Senate panel accuses former Oil-for-Food head of pocketing over $1M News
Senate panel accuses former Oil-for-Food head of pocketing over $1M

[JURIST] The US Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations [official website] has said that former head of the UN Oil-for-Food program [official website] Benon Sevan [official profile] made over $1 million from allocating oil from Saddam Hussein's regime. An independent UN inquiry into the Oil-for-Food program concluded that Sevan solicited oil deals in an improper manner [JURIST report; UN Inquiry report – PDF text], but stopped short of accusing Sevan of bribery or criminal conduct. Last week, Sevan was formally suspended [JURIST report] from his post. The Senate Subcommittee's accusations against Sevan come as it prepares to hold a second hearing [witness list] Tuesday on the operations of independent inspection agents retained by the UN and their role within the Oil-For-Food program. Live audio of the hearing will be available beginning at 9:30 AM ET. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

November 9 is the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism [UNITED factsheet]. On November 9, 1924, American gay activist Henry Gerber and several associates formed the Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The Society received a charter from the State of Illinois in December but was disbanded in July 1925 after a police raid which led to Gerber's arrest and trial (albeit not conviction). Pay a virtual visit to Henry Gerber House, now a registered Chicago landmark.

Supreme Court strikes down Massachusetts anti-draft law

On November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of the state's anti-draft law. Massachusetts had passed a law, which allowed its citizens to decline to fight in any undeclared war, even if the person was drafted. The law was passed in opposition to the draft and the war in Vietnam. The First Circuit found the war constitutional and thus struck down the law.