There has been another development in a scandal too little covered in our media.

* There has been another development in a scandal too little covered in our media. We refer to the Oil-for-Food scam at the United Nations, now being investigated by no fewer than three congressional committees. It appears that the U.N. is busy sending out letters to potential witnesses firmly reminding them that "contractors may not communicate at any time to any other person, Government or authority external to the United Nations any information known to them by reason of their association with the United Nations." In other words, keep your mouths shut and your heads down, or you will be sued. But wait a second, didn't Secretary-General Kofi Annan promise a full and frank investigation of the fraud? And where are the Democrats on this? After all, they're the ones who exalt whistleblowers, and often rightly so. Here we have evidence that a corrupt institution is attempting to crush prospective whistleblowers with the threat of legal action. C'mon, Paul Krugman, get off the fence and right this injustice.