The United States [Federal Government], which opposed the [New York and New Jersey] legislation, offered the Soviet Union landing rights at a military base so its foreign minister, Andrei A. Gromyko, could fly in for the General Assembly meeting. But the Soviets refused. When the United Nations committee met to review the situation, the Soviet delegate, Igor I. Yakovlev, said the ban on landing "raises the question of whether the United Nations should be in the United States." A furious Mr. Lichenstein replied that if member states felt "they are not being treated with the hostly consideration that is their due," they should consider "removing themselves and this organization from the soil of the United States. We will put no impediment in your way," he continued, "The members of the U.S. mission to the United Nations will be down at the dockside waving you a fond farewell as you sail off into the sunset."Due to opposition to these remarks by the State Department, Lichenstein offered his resignation. It was not accepted. President Reagan instead responded with this statement that endorsed Lichenstein's controversial remarks:
Maybe all those delegates should have six months in Moscow and then six months in New York, and it would give them an opportunity to see two ways of life. I think the gentleman [Charles Lichenstein] who spoke the other day had the hearty approval of most people in America in his suggestion that we weren’t asking anyone to leave, but if they chose to leave, good-bye.
excellent reply!!
I enjoyed the remarks.
(Long live RR!! )**
** (He is gone but I remember!)
The real issue is that the USSR never should have been allowed in the UN at all.
The UN never should have included the totalitarian countries as members. It should have been an organization of free countries only.