The US is investigating counterfeiting by the North Korean government – an activity that dates back to at least the mid 1990s. how do we know? Because the UN has been in possession of some of the faux cash since 1995 – but conveniently failed to tell the United States government.

As federal investigators examine how the leading U.N. agency in North Korea illegally kept 35 counterfeit American $100 bills in its possession for 12 years, documents indicate that more officials were aware of the existence of the fake currency — and earlier — than the agency has reported.

Spokesmen for the United Nations Development Program have said top officials at the agency's New York headquarters learned in February that their safe in Pyongyang contained the counterfeit bills and immediately reported it to American authorities. But several documents shown recently to The New York Sun indicate that higher-ups knew much earlier that the safe held counterfeit money.

The documents are part of a worldwide reporting system that allows the agency to keep track of the contents of its office safes.

Where did the cash come from?

The safe contents record shown to the Sun includes such items as a "petty cash box," its keys, a zip drive containing finance-software data backup, an official U.N. stamp, identity cards, a log for checks, and a long list of checkbooks in euros, dollars, and North Korean won. One line in the record itemizes $3,500 in " Counterfeit US Dollar Bank Notes (given by FTB)."

A UNDP spokesman, David Morrison, declined to provide the Sun with the agency's rules governing the tracking of safe contents and how regional offices report on them, citing the ongoing probe.

Mr. Morrison explained the presence of the counterfeit currency in the safe by saying an unidentified Egyptian consultant did some work for the UNDP in North Korea and as payment was given a check equal to $3,500 in North Korean won. The Egyptian consultant then cashed the check at the Foreign Trade Bank in Pyongyang, received American bills, and left the country.

Once abroad, the Egyptian consultant tried to deposit the bills, but was told they were suspect. He then returned the bills to the UNDP office in Pyongyang, where they were kept since 1995 in a safe, unnoticed, until February, the spokesman said.

Unnoticed – except for being recorded on all those inventory forms.

US prosecutors are seeking to interview at least 13 UN officials – who are resisting those interviews based upon questions of diplomatic immunity and legal representation.

Indictments must be sought – against officials of Communist North Korea, as well as against those UN officials who knew about this counterfeiting ring and covered it up for over a decade. And I agree with the assessment of Captain Ed Morrissey.

If federal prosecutors can return an indictment and confirm this activity, the UN will face a much tougher time in the US than it did in the Oil-for-Food Programme scandal. In that case, they turned a blind eye and enabled Saddam Hussein to enrich himself through a vast kickback scheme. If the UN helped hide North Korea's counterfeiting ring, that is a direct insult to our sovereignty, as well as our hospitality.

It would be an insult that we cannot afford to let pass. If the UN does not immediately fire everyone involved in this scandal and revoke their immunity, then we must cut off all funds for the UN and create a timetable for withdrawal from this thoroughly corrupt organization. We have no need of a debating society whose members transform refugee camps into seraglios, who stuff the pockets of dictators with money meant for those they oppress, and who actively assist other nations in undermining our currency. If the UN fails to cooperate, it's time to push Turtle Bay into the water and bid adieu to the last of the Cold War anachronisms.

Actually, I’d take matters a bit further – given that the evidence is clear that UN officials were more interested in protecting the NorK dictatorship than the primary financial supporter of the UN and the host of its headquarters, it is appropriate to take at least some of those actions, if not all of them. It is time for the UN to join the League of Nations on the garbage heap of history, a fate which this corrupt organization deserves even more than its impotent predecessor.

H/T Stix Blog

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