First class hypocricy

The US ban on Australia’s AWB over UN scandal allegations is the height of hypocrisy. AWB faces investigation by a judicial inquiry into their role in the scandal. Despite their protests of innocence, documentary evidence weighs heavily against the company. That same evidence puts neither the Australian government, nor the Bush Administration in a good light.
Officials in both administrations knew of these allegations in 2003. No doubt the US Wheat Associates will be delighted with this action; they first bought the issue to the US government attention in June 2003. With this foreknowledge the US government is at least as culpable as the Australian on this matter.
The question is, why did they choose to clam up at the time, and ignore the excesses being bought to their attention? There are two reasons that I can see, both involving crass self interest over ethics and probity.
The first issue I visited in the post, Putting Trade before Lives. As the title suggests, this was dealt with as a trade war between the countries, but I doubt that is the whole story.
A second aspect would surely be related to the Iraq war and the ‘coalition of the willing’. The sick, cynical part is that the money being funneled to Saddam’s Regime was being used to prepare that country’s military for war. Either way there was little regard for the folk sent of to fight this ridiculous war.
Now, with all that behind us, and Australia still hogging the Iraq wheat market, the US has decided to make its move.
Sorry but it stinks it high heaven! It is cynical and hypocritical. Americans should be just as angry about this as I am.