutions -- something he never did. As for rearming, Saddam did a pretty good job of it, purchasing rockets and GPS-jamming equipment from our "allies" France and Russia.

As for the oil-for-food program itself, there should be no doubt that the U.N.'s administration of it was criminal. That the Iraqi people should suffer because U.N. politicos wanted to pocket some extra cash.