U.N.: U.S. reform bill counterproductive - (chief "fox" proposes cleaning hen house himself....!)

SACBEE.COM ^ | MAY 20, 2005 | NICK WADHAMS

[CHARLITE]

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations on Friday warned that a proposed congressional bill linking U.N. reform with tens of millions of dollars in U.S. dues would be "counterproductive."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is pushing his own reform package, which would include some of the most sweeping changes in the 60-year history of the United Nations. Officials here worry that the congressional action would interfere with his efforts.

"The secretary-general's position on the use of withholding as a tool for reform is pretty clear," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "He feels it's counterproductive, particularly at a time when reform is such a primary agenda item."

The House International Relations Committee distributed an early version of the "United Nations Reform Act of 2005" on Thursday. The document seeks to cut funding for programs seen as useless and bar human rights violators from serving on U.N. human rights bodies.

One of its most controversial proposals is linking dues to the changes it spells out. The document stipulates that if those reforms are not carried out, Congress will withhold 50 percent of U.S. dues to the U.N. general budget, taking the money from programs it deems inefficient and wasteful.

At a Thursday hearing on U.N. reform, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., also cautioned against using dues to push for reform. As the ranking Democrat on the committee, led by Illinois Republican Henry Hyde, Lantos' support would be crucial for obtaining bipartisan support for the bill.

[CHARLITE]

Gotta love this one! Fox reorganizing the hen house for greater efficiency, and to make sure foxes don't get in!

[blackie]

[Just A Nobody]

Kofi Annan is pushing his own reform package, which would include some of the most sweeping changes in the 60-year history of the United Nations.

The only sweeping changes I want to see, is the UN being swept out of the US.

[SusaninOhio]

Kofi is a lying crook.

Who cares what he thinks or wants.

He has made himself unimportant.

[inquest]

Damn right it's counterproductive. Our goal needs to be to get out, and in the mean time, to obstruct it and keep it as powerless as possible. Supposedly "reforming" it doesn't move us toward that goal, but it does provide a pretext for moving us in the opposite direction. So yes, it's quite counterproductive.