Russian companies will undoubtedly come under scrutiny in any oil-for-food investigation because they were major buyers of Iraqi oil and major suppliers of humanitarian goods to the program. It allowed the former Iraqi regime to sell unlimited quantities of oil provided the money went primarily to buy humanitarian goods and pay reparations to victims of the 1991 Gulf War.
Gatilov said Russia doesn't want â Å“to look backwards into the history, and to stir up the old issue of the humanitarian program, which is closed.â ? He also said creating the panel isn't â Å“strictly speaking the issue of the Security Councilâ ? because it doesn't relate to maintaining international peace and security.
