Saturday, June 18, 2005

36. Bush Supports Continued UN Funding.

Wasn't Bush the big, bad cowboy who told the UN to lump it when he attacked Iraq? That gave him the IMAGE of being a pro-America, anti-UN crusader. Once again we see it's a FALSE image. His administration supports full funding of the UN, no matter how badly they behave.

http://www.covenantnews.com/politics/archives/013027.html

http://washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20050616-113652-7271r

The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com

White House hits bill to hold U.N. dues

By David R. Sands THE WASHINGTON TIMES June 17, 2005

The Bush administration warned Congress yesterday to drop a threat to withhold dues to the United Nations as a way to spur reform of the world body, saying the tactic would prove counterproductive.

The bill -- co-sponsored by House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde, Illinois Republican -- would hold up to half of the U.S. annual payment to the world body if more than three dozen administrative and management reforms are not adopted.

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns called the provision "unacceptable." "It would diminish our effectiveness and not allow us to play the leading role that we need to play on reform," he said.

The United States is the largest single contributor to the United Nations, paying nearly a quarter of the world body's $2 billion regular operating budget and 27 percent of its peacekeeping costs.

Supporters of the Hyde bill argued on the House floor yesterday that the dues threat was the only way to get the United Nations' attention in the wake of scandals such as the Iraq oil-for-food program and abuses by U.N. peacekeeping troops. "Yes, this is radical surgery, but sometimes it is the only way to save the patient," Mr. Hyde said.