I have been going around all the Iraq blogs and big bloggers and I’ve noticed something… the United Nations Foundation has bought a lot of ads promoting itself in Iraq. Check out, for instance, Tim Blair or Instapundit and they have these UN ads that say “Ensuring Credible and Fair Elections,” followed by a graphic, and then a quote from Kofi Annan that states:

“The United Nations is committed to the birth of a new Iraq. I have long made clear that the international community must put the deep divisions over the war behind us. We must unite to build a new, free, democratic Iraq.”
???????? Kofi Annan, December 2004

I find this kind of ironic considering the UN pulled out of Iraq, declared that it is not willing to monitor the election, and declared the war illegal. Hypocrites.

UPDATE: And here is a quote from their website:

The UN????????s advisory role in the organization and execution of free and democratic elections in Iraq is a top priority for the organization. As mandated in UN Security Council Resolution 1546, the UN is engaged in a wide range of activities to provide the Iraqi-administered Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) with the expertise, skills and personnel necessary to conduct a successful national election. Unlike its role in Afghanistan, the UN is not responsible for supervising, monitoring, or making key decisions in the elections.

An advisory role? Provide the experise and skill and personnel necessary, when they won’t even be taking a direct place? I am sorry — well, maybe not — but as far as I’m concerned, the UN has done nothing for Iraq. Nothing.

UPDATE 2: On a lesser note, there are some other ads casting a positive light on the Oil-for-Food program going around, seen below the aforementioned ad on Daniel Drezner’s blog.