Annan suspends UN Oil-for-Food chief News
Annan suspends UN Oil-for-Food chief

[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has formally suspended [UN daily press briefing] Benon Sevan [official profile], the head of the UN oil-for-food program [official website], and Joseph Stephanides, a senior official who dealt with contracts. The suspensions come after an interim report [PDF text] by an inquiry commission conducted by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker accused the pair of misconduct [JURIST report]. Sevan and Stephanides were both informed last Friday of their suspension with pay. The suspension is the beginning of a disciplinary process which could take months to finish. Volcker's report accuses Sevan of a "grave conflict of interest," saying his solicitation of oil deals in Iraq was "ethically improper and seriously undermined the integrity of the United Nations." Volcker is still investigating Sevan but has not alleged any criminal wrongdoing. Annan has indicated that if Volcker's findings lead to any criminal charges, he would lift diplomatic immunity. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN General Assembly approves Palestine partition plan

The UN General Assembly approved UN Resolution Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947, recommending that the British Mandate for Palestine be split into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international zone for Jerusalem. The vote in the assembly was 33 for to 13 against, with 10 abstentions. The resolution sparked a war between Palestinian Arabs and Jews in 1947 and a wider war after Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded the new State of Israel in 1948. Read Resolution 181 (II).

UN divided Palestine between Arabs and Jews

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab territories, leading to the establishment of a Jewish state the following year. Read UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns during Vietnam Conflict

On November 29, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was resigning from his office to accept an appointment as head of the World Bank. The announcement came as the Vietnam Conflict was becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States and abroad.