15 OCTOBER 2010

If it was a U.N. envoy from the Third World we would have never heard the end of it. But Peter Galbraith is a well-connected U.S. politician. His company, Porcupine, is registered in Delaware, a state close to Washington, D.C., represented for years in Congress by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden. Both VP Biden and Ambassador Galbraith share almost similar views about Iraq, on which the Ambassador wrote a book, mainly supportive of Kurdish autonomy. These views were reflected when he was instrumental in drawing the future of Iraq. He indicated that he had promoted his position regardless of potential profit from oil arrangements. That's a matter for argument by those who may have to discuss it. The fact is that a British court awarded the former U.N. Deputy Envoy to Afghanistan who was fired after a public clash with his immediate supervisor, former close friend and nemesis Norwegian Kai Eide as the U.N. name was dragged through muddy Afghan politics. Galbraith, a well-wired Democrat within the U.S. establishment, publicly accused Afghan President Karzai, supposedly a U.S. ally, of drug abuse. Again, that's a question for U.S. and Afghan officials.

Question is: Mr. Galbraith's business-registered company reportedly operated in 2009 -- wasn't that the time when he was still on official U.N. business? Would that someone raise a conflict of interest issue? Would anyone care?!